One of the recommended uniform standards published by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) for data communications over telephone networks. In the computer underground, it is one of many other important phreaker jargon items that neophyte phreakers learn in their early stages of development. Phreakers from an early age seem to have an infatuation with telephone networks, usually becoming better informed by reading standard, college-level telecommunications literature.

Other jargon of importance to neophyte phreakers includes DCE (Distributed Computing Environment), a cross-platform, comprehensive set of services supporting the development, use, and maintenance of distributed computer applications; OSI (Open Systems Interconnect) Model, an ISO standard for networked computing; MUX, an abbreviation for multiplexing in communication transmission systems; and PAD, an encryption algorithm used to encrypt or “padlock” a message.

See Also: Distributed Computing Environment (DCE); International Telecommunications Union (ITU); Open Systems Interconnect (OSI) Model; PAD.