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  • Kbps
    One thousand bps. Example: a 28.8 Kbps modem.
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  • Kermit
    A protocol for transferring files during direct dial-up communications. Kermit is sound but old and can be very slow.
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  • Key
    A typically large number that controls a cryptographic algorithm on behalf of the holder of the key. In most cases, a key is a number (represented in decimal or hexadecimal digits) selected from a large range of possible numbers, called the key space. To be effective, the key space should be sufficiently large as to make it highly impractical to acquire the key by analysis.
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  • Key file
    A file containing keys used for either public key cryptography or secret key cryptography, also known as a public key file or a secret key file as the case may be.
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  • Key management
    The process of generating, distributing, using, and updating keys. This process must be carefully implemented, because once a key is disclosed to an entity for which it was not intended, its reliability for ensuring privacy, integrity, and authentication is irretrievably lost.
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  • Keymaster
    A person operating key management software on behalf of a merchant in dealings with a commerce service provider.
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  • Key pair
    In public key cryptography, the entity's public key and its corresponding private key.
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  • Key space
    The range of possible values of a numeric key. The larger the key space, the more difficult it is to discover the correct key. For example, the number of possible 128-bit keys is equal to 2 raised to the 128th power. U.S. export restrictions on encryption software usually tend to impose a limit on the length of the key that can be used with a particular cryptographic algorithm; so that exported versions of such encryption software are less robust than domestic versions that support longer keys.
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  • Kilobyte (KB)
    A thousand bytes. Due to the binary nature of computers, it's 210 bytes, or 1024 bytes.
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  • Kiosk
    A viewing mode that drops all the visual clutter of your browser--its toolbars, menus, and borders--to leave more room for the Web page.
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