E

Encryption

Like old military codes, encryption is designed to take ordinary data and scramble it into a form that is incomprehensible to everyone except those who possess the key to unscrambling the data. Encrypting data with the latest encryption programs is one of the best ways to reduce identity theft and improve your personal security.

F

File Transfer

A file transfer is simply the process of moving or copying a file from one location to another. There are many ways to do this, and each is appropriate in certain circumstances, but there are ways that are easier than others. For example, IntelliMover is one of the easiest and most powerful ways to transfer files and settings from one machine to another.

Firewall

A firewall is hardware and/or software that is designed to protect your computer or network from unauthorized access attempts. Firewalls regulate your computer's or network's communications with the Internet at large in order to prevent damage from malicious users or code.

Flash

1. Flash memory is a very common form of storage, especially for music and image files (like MP3 players and digital cameras). Flash memory is based on technology similar to RAM (solid state memory) with the crucial difference that flash memory retains its data even in the absence of power.

2. Flash is a scripting language used for dynamic applications and media, especially on the Internet. The latest version (as of January 2006) is version 8.

Floppy Disk or Diskette

Floppy disks are made using a flexible (usually a form of plastic) disk that has a magnetic coating on both sides. The most common floppy disks are 3.5" 1.44 MB disks. They have a rigid plastic case, but the storage medium inside is still floppy.

Floppy disks are frequent targets of identity theft because they are frequently exchanged, lost, or thrown away and data that has been deleted can still be retrieved unless it has been overwritten by other data or wiped by a drive wiping program.

Form

A form is a way for web sites or programs to gather data from users. Forms are usually implemented with a series of text boxes, check boxes, radio buttons, and buttons. Be sure to submit data only to those sites that securely encrypt and store your information.

Format Hard Drive

When you format hard drives, you are removing all the references or pointers to files on the drive and marking all of the space as available for future file storage. Formatting does not erase hard drive data! Until the data is overwritten or wiped with a hard drive eraser, it will be accessible to identity thieves.

FTP

FTP stands for file transfer protocol. FTP defines conventions and methods that are specific to transferring files between systems over the Internet. FTP is not a secure protocol, meaning that data transferred this way is vulnerable to interception. See also protocol.

G

Gateway

A gateway is a server that serves as a crossroads or connection between two networks and allows members of one network to access the data and programs of the other network.

H

Hard Disk

Hard disk is a term used interchangable with hard drive (both are derived from hard disk drive). Hard disks use hard, metal platters for storing magnetic charges that represent data.

Because the charges that are used to store your data don't go away even after your file is deleted or formatted, it is necessary to use a program that overwrites or wipes your hard drive in order to truly erase your data.

Hard Drive

A hard drive is a physical storage medium. Your data is stored using magnetic charges on metal platters that represent machine code (1s and 0s). The hard drive has a read head that detects the charges and transfers this information to the computer.

Because the charges that are used to store your data don't go away even after your file is deleted or formatted, it is necessary to use a program that overwrites or wipes your hard drive in order to truly erase your data.

HIPAA

HIPAA stands for the Health Insurance Privacy and Accountability Act. This act is designed to enforce the privacy of insurance holders' records and make insurers accountable for the data they possess and the methods they use to dispose of it.

WhiteCanyon supports HIPAA compliance through its data deletion programs.

Honeypot

A honeypot is a network resource that is intentionally left unprotected in order to attract malicious users and gather data about them.

HTML

HTML is an acronym that stands for hypertext markup language. It was devised in the early days of the Internet as a way to "mark up," or add further meaning to, pages of text. One of the primary features of HTML is the ability to link to other pages (hence the emphasis on hypertext).

HTTP

HTTP stands for hypertext transfer protocol. HTTP defines how hypertext documents will be transferred over the Internet and other networks. HTTP is not a secure protocol, meaning that data transferred this way is vulnerable to interception. See also protocol.

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