HTTP

... HyperText Transfer Protocol ...

HTTP is the underlying protocol used by the World Wide Web and this protocol defines how messages are formatted and transmitted, and what actions Web servers and browsers should take in response to various commands.

HTTPS

... HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure ...

Basically, it is the secure version of HTTP. Communications between the browser and website are encrypted by Transport Layer Security (TLS), or its predecessor, Secure Sockets Layer (SSL).

URL

... A uniform resource locator (URL) ...

A uniform resource locator (URL) is the address of a resource on the Internet. A URL indicates the location of a resource as well as the protocol used to access it.

URL Structure

• Protocol
• Sub-Domain (optional)
• Domain
• Path
• Query String (optional)
• Fragment (optional)

URL's. Are they friendly?

IP Address

... A unique address that identifies a device on the Internet or a local network ...

An IP address, or simply an "IP," allows a system to be recognized by other systems connected via the Internet protocol. There are two primary types of IP address formats used today — IPv4 and IPv6

IP Structure

IPv4 address in dotted decimal notation

NAT

... Network Address Translation ...

Designed for IP address conservation. It enables private IP networks that use unregistered IP addresses to connect to the Internet. NAT operates on a router, usually connecting two networks together, and translates the private (not globally unique) addresses in the internal network into legal addresses, before packets are forwarded to another network.

Why NAT matters?

As we work with providers of 3rd party data who claim to be able to match individuals in their homes, offices and wherever else an IP address is present in requests to various web sites and applications, we need to be aware that this is not entirely possible with "just" IP address ..

Ideally, we are asking some questions about how this match is done. Are they tying a companies IP address to individuals inside by some other identifier?

Something like:

Domain Registrar

... A domain name registrar is a business that handles the reservation of domain names ...

Examples

• GoDaddy
• Network Solutions
• NameCheap

DNS

... Domain Name System ...

The Domain Name System (DNS) is the phonebook of the Internet. Humans access information online through domain names, like nytimes.com or espn.com. Web browsers interact through Internet Protocol (IP) addresses. DNS translates domain names to IP addresses so browsers can load Internet resources.

DNS Resource Records

... Multiple types of records. ...

A Record

An A record maps a domain name to the IP address (Version 4) of the computer hosting the domain. ... A Records are the simplest type of DNS records, and one of the primary records used in DNS servers.

Common file transfer protocols

FTP

... File Transfer Protocol ...

FTP is a protocol designed for transferring files over the Internet. Files stored on an FTP server can be accessed using an FTP client, such as a web browser, FTP software program, or a command line interface.

SFTP

... Secure File Transfer Protocol ...

Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) is a secure version of File Transfer Protocol (FTP), which facilitates data access and data transfer over a Secure Shell (SSH) data stream. It is part of the SSH Protocol. This term is also known as SSH File Transfer Protocol.

Cookie example

							
								has_seen_banner=yes
								registerd=false
								adkey=DEFGGL
							
						
						

Session example

							
								JSESSIONID=a61ea0f1-9c2c-11e9-b86d-6b8c28b90065;
								PHPSESSIONID=a61ea0f1-9c2c-11e9-b86d-6b8c28b90065;
								app_sess=13453343
							
						
					

Tracking Pixel

... A small piece of code placed on a website for tracking purposes ...

This can be in the form of a simple HTML image tag:

... anyone notice the query string above? ...

Or in the form of complex Javascript: