Building and Securing Computer Networks: Protocols, Routing, and Web Technologies

Computing Device

a machine that can run a program, including computers, tablets, servers, routers, and smart sensors

Computing System

a group of computing devices and programs working together for a common purpose

Computing Network

a group of interconnected computing devices capable of sending or receiving data.

Path

the series of connections between computing devices on a network starting with a sender and ending with a receiver.

Bandwidth

the maximum amount of data that can be sent in a fixed amount of time, usually measured in bits per second.

Protocol

An agreed-upon set of rules that specify the behavior of some system

IP Address

The unique number assigned to each device on the Internet.

Internet Protocol (IP)

a protocol for sending data across the Internet that assigns unique numbers (IP addresses) to each connected device

Router

A type of computer that forwards data across a network

Redundancy

the inclusion of extra components so that a system can continue to work even if individual components fail, for example by having more than one path between any two connected devices in a network.

Fault Tolerant

Can continue to function even in the event of individual component failures.

Datastream

Information passed through the internet in packets.

Packet

A chunk of data sent over a network.

Packet Metadata

Data added to packets to help route them through the network and reassemble the original message.

Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)

A protocol for sending packets that does error-checking to ensure all packets are received and properly ordered

User Datagram Protocol (UDP)

A protocol for sending packets quickly with minimal error-checking and no resending of dropped packets

Scalability

the capacity for the system to change in size and scale to meet new demands

DNS Spoofing

an attack involving manipulating DNS records to redirect users to a fraudulent website that may resemble the user's intended destination.

World Wide Web

a system of linked pages, programs, and files

The Domain Name System (DNS)

the system responsible for translating domain names like example.com into IP addresses

Uniform Resource Locator (URL)

the address of a given unique resource on the Web.

Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP)

a protocol for computers to request and share the pages that make up the world wide web on the Internet

Hypertext Markup Language (HTML)

the standard markup language for documents designed to be displayed in a web browser.

Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)

a standard security technology for establishing an encrypted link between a server and a client—typically a web server.

Transport Layer Security (TLS)

a cryptographic protocol designed to provide communications security over a computer network.

Digital Certificate

a file that verifies the identity of a device or user and enables encrypted connections.

Cookies

text files with small pieces of data used to identify your computer as you use the network.