Dictionary of Terms

What’s the difference between phishing and pharming? What’s spoofing? And are you more likely to be attacked by a worm or a Trojan horse?

Keeping track of the online security terms is a full-time job. But we’ve made it easy with this dictionary of terms. Just select a word or phrase to the left for the definition. We’ll continue to update the list as new technologies emerge or threats arise, so check back from time to time.

Anti-virus software	Firewall	Phishing	SSL Certificate
Blog	FTP	Proxy server	Top-level domain
Certificate authority	Generic top-level domain	Rogue hotspot	Trojan horse
Country code top-level domain	HTTP	RSS	URL
Domain name	HTTPS	Social engineering	Virus
Encryption	Identity fraud	Spam	Vulnerability
Evil twin	Intranet	Spoofing	Web browser
Extended Validation SSL Certificates	IP address	Spyware	White paper
Extranet	Pharming	SSL	Worm

SSL

Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), is an open standard for establishing an encrypted communications channel to help prevent the interception of critical information, such as credit card numbers, when transmitted over the Internet. The primary purpose of SSL is to enable security-enhanced electronic transactions on the Worldwide Web, although it is designed to work with other Internet services as well.

Use this tool to quickly find out if your favorite e-commerce, banking, or other Web sites have been issued VeriSign SSL Certificates. Just enter the Web address and click "verify."

Note: Verify Before You Buy is currently limited to generic top-level domain VeriSign SSL Certificates. If the URL that you're investigating has a country code top-level domain, such as .co.uk or .de, you should use alternate means of evaluating the security of the Web site. Learn more >>