This glossary defines all technical terms used in STT documentation. Terms are organized alphabetically with clear, factual definitions.
AEAD (Authenticated Encryption with Associated Data)
A mode of encryption that provides both confidentiality and authenticity. STC's frame encryption provides AEAD-like properties by including frame headers in the encryption context.
Associated Data
Data that is authenticated but not encrypted. In STT, frame headers (session ID, stream ID, sequence) are included in the encryption as associated data.
Asynchronous / Async
A programming pattern where operations don't block - code continues executing while waiting for results. STT uses Python's async/await for non-blocking I/O.
AUTH_PROOF
The third message in STT's handshake protocol, where the initiator proves they successfully decrypted the responder's challenge.
Agnostic Primitives
STT's core building blocks that make ZERO assumptions about data semantics: BinaryStreamEncoder/Decoder (streaming), BinaryStorage (hash-addressed byte buckets), EndpointManager (routing), EventEmitter (user-defined events), FrameDispatcher (custom frame types).
BinaryStorage
Hash-addressed encrypted byte buckets (SHA3-256). Stores ANY binary data without knowing what it represents. Same bytes = same hash = deduplication.
BinaryStreamEncoder
Async generator yielding encrypted byte segments. Live mode (infinite streams) or bounded mode (known size). Agnostic - works for video, sensors, files, anything binary.
BinaryStreamDecoder
Async iterator receiving encrypted segments, handling out-of-order delivery. Returns decrypted bytes. YOU interpret what they mean.
Binary Protocol
A protocol that uses raw bytes rather than text strings for communication. STT uses binary framing for efficiency.
Bit
A single binary digit: 0 or 1. The smallest unit of data in computing.
Byte
8 bits grouped together. Can represent values 0-255 (unsigned) or -128 to 127 (signed).
CEL (Continuous Entropy Lattice)
A component of STC that provides evolving entropy. Not directly exposed in STT but used internally by STC.
Chamber
STT's encrypted storage system for keys and session metadata, secured with STC.
Challenge
In the handshake, the encrypted payload sent by the responder that the initiator must decrypt to prove possession of the shared seed.
Segment
A portion of binary data optimized for network transmission (MTU optimization). Large byte streams are divided into segments. NOT semantic chunks - just transport-level byte divisions. STT doesn't know what the bytes represent.
Ciphertext
Encrypted data. The output of encryption operations.
CKE (Contextual Key Emergence)
STC's key derivation component. Used by STT for deriving session keys.
Client-Server
An architecture where clients make requests to servers. Opposite of peer-to-peer. STT supports peer-to-peer, not client-server.
Commitment
A cryptographic hash sent in the HELLO message that binds the initiator to their nonce, preventing the responder from manipulating it.
CONTROL Frame
A frame type (0x03) used for control messages like session termination or errors.
DATA Frame
The most common frame type (0x02) used for transmitting application data.
Datagram
A self-contained packet of data. UDP sends datagrams. STT frames are transmitted as UDP datagrams or WebSocket messages.
Decryption
The process of converting ciphertext back to plaintext using a key.
Deterministic
Produces the same output for the same input every time. Traditional cryptography is deterministic; STC is probabilistic.
DSF (Data State Folding)
STC's encryption component. Used by STT for frame encryption.
Encryption
The process of converting plaintext to ciphertext to protect confidentiality.
Endpoint
A network address (IP + port) where a node can be reached. In agnostic primitives, an endpoint is a user-defined routing destination - YOU assign meaning to endpoint names.
EndpointManager
Agnostic primitive for multi-endpoint routing. Routes bytes to named endpoints with per-endpoint queues. STT doesn't know WHY you're routing (load balancing, replication, fanout) - YOU define routing logic.
Ephemeral
Short-lived, temporary. Ephemeral keys are generated for a single session and discarded after use.
EventEmitter
Agnostic primitive for user-defined event system. YOU define ALL event types. STT has zero built-in event semantics - just provides dispatch mechanism.
FINAL
The fourth and final message in STT's handshake protocol, confirming session establishment.
Flags
A byte in the frame header indicating special conditions (e.g., final frame in stream, error).
Flow Control
Mechanisms to prevent sender from overwhelming receiver. STT implements credit-based flow control.
Frame
The basic unit of data transmission in STT. Contains header, encrypted payload, and crypto metadata.
