dictionary attack
(n.) (1) A method used to break security systems, specifically password-based security systems, in which the attacker systematically tests all possible passwords beginning with words that have a higher possibility of being used, such as names and places. The word “dictionary” refers to the attacker exhausting all of the words in a dictionary in an attempt to discover the password. Dictionary attacks are typically done with software instead of an individual manually trying each password.
(2) An e-mail spamming technique in which the spammer sends out thousands or millions of e-mails with randomly generated addresses using combinations of letters added to known domain names in the hopes of reaching a percentage of actual e-mail addresses. For example, a dictionary attack list might begin with [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], and so on until all possible combinations of letters and numbers has been exhausted.
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- dielectric
(adj.) Refers to a material that is a poor conductor of electricity. Dielectric materials can be made to hold an electrostatic charge while dissipating minimal energy in the form of heat. Glass, porcelain, mica, rubber, plastics dry air, vacuums and some liquids and gases are dielectric.
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The value returned by a biometric engine that indicates the degree of difference found between a reference biometric sample (e.g. the data on file) and the data being obtained for comparison. See “Defend Yourself Against Identity Theft” in the “Did You Know…” section of
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The backup of all data files that have been modified since the last incremental backup or archival backup. Compare with cumulative incremental backup.
- diffusing update algorithm
Abbreviated as DUAL, the diffusing update algorithm is a routing protocol used by EIGRP to calculate and create routing tables to determine whether a path is looped or loop-free. It also allows a router running EIGRP to find alternate paths without waiting on updates from other routers. The diffusing update algorithm (DUAL) was developed at […]