SMB stands for Server Message Block, which is a network protocol that enables users to communicate with remote computers and servers to use their resources or share, open, and edit files that are stored in one place. SMB provides client applications with a secure and controlled method for opening, reading, moving, creating, and updating files on remote servers. It is a response-request protocol that operates at the application layer but relies on lower network levels for transport. SMB enables file sharing, printer sharing, network browsing, and inter-process communication (through named pipes) over a computer network. It is used as the basis for Microsofts Distributed File System implementation. SMB has been incrementally improved in subsequent releases, and SMB 3.0 and later are far more secure than previous dialects, having introduced a number of protections. However, SMB has also experienced some vulnerabilities that resulted in high-profile hacking incidents.