The FREE Cybersecurity Glossary by Thor Pedersen!

Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS): A security feature that simplifies the process of setting up a wireless network and connecting devices to it. Used in home and office networks to make it easier for users to connect their devices. Examples include a WPS button on a router or a WPS PIN on a device.

Wi-Fi War Droning: An activity where a drone equipped with a Wi-Fi scanner or hacker toolkit is used to identify and potentially exploit vulnerabilities in wireless networks. The mobility and compactness of drones enable them to reach locations that might be difficult for a human to access, allowing a wide or targeted search for unsecured or weakly secured networks. This activity can be used either for malicious intent or for legitimate purposes like security audits and penetration testing.

Wi-Fi Zones (Coverage Areas): The delineated areas within the range of a wireless network where devices can connect and communicate over Wi-Fi. Networks often overlap multiple zones, enabling seamless connectivity as users move around. Each zone corresponds to the signal range of a Wireless Access Point (WAP).

Windows Registry: A database of system settings and configurations in the Microsoft Windows operating system. It is used to store information such as software installation paths, user preferences, and hardware settings. Examples of registry keys include the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE and HKEY_CURRENT_USER keys.

Windows Server Update Services (WSUS): A Microsoft tool that allows administrators to manage and distribute updates released through Microsoft Update to computers in a corporate environment. It provides a centralized and automated method of deploying critical updates, ensuring that all systems within an organization are consistently protected against known issues and vulnerabilities and their software environment remains secure and up-to-date.

Wine: A compatibility layer capable of running Windows applications on several POSIX-compliant operating systems, such as Linux, macOS, & BSD. It duplicates functions of Windows by providing alternative implementations of the DLLs that Windows programs call and a process to substitute for the Windows NT kernel. This provides a way for users of non-Windows systems to utilize software that is traditionally Windows-only, increasing interoperability and software availability.