Algorithm
An algorithm is a procedure, formula or list of instructions that can be used to accomplish a task or to solve a problem. In mathematics and computer science, an algorithm is usually a procedure used to solve a recurring problem.
Authentication
Authentication is the process by which individuals and organizations verify each other's identity during the exchange of sensitive and confidential information. During Online Banking or commerce sessions, customers are usually authenticated using ID's and passwords. Customers can ensure that they are dealing with the party they intend to communicate with, and not a malicious third party that might be intercepting information, by examining the secured Web site's security certificate.
Browser
A browser is a software application that interfaces with the Internet and provides a way to locate, display and interact with Web pages. Currently, the two most popular Web browsers are Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer. Many browsers used today are capable of displaying text, graphics, sound and video to enable a complete multimedia experience.
Cable Modem
Cable modems are devices that provide high-speed Internet access using cable television networks. They use either the traditional coaxial cables or newer fibre optic cables for the transmission of data. Like DSL, cable modems offer continuous connection to the Internet without having to dial into an Internet Service Provider (ISP) each time you wish to connect to the Internet.
Cache
Cache is a place to store something temporarily. For example, Web pages you visit may be downloaded to your computer and stored in your Web browser's cache, which is physically located on the hard disk of your computer. When you return to a Web page you have recently visited, your Web browser can retrieve it from the cache rather than from the Web server where the page is hosted. This cuts down the retrieval time and helps minimize Internet traffic. Depending on the Web browser you use, you can specify the size of the cache, i.e., how much information it will hold, or whether your browser caches at all.
Certification Authority
A Certification Authority (CA) is a trusted third party that issues certificates that can be used by individuals or organizations to verify their identity or credentials. Certificates generally contain the certificate holder's name, their public key, an expiration date, a serial number and identifying information about the certification authority that issued the certificate including their digital signature.
Cipher, Ciphertext
A cipher is any method used to turn plain text into an unreadable and meaningless form. Ciphertext is text that has been encoded into this unreadable form. This often involves the use of a mathematical formula to encode plain text into ciphertext and a key to decode the ciphertext. Cookies
A cookie is a small text file containing a unique identification number that a Web site sends to your computer's Web browser. When you visit a particular site, a cookie may be used to track the activities of your browser as well as provide you with a consistent, more efficient experience. There are two common types of cookies: persistent and non-persistent. Persistent cookies stay in the browser for long periods of time. Cookies cannot view or retrieve data from other cookies, nor can they capture files and data stored on your computer. Only the Web site that sends you cookies is able to read them. To learn more about cookies and RBC Financial Group, please click here.
Cryptography
Cryptography represents a set of mathematical techniques to encode information so that it can be stored and transmitted securely. A system for encrypting and decrypting data is called a cryptosystem. The system usually involves a mathematical equation or algorithm for combining the original data with one or more "keys" numbers or strings of characters known only to the sender and recipient. The resulting encoded, unreadable data is known as ciphertext. Digital Certificate
Also referred to as digital ID's or public key certificates, a digital certificate is a digital stamp using encryption technology to certify where an electronic document came from. Digital certificates allow individuals or organizations on the Internet to verify each other's identity. They are the digital equivalent of a passport or a driver's license and are used where higher levels of authentication are required. The certificates are issued by a certification authority and contain the name of the certificate holder, a serial number, expiration dates, a copy of the certificate holder's public key (used for encryption messages and digital signature) and the digital signature of the certificate-issuing authority so that the recipient can verify that the certificate is real.
Digital Signature
Like a hand-written signature, a digital signature has similar properties. It can be added to electronic documents or transactions and serves three main purposes, to provide: authentication, proof that you are who you say you are; non-repudiation, proof that an exchange or transaction took place; and integrity, so that any attempt to alter information would be detected. DSL
Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) technology provides high-speed Internet connections over ordinary telephone lines. Like cable modems, DSL offers significantly better download and upload times than dial-up modems--without the need to dial up--and provides "always-on" connection capability. DSL subscribers can use telephones (or fax machines) and surf the Internet simultaneously even though the computer and telephone (or fax machine) share the same phone line because the technology separates the signals.
Encryption
Encryption is the process of scrambling or encrypting data into a form that cannot be read or understood by unauthorized individuals, ensuring its security during transmission over the Internet. Very similar to secret code, encryption changes data from readable to unreadable and back again using complex mathematical algorithms known as keys. It is not possible to convert encrypted data to unencrypted data without the corresponding key. The two most common levels of encryption are 40-bit and 128-bit, both in use on popular Web browsers such as Microsoft Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator. End-to-end Security
End-to-end security means that data flows from the Web server (where the Web site is physically hosted) to the Web browser, without passing through any other servers. Information exchanged between the point of origin and the point of destination is encrypted to further ensure security.
Firewall
A firewall is a combination of industrial strength computer hardware and software designed to securely separate the Internet from internal Web servers, computer systems, networks and databases. Firewalls keep unauthorized Internet traffic off a company's Web server or computer network and can be set up to warn network managers if they detect intruder attempts. Key
In cryptography, a key is complex mathematical algorithm applied to plain data to produce encrypted data, or applied to encrypted data to produce the original information. The longer the key, the more difficult it is to decrypt the data should an unauthorized third party intercept it.
