Work factor
Work factor: A measure of the effort required to perform a certain task or to break a certain system. It is used in cryptography to determine the security of a cryptographic system. Examples of work factors include the time required to brute-force a password or the amount of memory required to perform a certain cryptographic […]
Zero-knowledge proof
Zero-knowledge proof: A mathematical proof that allows one party to prove to another party that they know a certain piece of information without revealing the information itself. It is used in cryptography and secure communication protocols to verify the authenticity of a user or device without exposing sensitive information. Examples of zero-knowledge proofs include the […]
Vulnerability
Vulnerability: A weakness or flaw in a system that can be exploited by malicious actors to gain unauthorized access or cause damage. These vulnerabilities can stem from a variety of sources, including software bugs, hardware defects, configuration errors, or poor security practices, and pose a potential risk to the system’s security and integrity.
Waterfall development
Waterfall development: A linear project management approach where progress flows downwards, similar to a waterfall, through various stages such as conception, initiation, analysis, design, construction, testing, deployment, and maintenance. Each stage must be fully completed before moving to the next, providing a structured, sequential process that leaves little room for backtracking or revising previous stages.
Watering hole attack
Watering hole attack: An attack where attackers seek to compromise a specific group of individuals by infecting websites that members of the group are known to visit. The goal is to infect a targeted user’s computer and gain access to the network at the targeted user’s place of employment.
Weak key attack
Weak key attack: An attack on cryptographic algorithms where specific keys, known as weak keys, lead to patterns or simplifications in the encrypted data. This can make decryption without the intended key more feasible and hence compromise the effectiveness of the cryptographic protection.