This glossary is provided for your information only; it is not
meant to be relied upon as a complete or authoritative description of
the terms defined below or of the privacy and/or security
ramifications of the technologies described.
Glossary
authentication
The use of a password, certificate, personal identification number
(PIN), or other information to validate an identity over a computer
network.
cache
A collection of web page copies stored on your computer's hard disk or in
its random-access memory (RAM). KompoZer accumulates these copies as you
browse the Web. When you click a link or type a
URL to fetch a particular web page for
which the cache already contains a copy, KompoZer compares the cached copy
to the original. If there have been no changes, KompoZer uses the cached
copy rather than refetching the original, saving processing and download time.
certificate
The digital equivalent of an ID card. A certificate specifies the name of an
individual, company, or other entity and certifies that a public key, which
is included in the certificate, belongs to that entity. When you digitally
sign a message or other data, the digital signature for that message is
created with the aid of the private key that corresponds to the public key
in your certificate.
client
Software (such as an Internet browser) that sends requests to and receives
information from a server, which is usually running
on a different computer. A computer on which client software runs is also
described as a client.
cryptography
The art and practice of scrambling (encrypting) and unscrambling (decrypting)
information. For example, cryptographic techniques are used to scramble and unscramble
information flowing between commercial web sites and KompoZer.
Cascading Style Sheets(CSS)
CSS is a simple mechanism to add style e.g. fonts, colors,
positioning, etc to web documents. CSS allows complete and total
control over the style of a hypertext document.
decryption
The process of unscrambling data that has been encrypted. See also
encryption.
The process of scrambling information in a way that disguises its meaning.
For example, encrypted connections between computers make it very difficult
for third-parties to unscramble, or decrypt, information flowing
over the connection. Encrypted information can be decrypted only by someone
who possesses the appropriate key.
Extensible Markup Language (XML)
An open standard for describing data. Unlike HTML, XML allows the
developer of a web page to define special tags. For more information,
see the online W3C document Extensible
Markup Language (XML).
File Transfer Protocol (FTP)
A File Transfer Protocol(FTP) is a protocol standard for
transfering computer files between different computers connected via a
network. A remote computer, the FTP server, accepts connections from
other computers called clients. Once the connection is established,
clients can get files from the server or put files on the server
depending upon the login account privileges.However, a security hole
in FTP is that passwords are sent as clear text, unlike sFTP. KompoZer Site
Manager uses FTP for publishing web pages.
FIPS PUBS 140-1
Federal Information Processing Standards Publications (FIPS PUBS) 140-1 is
a US government standard for implementations of cryptographic modules —
hardware or software that encrypts and decrypts data or performs other
cryptographic operations (such as creating or verifying digital signatures).
Many products sold to the US government must comply with one or more of the
FIPS standards.
helper application
Any application that is used to open or view a file downloaded by KompoZer.
A plug-in is a special kind of helper application that
installs itself into the Plugins directory of the main KompoZer installation
directory and can typically be opened within KompoZer itself. Microsoft Word,
Adobe Photoshop, and other external applications are considered helper applications
but not plug-ins, because they don't install themselves into the browser directory
but can be opened from the download dialog box.
Hypertext Markup Language (HTML)
The document format used for web pages. The HTML standard defines tags, or
codes, used to define the text layout, fonts, style, images, and other
elements that make up a web page.
Internet
A worldwide network of millions of computers that communicate with each
other using standard protocols such as
TCP/IP.
Originally developed for the US military in 1969, the Internet grew to include
educational and research institutions and, in the late 1990s, millions of
businesses, organizations, and individuals. Today the Internet is used for email,
browsing the World Wide Web, instant messaging,
mailing lists and usegroups, and many other purposes.
Internet protocol address (IP address)
The address of a computer on a
TCP/IP network.
Every computer on the Internet has an IP address. Clients
have either a permanent IP address or one that is dynamically assigned to them
each time they connect with the network.
Java
A programming language developed by Sun Microsystems. A single Java program
can run on many different kinds of computers, thus avoiding the need for
programmers to create a separate version of each program for each kind of
computer. After Java is installed, KompoZer can automatically download
and run Java programs (also called applets).
JavaScript
A scripting language commonly used to construct web pages. Programmers use
JavaScript to make web pages more interactive; JavaScript is often used to
dynamically validate forms and select buttons. JavaScript can be used with
Java, but it is technically a separate language. Java is not required for
JavaScript to work correctly.
master password
A password used to protect saved passwords and other private data.
KompoZer will prompt you for your master password when you wish to
access this data. If you have multiple security devices, each security device
will require a separate master password.