Frame Dispatcher
Agnostic primitive for handling custom frame types 0x80-0xFF. YOU define frame semantics and register handlers. STT just routes frames to your code.
Frame Type
A byte indicating the purpose of a frame: HANDSHAKE (0x01), DATA (0x02), CONTROL (0x03), etc. Types 0x80-0xFF reserved for user-defined custom protocols.
gRPC
A modern RPC framework using Protocol Buffers and HTTP/2. Compared with STT in Chapter 14.
Handshake
The process of establishing a session between two peers. STT uses a 4-message handshake: HELLO, RESPONSE, AUTH_PROOF, FINAL.
HANDSHAKE Frame
A frame type (0x01) used during the handshake process.
Hash
A one-way function that produces a fixed-size output from any input. STC uses PHE for hashing. STT uses SHA3-256 for hash-based addressing (BinaryStorage).
Hash-Based Addressing
Storing data by its hash (content-addressable). BinaryStorage uses SHA3-256 - same bytes always hash to same address, enabling automatic deduplication. Agnostic - works for ANY binary data.
Header
The fixed portion at the start of a frame containing metadata: magic bytes, type, session ID, stream ID, sequence, flags.
HELLO
The first message in STT's handshake protocol, sent by the initiator to begin authentication.
Hexadecimal (Hex)
Base-16 number system using digits 0-9 and A-F. Used to represent bytes compactly (e.g., 0xFF = 255).
HTTP/HTTPS
The protocol used for web browsing. Compared with STT in Chapter 14.
Initiator
The peer that starts a handshake by sending the HELLO message.
IP Address
Internet Protocol address. Identifies a device on a network (e.g., 192.168.1.100 or 2001:db8::1).
Key
Secret data used for encryption and decryption. STT uses STC-derived keys.
Key Derivation
The process of generating cryptographic keys from other data. STT uses CKE for key derivation.
Key Rotation
Replacing an encryption key with a new one during a long session. Triggered by data/time/message thresholds.
Latency
The time delay between sending and receiving data. Lower is better for real-time applications.
Local
Referring to this computer/node. Opposite of remote/peer.
Magic Bytes
The first two bytes of every STT frame: 0x53 0x54 (ASCII "ST"). Used to identify STT frames.
Metadata
Data about data. In STT: crypto metadata (nonce, parameters needed for decryption) and frame metadata (headers).
MITM (Man-in-the-Middle)
An attack where an attacker intercepts communication between two peers. STT's handshake provides MITM resistance.
Multiplexing
Sending multiple streams over one connection. STT supports stream multiplexing within sessions.
Mutual Authentication
Both peers verify each other's identity. STT's handshake provides mutual authentication.
NAT (Network Address Translation)
A network technique that allows multiple devices to share one public IP. Can complicate peer-to-peer connections.
Node
A device or program running the STT protocol. Each node has a unique node ID.
Node ID
A 32-byte identifier uniquely identifying a node. Derived from the node seed using STC.
Node Seed
Random bytes (32+ recommended) used to initialize STC and generate a node ID. Should be unique per node.
Nonce
"Number used once" - random data used only once to ensure uniqueness. Handshake generates fresh nonces each time.
Out-of-Band
Communication happening outside the primary channel. Shared seeds must be distributed out-of-band (not via STT itself).
Packet
A unit of data transmitted over a network. Lower-level than frames.
Payload
The actual data content of a frame, excluding headers and metadata.
PCF (Polymorphic Cryptographic Flow)
STC's algorithmic morphing component. Used internally by STC.
Peer
Another node you're communicating with. The relationship is symmetric - you're also their peer.
Peer-to-Peer (P2P)
Architecture where participants communicate directly without a central server. STT is peer-to-peer.
PHE (Probabilistic Hashing Engine)
STC's hashing component. Used for node IDs, commitments, and content hashing.
Plaintext
Unencrypted data. The input to encryption operations.
Port
A number (0-65535) identifying a specific service on a device. Like an apartment number.
Pre-Shared Seed
A secret that both peers must have before connecting. Core to STT's authentication model.
Probabilistic
Produces different outputs for the same input due to randomness. STC encryption is probabilistic.
Proof
In the handshake, encrypted evidence that proves successful decryption and correct session ID calculation.
Protocol
A set of rules for communication between computers.
QUIC
A modern UDP-based transport protocol. Compared with STT in Chapter 14.
