Middle Box

Definitions

1. A network device or service that sits between endpoints and modifies, filters, caches, proxies, or inspects traffic rather than simply forwarding it transparently. Firewalls, load balancers, proxies, and WAN optimizers are all examples of middleboxes with security implications.

   In plain English: A network device in the middle that inspects or alters traffic instead of just passing it through.

   Example: "The TLS issue only appeared in production because a middle box on the corporate path was rewriting the connection behavior."

Related Terms

• Packet Capture
• Packet Sniffing
• Proxy Chain
• Telemetry Security
• VPN Split Tunneling
• VPN Tunnel
• Network Interface
• Proxy
• Consul
• Data Center Security
• Media Access Control
• Multi-Hop
• NTP Security
• Private Cloud Security