Security Center

Cybersecurity Glossary

Antivirus software: A program that monitors a computer or network to identify all major types of malware and prevent or contain malware incidents.

Authentication: The process of verifying the identity of a user, process or device before granting access to resources in an information system.

Backup:  A copy of files and programs made to facilitate recovery if necessary.

Biometrics: Unique physical characteristics that can be used for automated recognition. These include fingerprints and facial recognition.

Blacklist: A list of entities including but not limited to devices, networks, emails and applications, which have been determined to be associated with malicious activity and are therefore restricted or blocked.

Brute-force password attack: A method of accessing a device or account by attempting all possible combinations of passwords in an effort to find a match.

Card skimmer: A device discretely placed on a card reader by bad actors with the intent to intercept card information.

Chip card: A debit or credit card that contains an embedded microchip as well as a traditional magnetic stripe. The chip encrypts information to increase security when making transactions.

Cookie: A small file with pieces of data — like a username and password — placed on your computer by websites that are used to identify your computer as you use a computer network or the internet. Cookies let websites remember you, your website logins, shopping carts and more.

Cybersecurity: The process of protecting information by preventing, detecting and responding to attacks.

Dark Web/Darknet: A separate / secondary internet not indexed by search engines, often used for illegal activity including identity theft. Requires special tools and permissions to access.

Data loss: The exposure of proprietary, sensitive, or classified information through either data theft or accidental disclosure.

Decryption (decrypt): Returning encrypted data back to its plaintext or original format so that it may be known or used. The opposite of Encryption.

Digital wallet: Software, an electronic device or an online service that enables individuals or businesses to make transactions electronically, often in the form of electronic credit and debit cards.

Eavesdropping: The unauthorized real-time interception of a private communication, such as a phone call, instant message, or online transaction.

Encryption (encrypt): The transformation of data into a form that conceals the data’s original meaning to prevent it from being known or used. The opposite of Decryption.

Firewall: A part of a computer system or network that is designed to block unauthorized access while permitting outward communication.

Fraudster: A person or group who acquires money by deceiving people.

Hacker: An unauthorized user who attempts to or gains access to an information system.

HTTPS: Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure. A standard and secured method for communication between clients and web servers.

Key/keystroke logger: A program designed to record which keys are pressed on a computer keyboard used to obtain passwords or encryption keys to bypass security measures.

Malware: Software that is intentionally included or inserted in a system for a harmful purpose. Examples of malware are Ransomware, Spyware, Trojan Horses, Viruses and Worms.

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Login authentication requiring two or more factors to achieve authentication. Factors include 1: Something you know (password, PIN, etc), 2: something you have (identification device, security token) or 3: Something you are (fingerprint scan, facial recognition, voice recognition). Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) is a form of MFA.

Phishing: A technique for attempting to acquire sensitive data through a fraudulent solicitation in email or on a website, usually done while masquerading as a legitimate source.

PIN: Personal Identification Number, a secret number a cardholder memorizes and uses to authenticate their identity as part of a transaction.

Plaintext: Intelligible data that has meaning and can be read or acted on without the application of decryption. Also known as cleartext.

Ransomware: Malware designed to encrypt a computer, often requiring a payment to the party responsible to unlock the computer.

Smishing: A form of phishing performed by sending texts (also known as SMS or Short Message Service). These usually are sent with a malicious link or asking for a reply. Advised to not reply to texts from unknown parties.

Social engineering: The act of deceiving an individual into revealing sensitive information, obtaining unauthorized access, or committing fraud by associating with the individual to gain confidence and trust.

Spoofing: Faking the sending address of a transmission to gain illegal entry into a secure system. Often seen as a faked email address or phone number.

Spyware: Malicious software designed to track the use of a computer and send details back to the fraudster. This can track things such as applications used, usernames and passwords entered, and much more.

Trojan horse: A computer program that appears to have a useful function, but also has a hidden and potentially malicious function that evades security mechanisms, sometimes by exploiting legitimate authorizations of a system entity that invokes the program.

Virus: A computer program that can copy itself and infect a computer without permission or knowledge of the user. A virus might corrupt or delete data on a computer, use email programs to spread itself to other computers, or even erase everything on a hard disk.

Worm: A computer program that can run independently, can propagate a complete working version of itself onto other hosts on a network, and may consume computer resources destructively.