Navigation Toolbar
The toolbar near the top of the KompoZer window that includes
the Back and Forward buttons.
Password Manager
The part of KompoZer that can help you remember some or all of
your names and passwords by storing them on your computer's hard disk and
entering them for you automatically when you visit such sites.
PKCS #11
The public-key cryptography standard that governs security devices such
as smart cards.
plug-in
A type of helper application that
adds new capabilities to KompoZer, such as the ability to play audio
or video clips. Unlike other kinds of helper applications, a plug-in
application installs itself into the Plugins directory within the main
KompoZer installation directory and typically can be opened within
KompoZer itself (internally). For example, an audio plug-in lets you
listen to audio files on a web page or in an e-mail message. Macromedia
Flash Player and Java are both examples of plug-in applications.
private key
One of a pair of keys used in public-key cryptography. The private key is
kept secret and is used to decrypt data that has been encrypted with the
corresponding public key.
proxy
An intermediary or "go-between" program that acts as both a
server and a client for
the purpose of making requests on behalf of other clients.
Publishing
The process of uploading web document(s) to a web server is called publishing. It is only
after publishing your web documents to the web
server others can view the documents using their clients. In KompoZer, the Site Manager accomplishes the task of
publishing.
search engine
A web-based program that allows users to search for and retrieve
specific information from the World Wide Web. The search engine may
search the full text of web documents or a list of keywords; it may
also use librarians who review web documents and index them manually
for retrieval. Typically, the user types a word or phrase into a
search box, and the search engine displays links to relevant web
pages.
Secure Shell File Transfer Protocol
Secure Shell File Transfer Protocol(sFTP) is similar to FTP with the difference that the
session is encrypted making it more secure.
secure site
A site that uses encryption in connections
with KompoZer to prevent other malicious Internet users from
viewing transmitted data. When you visit secure sites, KompoZer
displays a lock icon in the Status Bar and the
Location Bar. KompoZer also
displays the site's domain name in the Status Bar (to prevent malicious
sites from stealing your data) and turns the background of the Location
Bar to yellow.
Some sites may consist of both secure and insecure data; the insecure data
usually is non-private, although it isn't guaranteed to be so. For such
sites KompoZer will display a lock icon with a slash through it in
the Status Bar and Location Bar and will not display the site's
domain name in the Status Bar so that you know that the current web page
isn't completely secure.
Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)
A protocol that allows mutual authentication between a
client and a server
for the purpose of establishing an authenticated and encrypted
connection. SSL runs above TCP/IP and below HTTP, LDAP, IMAP, NNTP,
and other high-level network protocols. The new Internet Engineering
Task Force (IETF) standard called Transport Layer Security (TLS) is
based on SSL. See also authentication,
encryption.
server
Software (such as software that serves up web pages) that receives
requests from and sends information to a client,
which is usually running on a different computer. A computer on which
server software runs is also described as a server.
Site Manager
The part of KompoZer which manages the uploading and
downloading of the web documents created with KompoZer. The
Site Manager uses FTP to
transfer the web documents to and from the web
server.
Status Bar
The toolbar that appears at the bottom of any KompoZer window. It
shows the tags enclosing the current cursor position.
Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)
A Unix protocol used to connect computers running a variety of operating systems.
TCP/IP is an essential Internet protocol and has become a global standard.
Uniform Resource Locator (URL)
The standardized address that tells KompoZer how to locate a file or
other resource on the Web (for example, http://www.mozilla.org).
Type URLs into KompoZer's Location Bar to access web pages. URLs
are also used in the links on web pages go to other web pages. Also known
as an Internet or Web address.
W3C
World Wide Web Consortium(W3C) is a consortium that
produces standards recommendations for the World Wide Web. According to
W3C, "The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) develops
interoperable technologies (specifications, guidelines, software, and
tools) to lead the Web to its full potential". These recommendations
e.g. HTML 4.01, XHTML 1.1, CSS 2.1, etc. are often called Web
Standards.
web page
A single document on the World Wide Web that is specified by a unique
address or URL. A web page may contain text, hyperlinks, and graphics.
Web Server
Web Server is the machine running the web server software(e.g. Apache). It serves various kinds of
web documents to a client. It is the web server
software which is responsible to send us the reqired data so that we
can see the requested web site in a web
browser.
web site
A group of related web pages linked by hyperlinks and managed by a single
company, organization, or individual. A web site may include text, graphics,
audio and video files, and links to other web sites.
World Wide Web
Also known as the Web. A portion of the Internet that is made up of web
pages stored by web servers and displayed by
clients called web browsers (such as
KompoZer).
