Cybersecurity Glossary
Essential terms and definitions to help you understand the world of cybersecurity
37 terms found
Advanced Persistent Threat (APT)
A prolonged and targeted cyberattack in which an intruder gains access to a network and remains undetected for an extended period.
AI Cybersecurity
Use of artificial intelligence and machine learning to detect, prevent, and respond to cyber threats through pattern recognition and behavioral analysis.
Antivirus
Software designed to detect, prevent, and remove malicious software (malware) from computers and devices.
Behavioral Analytics
Monitoring and analyzing user and system behavior to identify anomalies that may indicate security threats.
Botnet
A network of private computers infected with malicious software and controlled as a group without the owners' knowledge.
Breach
An incident in which data, computer, application, network or other system is accessed or affected in an unauthorized manner.
Business Email Compromise (BEC)
A sophisticated scam targeting businesses that regularly perform wire transfer payments, often impersonating executives.
Cyber Insurance
Insurance product designed to protect businesses and individuals from Internet-based risks and risks relating to information technology infrastructure and activities.
Cyber Liability
Legal responsibility for losses caused by inadequate cybersecurity measures, data breaches, or cyber attacks.
DDoS Attack
Distributed Denial of Service attack that overwhelms a target with traffic from multiple sources, making it unavailable to users.
Deep Learning
Subset of machine learning using neural networks with multiple layers to analyze various factors of data, commonly used in advanced threat detection.
Encryption
The process of converting information or data into a code to prevent unauthorized access.
Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)
Security solution that continuously monitors end-user devices to detect and respond to cyber threats like ransomware and malware.
Exploit
A piece of software, chunk of data, or sequence of commands that takes advantage of a bug or vulnerability to cause unintended behavior.
Firewall
A network security system that monitors and controls incoming and outgoing network traffic based on predetermined security rules.
Identity Theft
The fraudulent acquisition and use of a person's private identifying information, usually for financial gain.
Incident Response
An organized approach to addressing and managing the aftermath of a security breach or cyberattack.
Machine Learning
Branch of AI that uses algorithms to learn from and make predictions or decisions based on data, widely used in cybersecurity for threat detection.
Malware
Malicious software designed to harm, exploit, or otherwise compromise computer systems, networks, or devices.
Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
A security system that requires more than one method of authentication from independent categories of credentials to verify user identity.
Next-Generation Antivirus (NGAV)
Advanced antivirus that uses AI, machine learning, and behavioral analysis rather than traditional signature-based detection.
Patch Management
The process of managing updates (patches) for software applications and technologies to fix security vulnerabilities.
Penetration Testing
Simulated cyberattack against computer systems to check for exploitable vulnerabilities.
Phishing
A type of social engineering attack often used to steal user data, including login credentials and credit card numbers.
Ransomware
Type of malicious software that threatens to publish the victim's data or block access to it unless a ransom is paid.
Risk Assessment
Process of identifying, analyzing, and evaluating cybersecurity risks to an organization.
Security Operations Center (SOC)
Centralized unit that deals with security issues on an organizational and technical level, providing 24/7 monitoring and response.
Social Engineering
Psychological manipulation of people into performing actions or divulging confidential information.
Spear Phishing
Targeted phishing attack directed at specific individuals or companies, often using personalized information.
SQL Injection
A code injection technique that exploits security vulnerabilities in an application's database layer.
Threat Intelligence
Evidence-based knowledge about existing or emerging threats to assets that can be used to inform decisions.
Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)
Security process requiring two different authentication factors to verify user identity.
Virtual Private Network (VPN)
Technology that creates a safe and encrypted connection over a less secure network, such as the internet.
Vulnerability
A weakness in a system that can be exploited by a threat actor to perform unauthorized actions.
Unified Threat Correlation
Advanced security approach that collects and correlates data from multiple security layers (endpoints, networks, cloud, etc.) for comprehensive threat detection and response.
Zero-Day
A vulnerability in software that is unknown to those who should be interested in its mitigation, including the vendor.
Zero Trust
Security model that requires strict identity verification for every person and device trying to access resources, regardless of location.