What is a man-in-the-middle (MITM) attack on a network?

An attacker secretly intercepts and possibly alters communication between two parties who each believe they're communicating directly with each other An attacker hacking into the middle server in a chain of three connected servers Two attackers collaborating on an attack from different locations An attack that targets the network switch connecting two network segments

What is network segmentation and why is it a security best practice?

Dividing a network into separate zones so that if one zone is compromised, attackers can't freely move to other zones Breaking a large file into segments to transfer it faster over the network Limiting the number of devices that can connect to any one switch port Allocating specific bandwidth segments to different departments

What is an IDS (Intrusion Detection System) and how does it work?

Software that monitors network traffic for suspicious patterns and known attack signatures, alerting administrators when it detects potential threats Software that detects when someone is physically entering a server room Hardware that physically disconnects a network when an attack is detected A system that detects and removes viruses from email attachments

What is a botnet and how are they used in attacks?

A network of compromised computers (bots) controlled by an attacker — used to send spam, conduct DDoS attacks, or mine cryptocurrency without the owners' knowledge A network of robot factories connected to each other over the internet A group of automated software tools that help IT teams manage networks A peer-to-peer network designed for secure communication

What is 5G and how does it differ from 4G LTE?

5G is the fifth generation of mobile networking — offering much higher speeds, lower latency, and ability to connect far more devices simultaneously than 4G 5G is a type of Wi-Fi that uses 5 GHz frequency — just a rebranded name 5G is the fifth company to offer mobile internet in a given country 5G networks have 5 times the security of 4G networks

What is software-defined networking (SDN) and why is it significant?

SDN separates the network control plane from hardware, allowing network behavior to be managed centrally through software rather than manually configuring individual devices SDN replaces physical network cables with software simulations SDN is a way to run network equipment on virtual machines instead of hardware SDN is software that automatically detects and repairs network faults

What is satellite internet (like Starlink) and what are its limitations?

Internet delivered via satellites in low Earth orbit — providing global coverage including remote areas, but with higher latency and weather sensitivity than fiber A type of internet that works only in space — for astronauts on the ISS Internet that travels through satellites because undersea cables are too expensive A satellite that stores website content and delivers it directly to devices

What is an Autonomous System (AS) and why does it matter for internet routing?

A collection of IP networks under a single administrative control that presents a unified routing policy to the internet — ISPs and large companies are each an AS A self-driving network that automatically reconfigures itself without human intervention A system that automatically assigns IP addresses to new devices A type of network that operates independently of the public internet

What is Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) and what problem does it solve?

The latest major Wi-Fi standard — designed to handle many simultaneous devices efficiently using OFDMA, improving performance in congested environments like stadiums and apartment buildings A type of Wi-Fi exclusively for businesses — home users can't use it The sixth company certified to provide Wi-Fi routers in the US A Wi-Fi standard with six times the range of previous standards

Why is the internet considered resilient, and what can actually bring parts of it down?

Multiple redundant routes mean single link failures reroute automatically; but major cable cuts, BGP errors, and nation-state-level attacks can cause significant regional outages The internet is perfectly resilient — it cannot be disrupted under any circumstances The internet is fragile — any single router failure causes global outages The internet can only be disrupted by physically destroying all undersea cables simultaneously