Online Glossary of Security Terms

This glossary contains a list of terms, abbreviations, and acronyms frequently used when discussing networks, security, firewalls, and technical products.

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U

UDP (User Datagram Protocol)

A set of standards for transmitting data over networks. Some technicians have nicknamed it the "Unreliable Darn Protocol" because when sending data, UDP does not verify that it has established a connection at the receiving end; it simply blasts away until the message has been sent. Thus, UDP is termed a "connectionless" protocol. Because it doesn't perform the checks and verifications of TCP, UDP is simpler to implement and is used where a small amount of packet loss is acceptable. On the Internet, UDP is often used for streaming video and audio.

URL (Universal Resource Locator)

The user-friendly address that identifies the location of a Web site.