Security Primer for Corporate Executives: The Language of Security & Cyber War; United Messaging explains 'Spoofs, Trolls and OODA Loops'.

Business Editors/Hi-Tech Writers

WEST CHESTER, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 12, 2001

The horrible events of September 11th have raised the specter of additional terrorist attacks in the United States, including the possibility of a cyber attack directed at our technology-based economy.

To help executives better understand and confront this threat, United Messaging, the leading enterprise messaging outsourcing provider, has established an up-to-the-minute lexicon of terms and definitions gleaned from today's security and cyber-terrorist subculture.

"Potential cyber-terrorism is a growing topic of concern for Corporate America. And yet it remains very much a mystery to many executives and decision-makers," said Ben Trowbridge, CEO of United Messaging. "It is imperative that we close this education gap, and we believe this glossary is a first step in creating new levels of understanding."

A few terms are listed below. A full glossary of security and cyber war terms is posted and will be updated on the United Messaging web site, www.unitedmessaging.com.

Security & Cyber War Glossary excerpts:

CIAO - Critical Infrastructure Assurance Office. Created in May 1998 to assist in the coordination of the U.S. Federal Government's initiatives on critical infrastructure protection.

Cyberian Winter - The theoretical aftermath of an all-out Cyber War, characterized by "cold" disabled computer systems and businesses. Similar to the expression "nuclear winter" used in conjunction with atomic weapons.

Fork bomb -- A disruptive piece of code directed toward a Unix-based system, which replicates, or "forks," until it eventually "explodes" and devours operating system processes, causing the system to lock up.

Information Warfare - a.k.a. Cyber war. Abbreviated IW. Also known as third-wave war or knowledge war.

Logic bomb - A piece of unauthorized computer code, usually delivered via e-mail, which attacks a system after verifying certain conditions within that system.

OODA Loop - Observation, Orientation, Decision, Action Loop. Refers to the computerized cycle from data acquisition to information integration through to initiation of a response. Taking out the OODA loop is frequently mentioned as the goal of Information Warfare.

Leapfrog attack - An attack in which the hacker gains access to a site or server from a third party site.

NIPC - National Infrastructure Protection Center. Established in February 1998, the NIPC is considered the U.S. government's focal point for threat assessment, warning, investigation, and response for threats or attacks against critical national infrastructures.

Spoofing -Activities in which a transmission is disguised as coming from a trusted host or address, allowing the attacker to gain illegal entry into a secure system.

Trojan horse - A program containing hidden additional code which causes it to launch unauthorized functions, including possible data destruction.

Troll - Not destructive, just diversionary. Deliberately posting provocative online messages with the intent of distracting others into response, usually designed to make them look foolish.

van Eck monitoring - Monitoring the activity of a computer or other electronic equipment by detecting low levels of electromagnetic emissions from the device. Named for Dr. Wim van Eck.

Zombie - A computer that has been implanted with a daemon that puts it under the control of a malicious hacker or organization without the knowledge of the computer owner.

About United Messaging

United Messaging provides secure enterprise messaging solutions via hosted messaging and professional services, handling over 1,000,000 e-mails each business day. The company serves enterprises with collaborative, business-critical Microsoft Exchange, Lotus Domino, and iPlanet-based messaging applications.

Its unique combination of managed and professional services increase messaging performance, reliability, scalability, and security while reducing operational expense.

The company is headquartered in West Chester, PA with facilities across the U.S. and in Europe. For more information, contact United Messaging at www.unitedmessaging.com, or [phone].

United Messaging is a registered trademark of United Messaging, Inc. All other trademarks mentioned herein are either trademarks and /or registered trademarks of their respective owners in the United States and/or other countries.