Word of The Day

When software is developed, it goes through a number of stages before it is officially released to the public. This document briefly explains this process. Software Release Development Life Cycles Pre-Alpha (Development) Pre-alpha refers to all ... activities performed during the software project prior to testing. These activities can include requirements analysis, software design, software development and unit testing. Pre-alpha software is rarely ever released to the public. Alpha (Developer Testing) The alpha phase of the release life cycle is the first phase to begin Software testing. In this ... (view more)

In computer security, "sandboxing" is a security term used to describe the separation of running programs on an operating system. A sandbox, as it is also referred to, is often used to execute untested computer programs to ensure that they do not ... overstep their boundaries and cause harm to the system. The sandbox typically provides a tightly-controlled set of resources for guest programs to run in, such as scratch space on disk and memory. Network access and the ability to inspect the host system or read from input devices are usually disallowed or heavily restricted. In this sense, sandboxes ... (view more)

In mathematics and computer science, an 'algorithm' is an effective method for solving a problem expressed as a finite sequence of instructions. Algorithms are used for calculation, data processing, and many other fields. Each algorithm is a list of ... well-defined instructions for completing a task. Starting from an initial state, the instructions describe a computation that proceeds through a well-defined series of successive states, eventually terminating in a final ending state. Expressing algorithms Algorithms can be expressed in many kinds of notation, including natural languages, ... (view more)

In computer terminology, a honeypot is a trap set to detect, deflect, or in some manner counteract attempts at unauthorized use of information systems. Generally it consists of a computer, data, or a network site that appears to be part of a ... network, but is actually isolated, (un)protected, and monitored, and which seems to contain information or a resource of value to attackers. Honeypot Function A honeypot is valuable as a surveillance and early-warning tool. While it is often a computer, a honeypot can take other forms, such as files or data records, or even unused IP address space. ... (view more)

Network neutrality (also known as "Net neutrality") is a principle that advocates no restrictions by Internet Service Providers and governments on content, sites, platforms, on the kinds of equipment that may be attached, and no restrictions on the ... modes of communication allowed. The principle states that if a given user pays for a certain level of Internet access, and another user pays for the same level of access, that the two users should be able to connect to each other at the subscribed level of access. Net Neutrality and Service Providers Neutrality proponents claim that telecom ... (view more)

Centralized computing is computing done at a central location, using terminals that are attached to a central computer. The computer itself may control all the peripherals directly (if they are physically connected to the central computer), or they ... may be attached via a terminal server. Alternatively, if the terminals have the capability, they may be able to connect to the central computer over the network. The terminals may be text terminals or thin clients, for example. A modern day form of centralized computing is the cloud computing model . Centralized computing offers greater security ... (view more)

Decentralized computing is a trend in modern day business environments. This is the opposite of centralized computing, which was prevalent during the early days of computers. Decentralized computing is the allocation of resources, both hardware and ... software, to each individual workstation, or office location. In contrast, centralized computing exists when the majority of functions are carried out, or obtained from a remote centralized location. Benefits of Decentralized Computing A decentralized computer system has many benefits over a conventional centralized network. For example, desktop ... (view more)

In electronics and computing, firmware is a term often used to denote fixed programs and data structures that internally control various electronic devices. Typical examples of devices containing firmware range from end-user products such as PCs, ... laptops, netbooks, remote controls and calculators, and even include scientific instrumentation and industrial robotics. More complex consumer devices, such as mobile phones and digital cameras, contain firmware to define the device's basic operation as well as implementing higher-level functions in the future. Firmware Versus Software Technically, ... (view more)

The null character (also referred to as a null terminator) is a character with the value zero, and is used in nearly all mainstream computer programming languages. Use as String Terminator The character has special significance in C programming ... language and its derivatives, where it serves as a reserved character used to signify the end of strings, such as a sentence. The null character is often represented as the escape sequence '\0' in source code. Strings ending in a null character are said to be null-terminated. Security Exploit: Poison Null Byte The "poison null byte" was originally used ... (view more)

In computer security, a sandbox is a security mechanism for separating running programs. It is often used to execute untested code, or untrusted programs from unverified third-parties, suppliers and untrusted users. A sandbox in computing terms ... (also referred to as "sandboxing") provides a tightly-controlled set of resources for guest programs to run in, such as 'temporary' space on disk and memory. In such a scenario, network access and the ability to inspect the host system or read from input devices are disallowed or heavily restricted. In this sense, sandboxes are a specific example of ... (view more)