Functionality Meets Terminology to Address Network Security Vulnerabilities

In 1999, when most of the computer industry’s cautionary buzz centered on finding and fixing Y2K flaws, a small group of MITRE engineers began work on the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures dictionary. Prior to CVE, no standard nomenclature existed for network security holes. In fact, the security landscape was rife with different names for the same vulnerability, as vendors strove to differentiate themselves from competitors. As a result, network administrators often found themselves performing redundant searches for the same shortcoming, wasting time and effort.