Malware
Malware is a blend of the words "malicious" and "software" and includes computer viruses, worms, trojan horses, spyware and a multitude of other damaging and unwanted software. It is software that is designed to enter or damage a computer system, without the user's knowledge and/or informed consent.
Phishing
Phishing is a common type of online scam designed to trick you into disclosing your personal or financial information for the purpose of financial fraud or identity theft. Here’s how it works: you receive an unsolicited e-mail appearing to be from a legitimate organization that directs you to a website designed to look like the organization’s actual website. The e-mail will give you a phony reason to visit the website and reveal your personal information, such as credit card numbers, account numbers, passwords, date of birth, driver’s license number, and social insurance or social security numbers. While you may think you are giving your information to a valid company, instead you are providing it to a fraudster.
PKI
A Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) allows users to exchange sensitive information over the Internet in a secure and private manner using a public and private key pair that is obtained through a certification authority. The public key infrastructure uses a digital certificate to identify the individual attempting to decrypt data.
Plug-in
A Plug-in is a software module that adds a specific functionality to the Web browser. For example, plug-ins for Netscape Navigator and Internet Explorer allow the browsers to displays various types of audio and video messages or popular Adobe Acrobat (PDF) files.
Private
In this case, a private website refers to one in which encryption is invoked (you would see the “lock” icon) and (often) one for which you are required to logon using a personal and confidential user id and password. These are secure websites and your logon credentials and any personal or financial information that you enter is encrypted for security.
Public
A public website refers to one that can be accessed by the general public without using a logon user id and password. It is also one on which no personal financial or other confidential information would be requested or should ever be entered. At any point that you would enter personal or financial information onto a public website, you should see that website become a private site – meaning that you would see the “lock” icon appear, showing that encryption is now invoked and you may further be required to logon with a user id and password.
Public Key Encryption
Public Key Encryption, sometimes known as asymmetric key encryption, uses a pair of private and public keys that are mathematically related for the encryption and decryption of data. The public key is made widely available to parties who want to communicate with the private key issuer/holder in a secure manner and it is the key used to encrypt the data. The private key is never shared and remains private to the issuer/holder of the public key and is used to decrypt the data.
Security Holes/Bugs
Security holes/bugs are faults, defects or programming errors exploited by unauthorised intruders to enter computer networks or Web servers from the Internet. As these holes or bugs become known, software publishers develop "patches", "fixes" or "updates" users can download to fix the problems.
SET
SET (Secure Electronic Transaction) is an open technical standard for the commerce industry developed by Visa and MasterCard to facilitate secure credit card payment transactions over the Internet. Digital Certificates are used throughout the transaction, verifying cardholder and merchant. SET may be used by software vendors, merchants, financial institutions, and others that pass SET compliance testing.
Smart Card
A smart card is a plastic card about the size of a credit card with an embedded microchip where data and applications are stored. Information on Smart Cards can be updated after the card is issued. A smart card reader, a small device into which the smart card is inserted, is required to load data onto the card or read information from it.
Spyware
Spyware is the term used to describe software programs that are installed on a user's computer, without their knowledge, to secretly gather information about the user. This software typically establishes an Internet connection with a third party, who may monitor everything from a user's Web surfing habits, to more malicious monitoring such as stealing confidential information.
SSL
Secure Socket Layer (SSL) protocol was developed by Netscape Communications Corporation to provide a high level of security for Internet communications. SSL provides an encrypted communications session between your Web browser and a Web server. SSL helps verify that sensitive information (e.g. credit card numbers, account balances and other proprietary financial and personal data) sent over the Internet between you browser and a Web server, remains confidential during online transactions.
Symmetric Key Encryption
Symmetric or Private Key Encryption uses the same private key shared by the sender and recipient for the encryption and decryption of data. A Web browser will generate a new symmetric key each time it opens a secure connection.
Trojan Horse
A Trojan horse is a malicious program disguised as a useful or fun program. They are frequently transmitted as files attached to email message or can be downloaded from Web sites, or enter a computer on a diskette or CD-ROM. When you install the file, it appears as if nothing untoward has happened, but the Trojan horse installs itself on your computer and may destroy files or create a "back door" entry point that allows an unauthorized individual to gain access to your computer. Unlike virus and worm a Trojan horse program does not propagate itself.
Virus
Viruses are malicious programs that are often designed as games, image files (JPEG) or screen saver. They are frequently transmitted as files attached to email message or can be downloaded from Web sites, or enter a computer on a diskette or CD-ROM. Some viruses do damage as soon as they are run inadvertently. Others remain dormant until a date predetermined by the virus creator, then come alive and destroy files or data. When run (clicked on to install the file or play the game), viruses frequently search the Microsoft Outlook address book and send themselves to some or all of the contacts in the address book without the user's knowledge. This is known as self-propagation and it is how viruses often spread like wildfire across the Internet and corporate networks.
Worm
A worm is a malicious program that replicates itself over a computer network. It does not alter files but resides in active memory of the computer, invisible to the user, until uncontrolled replication causes a computer to slow down or shut down. By way of example, worms which gained wide-spread media attention are Code Red and Nimda . Code Red worm infected commercial servers by flooding them with large amounts of data. Nimda, "admin" spelled backwards, wreaked havoc in both home PCs and commercial network and Web servers. Self-replicating worms generally use email and infected Web sites to spread across the Internet and computer networks.
|
