The FREE Cybersecurity Glossary by Thor Pedersen!

Whole-instance encryption: The process of encrypting an entire virtual machine or cloud instance, including all data and applications, to protect data and ensure compliance with regulations in cloud computing environments.

Wide Area Network (WAN): A telecommunications network that extends over a large geographical distance, connecting multiple smaller networks, such as local area networks (LANs). WANs are used for transmitting data between different locations, cities, or even countries, often relying on leased lines or satellite links.

Wide Area Network (WAN) switch: A network switch designed to handle and route data across large geographic areas in a WAN, connecting multiple local area networks (LANs). These switches are crucial for managing and optimizing network traffic, providing efficient and reliable long-distance communication across corporate and telecom networks.

Wi-Fi: A wireless networking technology that allows devices to connect to the internet without the use of physical cables. It is commonly used in homes, offices, and public spaces to provide internet access to devices such as laptops, smartphones, and tablets. Examples include home Wi-Fi networks and public Wi-Fi hotspots.

Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 (WPA2): A security protocol and a current industry standard that is used to safeguard wireless networks. It improves upon its predecessor, WPA, by introducing a more secure encryption method known as the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) and a robust integrity check known as CCMP (Counter Cipher Mode with Block Chaining Message Authentication Code Protocol). These features ensure that network traffic is secure from unauthorized access, interception, and tampering.

Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA): A security protocol designed to secure wireless (Wi-Fi) networks. Introduced as an improvement over the previous Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP), WPA provides robust security through encryption and user authentication. WPA2 and WPA3, the later versions of this protocol, utilize Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) technology and offer improved security features to protect network traffic from eavesdropping and other forms of attacks.