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Understanding Common Cybersecurity Terms

By Md. Imran Wahab | Views 9991

Malware: This refers to malicious software designed to cause harm to your computer systems or data. It can range from disrupting your system's functionality to stealing sensitive information.
Phishing: A common cyberattack where attackers pretend to be legitimate organizations to trick you into giving up sensitive data like passwords or credit card numbers. They often use emails, texts, or websites that mimic trusted sources.
Encryption: A process that scrambles your data, making it unreadable to anyone without the correct key. This is essential for protecting sensitive information during transmission and storage.
Firewall: A security system that acts as a gatekeeper for your network, blocking unauthorized access and only allowing traffic that meets specific security rules.
Vulnerability: A weakness or flaw in your system that cybercriminals can exploit to compromise security. These vulnerabilities can be in software, hardware, or even your own security practices.
Patch: A software update designed to fix security vulnerabilities and improve the overall functionality of your system. Applying patches regularly is vital for maintaining strong security.
DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service): A cyberattack where multiple compromised computers target a single system with a massive amount of traffic, overwhelming it and making it unavailable to legitimate users.
Endpoint: Any device that connects to your network, like computers, smartphones, tablets, or printers. These endpoints are often vulnerable to cyberattacks.
Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): An extra layer of security that requires you to provide two different forms of identification to verify your identity, like a password and a code from your phone.
SOC (Security Operations Center): A team within an organization responsible for monitoring and responding to security incidents, ensuring your systems remain protected.
Penetration Testing (Pen Testing): A simulated cyberattack performed by security professionals to identify vulnerabilities and assess an organization's security posture.
Ransomware: A type of malware that encrypts your files, making them inaccessible until you pay a ransom to restore access.
Zero-day (0-day) Vulnerability: A newly discovered security flaw in software or hardware for which no patch or fix is available. These vulnerabilities pose serious risks as attackers can exploit them before developers even know about them.
Social Engineering: Manipulating people psychologically to get them to reveal confidential information or perform actions that compromise security. Often used in phishing attacks.
Incident Response: The process of responding to and managing a cybersecurity incident or breach, including containment, investigation, and recovery activities.
Botnet: A network of infected computers controlled by attackers without their owners' knowledge. This network can be used to launch large-scale attacks.
Cyber Threat Intelligence: The process of gathering, analyzing, and sharing information about cyber threats to understand the potential risks and guide security decisions.
Data Breach: The unauthorized access to sensitive data, which can result in theft, loss, or exposure of personal information.
Security Audit: A comprehensive and systematic inspection of security protocols to identify weaknesses and evaluate compliance with established industry standards.
Hash Value: A mathematical algorithm that takes any input and generates a unique, fixed-size output. This output, called a hash, can be used to verify the integrity of data or to store passwords securely.