Complete Glossary of Cyber Warfare Terms by Compass University

AFCA

Air Force Communications Agency

AFCERT

Air Force Computer Emergency Response Team

AFIWC

Air Force Information Warfare Center

AHFID

Allied High Frequency Interoperability Directory.

AIA

Air Intelligence Agency at Kelly Air Force Base.

AIS

Automated Information Systems.

ATM

Asynchronous Transfer Mode.

C2

Command and Control: Command and control functions are performed through an arrangement of personnel, equipment, communications, facilities, and procedures employed by a commander in planning, directing, coordinating, and controlling forces and operations in the accomplishment of a mission.

C2W

Command-and-control warfare. The integrated use of operations security, military deception, psychological operations, electronic warfare, and physical destruction, mutually supported by intelligence, to deny information to, influence, degrade, or destroy adversary command and control capabilities, while protecting friendly command and control capabilities against such actions. Command systems, rather than commanders, are the chief target, as in Persian Gulf War.

C4

Command, Control, Communications, and computers.

C4I

Command, Control, Communications, Computers, and Intelligence

CARNIVORE

An FBI system to monitor email and other traffic through Internet service providers.

CCIPS

Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (US Department of Justice)

COMSEC

Communications Security.

Copernicus

The code name under which the Navy plans to reformulate its command and control structures in response to the realization that information is a weapon. Through Copernicus, warfighters will get the information that they need to make tactical decisions. The architecture of Copernicus was designed by Vice Admiral Jerry O. Tuttle.

Cracking

Illegally gaining entry to a computer or computer network in order to do harm.

CSCI

Commercial Satellite Communications Initiative.

Cyberspace

The global network of interconnected computers and communication systems.

Cyberwar

A synonym for information warfare.

DARPADefense Advanced Research Project Agency

Data driven attack

A form of attack that is encoded in innocuous-seeming data which is executed by a user or other software to implement an attack. In the case of firewalls, a data-driven attack is a concern since it may get through the firewall in data form and launch an attack against a system behind the firewall.

DBK

Dominant battlefield knowledge.

Defense information infrastructure

The worldwide shared or interconnected system of computers, communications, data, applications, security, people, training, and other support structures serving a nation’s military’s information needs.

DES

Data Encryption Standard

DIA

Defense Intelligence Agency

DII

See: Defense Information Infrastructure

DII COE Defense Information Infrastructure Common Operating Environment

DISA

Defense Information Security Administration. Military organization charged with responsibility to provide information systems support to fighting units.

DISC4

Army, Director of Information Systems for Command, Control, Communications, and Computers

DISN

Defense Information System Network

DNS

Domain Name Service

DNS spoofing

Assuming the DNS name of another system by either corrupting the name service cache of a victim system, or by compromising a domain name server for a valid domain.

DoD

Department of Defense.

Dumster diving

Accessing an opponent’s information by examining the contents of garbage pails and recycling bins.

van Eck monitoring

Monitoring the activity of a computer or other electronic equipment by detecting low levels of electromagnetic emissions from the device. Named after Dr. Wim van Eck who published on the topic in 1985.

EKMS

Electronic Key Management System.

ELINT

Electronic intelligence.

EMI

Electromagnetic interference.

EMP

Electromagnetic pulse. A pulse of electromagnetic energy capable of disrupting computers. Computer networks, and many forms of telecommunication equipment.

EMP/T Bomb

A device to destroy electronic networks that is similar to a HERF Gun but many times more powerful.

EMSEC

Emissions Security.

EPS

Electronic Protection System.

ECHELON

A multinational surveillance network, centered at Sugar Grove, WV, that intercepts all forms of electronic communications.

ETAPWG

DOD Information Assurance Education, Training, Awareness and Professionalization Working Group.

EW

Electronic warfare.

Firewall

A system or combination of systems that enforces a boundary between two or more networks, i.e., an electronic gate that limits access between networks in accordance with local security policy.

GCCS

Global Command and Control System.

GCSS

Global Combat Support System.

Global information environment

A military term for cyberspace.

Hacker

A person who either breaks into systems for which they have no authorization or intentionally overstep their bounds on systems for which they do have legitimate access, i.e., an unauthorized individual who attempts to penetrate information systems; to browse, steal, or modify data; deny access or service to others; or cause damage or harm in some other way.

HERF

High Energy Radio Frequency. As in HERF gun: a device that can disrupt the normal operation of digital equipment such as computers and navigational equipment by directing HERF emissions at them.

IASE Information Assurance Support Environment.

IBW

Intelligence-based warfare.

IPMO

INFOSEC Program Management Office.

Information Warfare

Information warfare is the offensive and defensive use of information and information systems to deny, exploit, corrupt, or destroy, an adversary’s information, information-based processes, information systems, and computer-based networks while protecting one’s own. Such actions are designed to achieve advantages over military or business adversaries (Dr. Ivan Goldberg’s definition)

INFOSEC

Information Security: Protection of classified information that is stored on computers or transmitted by radio, telephone teletype, or any other means.

ISSO

NSA Information Systems Security Organization.

IW/C2W

Information warfare/command and control warfare.

J6

Joint Staff, Director for Command, Control, Communications, and Computers.

JC2WC

Joint Command and Control Warfare Center.

JMIC

Joint Military Intelligence College . . . located at Bolling Air Force Base close to Washington DC.

Logic bomb

Unauthorized computer code, sometimes delivered by email, which, when executed, checks for particular conditions or particular states of the system which, when satisfied, triggers the perpetration of an unauthorized, usually destructive, act.

NACIC

National Counterintelligence Center.

NAIC

National Air Intelligence Center.

NIMA

National Imagery and Mapping Agency.

NIPC

National Infrastructure Protection Center.

NRO

National Reconnaissance Office.

NSA

National Security Agency. This agency is charged with the tasks of exploiting foreign electromagnetic signals and protecting the electronic information critical to U. S. national security.

OOTW

Operations other than war.

Phreaking

“Hacking” the public phone network.

PKI

Public Key Infrastructure.

Psychological operations

Planned psychological activities in peace and war directed to enemy, friendly, and neutral audiences in order to influence attitudes and behavior affecting the achievement of political and military objectives. They include strategic psychological activities, consolidation psychological operations, and battlefield psychological activities.

PSYOPS

See: Psychological operations.

RMA

Revolution in Military Affairs. The realization by military that information and information technologies must be considered as a weapon in achieving national objectives via military activity.

SIGINT

The interception and analysis of electromagnetic signals.

Spoofing

Assuming the identity of another as in sending an email under someone else’s name.

TEMPEST

Military code-name for activities related to van Eck monitoring, and technology to defend against such monitoring.

Trojan horse

A seemingly harmless computer virus that turns out to be extremely destructive.

Virus

A self-replicating program that is hidden in another piece of computer code, such as an email.

Worm

A self-replicating destructive program that stands alone and spreads itself through computer networks.