Remote
Referring to the other computer/peer. Opposite of local.
Replay Attack
Reusing old legitimate messages to impersonate. STT's nonces prevent replay attacks.
Responder
The peer that receives the HELLO and responds with RESPONSE during handshake.
RESPONSE
The second message in STT's handshake, sent by the responder containing the encrypted challenge.
Round Trip Time (RTT)
Time for a message to go from sender to receiver and back. STT's handshake takes 2 RTTs.
Seed
Random data used to initialize cryptography. STT uses two types: node seed and shared seed.
Sequence Number
A counter in each frame header ensuring ordered delivery within a stream.
Serialization
Converting data structures to bytes for transmission. STT uses a custom binary serialization format.
Session
An active encrypted connection between two peers. Identified by an 8-byte session ID.
Session ID
An 8-byte identifier for a session, derived during handshake via XOR of nonces and node IDs.
Session Key
The encryption key used for a session, derived during the handshake.
Shared Seed
Secret bytes (32+ recommended) that both peers must possess. Required for handshake authentication.
STC (Seigr Toolset Crypto)
The cryptographic library used by STT. Provides probabilistic encryption, hashing, and key derivation.
STCWrapper
STT's interface to STC cryptography. Centralizes all crypto operations.
Stream
A logical channel within a session for ordered data transmission. Multiple streams can exist per session.
Stream ID
An integer identifying a stream within a session. Encoded as varint. Stream 0 is reserved.
STREAM_CONTROL Frame
A frame type (0x04) for stream-specific control messages.
STT (Seigr Toolset Transmissions)
This protocol. A peer-to-peer binary streaming protocol using STC cryptography.
STTFrame
The Python class representing an STT frame.
STTHandshake
The Python class implementing STT's handshake protocol.
STTNode
The Python class representing an STT node (the main runtime).
STTSession
The Python class representing an active session between peers.
STTStream
The Python class representing a stream within a session.
Symmetric Encryption
Encryption where the same key is used for encryption and decryption. STT uses symmetric encryption (via STC).
TCP (Transmission Control Protocol)
A reliable, connection-oriented transport protocol. STT doesn't use TCP directly but WebSocket runs over TCP.
Throughput
The rate of data transmission. Higher is better for bulk transfers.
Timestamp
A point in time, usually in milliseconds. Used in handshake messages for freshness.
TLS (Transport Layer Security)
Standard encryption protocol used by HTTPS. STT uses STC instead of TLS.
Transport
The underlying network mechanism. STT supports UDP and WebSocket transports.
Type Tag
A byte identifying data type in STT's serialization format (e.g., 0x31 = string, 0x40 = list).
UDP (User Datagram Protocol)
A connectionless transport protocol. STT can use UDP for low-latency communication.
Unicast
Sending data to a single destination. STT is unicast (one-to-one), not broadcast or multicast.
Varint
Variable-length integer encoding. Small numbers use fewer bytes. Used for stream IDs and sequence numbers.
WebRTC (Web Real-Time Communication)
Browser-based peer-to-peer protocol. Compared with STT in Chapter 14.
WebSocket
A protocol providing full-duplex communication over HTTP. STT can use WebSocket as a transport.
XOR (Exclusive OR)
A bitwise operation. STT uses XOR to derive session IDs from nonces and node IDs.
- AEAD: Authenticated Encryption with Associated Data
- CEL: Continuous Entropy Lattice (STC component)
- CKE: Contextual Key Emergence (STC component)
- DSF: Data State Folding (STC component)
- HTTP: HyperText Transfer Protocol
- IP: Internet Protocol
- MITM: Man-in-the-Middle
- NAT: Network Address Translation
- P2P: Peer-to-Peer
- PCF: Polymorphic Cryptographic Flow (STC component)
- PHE: Probabilistic Hashing Engine (STC component)
- RPC: Remote Procedure Call
- RTT: Round Trip Time
- STC: Seigr Toolset Crypto
- STT: Seigr Toolset Transmissions
- TCP: Transmission Control Protocol
- TLS: Transport Layer Security
- UDP: User Datagram Protocol
- XOR: Exclusive OR
- For code-level details: API Reference
- For protocol details: Protocol Specification
- For examples: Usage Examples
- For conceptual understanding: User Manual Chapters
Note: This glossary defines terms as used in STT. Some terms may have different meanings in other contexts.