B - Definitions
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B
backdoor (computing)
A backdoor attack is a means to access a computer system or encrypted data that bypasses the system's customary security mechanisms.
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biometric authentication
Biometric authentication is a security process that relies on the unique biological characteristics of individuals to verify they are who they say they are.
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biometric payment
Biometric payment is a point-of-sale (POS) technology that uses biometric authentication physical characteristics to identify the user and authorize the deduction of funds from a bank account.
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biometric verification
Biometric verification is any means by which a person can be uniquely identified by evaluating one or more distinguishing biological traits.
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biometrics
Biometrics is the measurement and statistical analysis of people's unique physical and behavioral characteristics.
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BIOS rootkit
A BIOS-level rootkit is programming that exists in a system's memory hardware to enable remote administration. Because the rootkit lives in the computer’s BIOS (basic input/output system), it persists not only through attempts to reflash the BIOS but also through hard drive erasure or replacement.
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BIOS rootkit attack
A BIOS-level rootkit attack, also known as a persistent BIOS attack, is an exploit in which the BIOS is flashed (updated) with malicious code. A BIOS rootkit is programming that enables remote administration.
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black hat hacker
A black hat hacker has been historically used to describe one who has malicious intent -- such as theft of information, fraud or disrupting systems -- but increasingly, more specific terms are being used to describe those people.
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blended threat
A blended threat is an exploit that combines elements of multiple types of malware and usually employs various attack vectors to increase the severity of damage and the speed of contagion.
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block cipher
A block cipher is a method of encrypting data in blocks to produce ciphertext using a cryptographic key and algorithm.
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Blowfish
Blowfish is a variable-length, symmetric, 64-bit block cipher.
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botnet
A botnet is a collection of internet-connected devices, which may include personal computers (PCs), servers, mobile devices and internet of things (IoT) devices, that are infected and controlled by a common type of malware, often unbeknownst to their owner.
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bridge
A bridge is a class of network device designed to connect networks at OSI Level 2, which is the data link layer of a local area network.
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browser hijacker (browser hijacking)
A browser hijacker is a malware program that modifies web browser settings without the user's permission and redirects the user to websites the user had not intended to visit.
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brute-force attack
A brute-force attack is a trial-and-error method used by application programs to decode login information and encryption keys to use them to gain unauthorized access to systems.
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buffer overflow
A buffer overflow occurs when a program or process attempts to write more data to a fixed-length block of memory, or buffer, than the buffer is allocated to hold.
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buffer underflow
A buffer underflow, also known as a buffer underrun or a buffer underwrite, is when the buffer -- the temporary holding space during data transfer -- is fed data at a lower rate than it is being read from.
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BYOI (bring your own identity)
BYOI (bring your own identity) is an approach to digital authentication in which an end user's username and password are managed by a third party. BYOI is increasingly being used for website authentication.