Cybersecurity Terms That You Should Know

Cybersecurity is the activity of protecting data from attack. It includes data in electronic form, such as computers, servers, networks, cell phones, etc. Cybersecurity helps us protect our data from unauthorized digital access. It tackles cybercrime, cyberfraud and other cyber activities that violate the law.

Cyber attacks aim to alter or delete sensitive data and obtain information such as credit card details, passwords, etc. Cyberattacks involve the use of malicious software to damage or steal information.

There are several cybersecurity terms that are commonly used or even heard. So let us discuss these different terms in detail.

Most used Cyber Security Terms and Definitions

Cloud 

The cloud is a technology where we can store our data and access it from anywhere in the world. In doing so, we have to pay depending on how much we use it. Technically, it is a group of computers with a lot of storage space that process remote requests. Cloud computing provides very good security for your data and saves you from having to constantly monitor your data and manage security protocols.

Social Engineering 

Social Engineering is a concept in which the attacker psychologically manipulates the victim. So that they can give them sensitive or security information. Once a hacker knows what influences a person’s behavior, they can usually find exactly what they’re looking for, such as financial data and passwords.

Phishing

Phishing is a common type of social engineering technique. An attacker sends emails pretending to be from a legitimate source and invites victims to fall into the trap. The emails contain information to transmit credit card numbers, bank details, or other sensitive information.

Denial of Service (DoS)

Denial of service is another type of cyber attack. This type of attack affects computer systems and networks. The whole system gets shut down, and the user is not able to use it. 

Clickjacking

Clickjacking is a type of cyber attack in which attackers send malicious links via text messages (SMS), emails, or malicious websites. Victims are tricked into clicking on these links, after which the attackers gain access to victims’ systems and steal sensitive data. An example of a clickjacking attack is loading a web page behind another visible page, so that links and objects that could be clicked are just facades. This causes the user to select the link for the hidden page when he should actually click on the obvious link.

Bring your own device

Bring your own device (BYOD) is a policy that specifies whether or not an employee can bring their device. They are strictly advised not to connect their devices to the corporate network for security reasons.

Spyware

Spyware is a type of malware that is infiltrated into the system to secretly monitor the victim’s activities. Once it gains access to the system, the attackers can control the devices and collect data from it (financial data, usernames, passwords, etc.).

Virus

A virus is a type of malicious malware that can alter or delete data on one computer while spreading to other computers. It can spread to other systems via infected drives, infected files downloaded via websites, or email attachments.

Trojan Horse

A Trojan horseis a type of malware in which a malicious payload is inserted into a secure host file. Victims are tricked into thinking that only visible hosts are being accessed. When they use the host file, the malicious payload is downloaded to the victim’s system.

Man-in-the-middle (MITM)

Man-in-the-middle is a type of cyber attack in which a hacker exploits an open network established between people or systems. They target the unsecured servers and inject malware into them. Whenever someone accesses that server, the threat actors gain access to their system.

Two-Step Authentication 

Two-step authentication is mostly used on websites. To log in, the user must enter his username and password, then an OTP is sent to the mobile number or a verification link is sent to the email, and after clicking on it, the user is logged in.

Two-Factor Authentication

Using two-factor authentication to establish identity is generally considered more secure than using only one factor. It is a form of multi-factor authentication. In this case, the user must first enter the password or PIN, then the OTP, and then the biometric data. Two-factor authentication is much more secure.

Worms

Worms are malicious programs that can replicate themselves and infect a system. It is a self-contained malicious program that attempts to spread to other systems by duplicating itself. It causes only indirect damage.

Ransomware

Ransomware is a type of malware that prevents users from accessing files in their system. It encrypts files and demands a ransom to decrypt or restore the data. Ransomware can cause significant damage to a company’s finances and reputation. These attacks have the potential to expose system vulnerabilities and data breaches.

Botnet

A botnet is a collection of different computers compromised by malicious code. It is controlled remotely by the hacker to perform illegal tasks. Illegal tasks include DoS flooding attacks, transmitting SPAM, hosting fake web services, etc. The person who controls these computers is called a “bot guardian”.

Rootkit 

A rootkit is another type of malware that allows cybercriminals to control computers remotely. It can cause a lot of damage because it is hard to detect and remains in your system for a long period of time.

Vishing 

Vishing is a type of phishing attack. In this attack, the attackers use voice calls to obtain the victim’s sensitive data. The attackers call victims and make them believe that they are receiving a call from a trusted source, such as a bank, charity, etc., and ask them for their financial data and other sensitive information.

Spoofing

Spoofing is a cybercrime in which attackers pretend to be a trusted authority and force the victim to share sensitive data. In this way, threat actors can trick recipients of emails from the real sender into sharing sensitive information by sending fake or phishing emails to victims.

Whitelist 

A whitelist is a list of file names, file sizes, and hash values of approved software. It is a security mechanism that allows the owner to access only those resources that are on the approved software list. No code, good or bad, that is not on the list can be executed in the data center.

Advanced Persistent Threat (APT)

Advanced persistent threat is mainly faced by large corporations and government agencies. In this form of attack, hackers gain access to their networks and confidential information over a long period of time without the owners knowing about the breach. This often involves exploiting numerous unknown vulnerabilities, or zero-day attacks that allow the hackers to gain access to the target even after the attack vector is blocked.

White Hat/Black Hat

A white hat is an ethical hacker. They are individuals who gain access to information with the owner’s consent.

A black hat is a malicious hacker. They are hackers who use their hacking skills to steal data that will be used against the owner or others. This is absolutely illegal.

Final Thoughts: Cybersecurity Terms

Do you want to protect your data from cybercriminals? Then you should know the most common terms and definitions from the field of cybersecurity. Therefore, we have listed some terms that will help you understand cybersecurity.

FAQs: Cybersecurity Terms

Why Cybersecurity Practices are Important?

Without the knowledge of cybersecurity, we will not be able to protect our data from major cyber attacks. It is important to have cybersecurity practices in your organization to secure it from data breach.

Why is Cybersecurity Important for Business?

Cybersecurity is important for every organization. Without the implementation of cybersecurity, businesses can suffer a huge loss, even if they are not technology-based. The knowledge of cybersecurity is important because it will protect your employees from the cyber fraud and crimes that are being committed by attackers frequently.

Where does an Organization Start to Learn Cybersecurity?

When it comes to cybersecurity, your organization should start by learning the fundamentals of IT systems and networks. As the CEO, it is your duty to educate your employees about cybercrime and how to protect themselves.

What is Security Terminology?

Terminology used by cybersecurity professionals describes defensive barrier mechanisms, practices, and regulations. This makes perfect sense because security itself is a term used for defensive activities, whereas hacking is an offensive activity focused on attackers and attack methodologies.

What is the cyberseurity goal?

The process of protecting data from deletion or unauthorized access on the internet and on devices is known as cybersecurity. The goal of cybersecurity is to protect data, networks, and devices from cyber attacks to create a risk free environment in an organization.