F

fail-over/failover

The process of reconstructing a system or switching over to other systems when a failure is detected.

fail-over device

A device that comes online when another fails.

fail-over server

A hot-site backup system in which the fail-over server is connected to the primary server. A heartbeat is sent from the primary server to the backup server. If the heartbeat stops, the fail-over system starts and takes over. Thus, the system doesn't go down even if the primary server isn't running.

false positive

A flagged event that isn't really an event and has been falsely triggered.

Faraday cage

An electrically conductive wire mesh or other conductor woven into a "cage" that surrounds a room and prevents electromagnetic signals from entering or leaving the room through the walls.

fault-resistant network

A network that is up and running at least 99 percent of the time or that is down less than 8 hours a year.

fault tolerance

The ability to withstand a fault (failure) without losing data.

fault-tolerant network

A network that can recover from minor errors.

Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS)

An agreed-upon standard published under the Information Technology Management Reform Act. The secretary of commerce approves the standards after they're developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) for federal computer systems.

File Transfer Protocol (FTP)

TCP/IP and software that permit transferring files between computer systems and utilize clear-text passwords. Because FTP has been implemented on numerous types of computer systems, files can be transferred between disparate computer systems (for example, a personal computer and a minicomputer). See also Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP).

FIPS

See Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS).

fire suppression

The act of stopping a fire and preventing it from spreading.

firewall

A combination of hardware and software that protects a network from attack by hackers who could gain access through public networks, including the Internet.

footprinting

The process of systematically identifying the network and its security posture.

forensics

In terms of security, the act of looking at all the data at your disposal to try to figure out who gained unauthorized access and the extent of that access.

frequency-hopping spread spectrum (FHSS)

A communications technology used to communicate in the 802.11 standard. FHSS accomplishes communication by hopping the transmission over a range of predefined frequencies.

FTP

See File Transfer Protocol (FTP).

FTP proxy

A server that uploads and downloads files from another server on behalf of a workstation.

full backup

A backup that copies all data to the archive medium.

full distribution

An information classification stating that the data so classified is available to anyone.