Firewall Definitions
Network security fundamentals including the OSI model, WAF, TCP/IP, HTTP, ICMP, DoS attacks, IP spoofing, and routing concepts.
What is a denial-of-service (DoS) attack?
A denial-of-service (DoS) attack is a cyberattack that aims to make a computer, server, or network resource unavailable to legitimate users by overwhelming it with a flood of malicious traffic or exploiting vulnerabilities.
What is a Ping of Death (PoD) attack?
A Ping of Death (PoD) attack is a denial-of-service attack in which an attacker sends a malformed or oversized ICMP ping packet that exceeds the maximum allowed IP packet size, causing the target system to crash or freeze.
What is a WAF (Web Application Firewall)?
A Web Application Firewall (WAF) is a security solution that monitors, filters, and blocks HTTP/HTTPS traffic between a web application and the internet to protect against application-layer attacks.
What is blackhole routing?
Blackhole routing is a network defence technique where traffic destined for a specific IP address or range is silently dropped by routing it to a null interface, commonly used as an emergency response to DDoS attacks.
What is HTTP?
HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) is the application-layer protocol used for transmitting hypermedia documents on the World Wide Web, forming the foundation of data communication for websites and web applications.
What is ICMP?
ICMP (Internet Control Message Protocol) is a network-layer protocol used by network devices to send error messages and operational information, most commonly known for powering the ping and traceroute utilities.
What is IP spoofing?
IP spoofing is a technique where an attacker forges the source IP address in packet headers to disguise their identity, impersonate another system, or bypass network security controls.
What is OSI Model?
The OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) model is a conceptual framework that standardises how different networking protocols and technologies communicate across seven distinct layers.
What is TCP/IP?
TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) is the foundational suite of communication protocols that powers the internet, governing how data is addressed, transmitted, routed, and received across networks.
What is UDP?
UDP (User Datagram Protocol) is a lightweight, connectionless transport-layer protocol that sends data packets called datagrams without establishing a prior connection or guaranteeing delivery.