Glossary

War chalking

Using chalk symbols on walls to indicate the presence and configuration of an insecure wireless network.

War driving

Locating insecure wireless networks by scanning for them with a portable computer and special software.

Warez

Pirated software

Webcam

A digital camera that can transmit images over the internet to users who access a given webpage

Webmail

An email system that uses a web browser to read and send emails rather than a standalone email client program

WEP

WEP data encryption is defined by the 802.11 standard to prevent eavesdropping and access to the network by malicious users.

White hat

A non-criminal hacker, who uses their skills legally

Wi-Fi

See '802.11'

Wiki

A collaborative method of developing content for a website

Windows Messenger

See 'instant messaging'

Wireless network

See 802.11

Wizard

A hacker of great ability. Also a high level administrator on a multi-user adventure game.

Worm

A subclass of virus. A worm generally spreads without user action and distributes complete copies (possibly modified) of itself across networks. A worm can consume memory or network bandwidth, thus causing a computer to stop responding.

WPA

WiFi Protected Access: a method of encrypting 802.11 traffic as a protection against eavesdropping