Cyber Security Jargon 101
How can you know what kind of cyber protection you need when you don’t understand today’s cyber security jargon? Jargon is a set of words used by a particular group of people, usually in a specific profession or industry. That means that those outside the group may find it difficult to understand. There’s so much new emerging technology that it requires a guide through the cyber-security jargon book. Take a look at our top cybersecurity terms that we believe everyone should know.
Phishing
Cybercriminals use phishing to get sensitive information from people. Phishing scams come in the form of emails from a person or an organization you know. It usually contains an attachment or link and tries to get you to click. If you do, you allow malware to download to your computer.
Ransomware
A malware that takes holds of your system is called Ransomware. It does it through encryption, sometimes attacking individual computer files. Whenever you try to access the network or data that are encrypted, you are “greeted” by a note that claims you’re locked out until you make a payment (often demanded in Bitcoins.) These ransomware messages can sometimes appear to come from an official government agency that accuses you of committing cybercrime.
DDoS Attack
Cyber attackers use Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks to overwhelm the targeted system with massive requests from various devices and render a network unavailable. Legitimate connections then become impossible as the targeted machine suffers a clogged bandwidth. DDoS attacks are often carried out by botnets.
DNS Attack
Domain Name Server (DNS) redirects traffic to its IP address by using the name of any popular website. For example, you type in “Google.com” to take you to Google’s IP address. Cybercriminals can translate their web address to their IP address and redirect you to a malicious site where they can have download malware or collect your information.
SSL
Secure Socket Layer (SSL) is used for ensuring a safe and encrypted connection between a browser and a server. All websites must have it, especially those that handle sensitive information, such as client names and addresses or credit card information. If the connection is not encrypted, any computer in between the server and browser can see the data. An SSL secured site has an URL that starts with HTTPS (as opposed to HTTP.)
Dark Web
Dark web is a part of the Internet that’s accessible by special software which allows users to access an encrypted network. The network is hidden, not indexed by web search engines, and its operators and users remain untraceable and anonymous, so often used for illegal activities.
2FA
Two-factor authentication, or 2FA, is an acronym used when talking about authentication and authorization for applications. It’s a type of authentication method where the proof for a user’s identity is gained from two different sources. People still use simple password combinations, such as 123456 or their personal names, so 2FA adds an extra layer of protection that makes it harder for attackers to access a user’s data.
VPN
A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is a method of adding security and privacy when users come upon a potentially unsafe network they want to access. When you’re using a VPN, your connections are encrypted. When you connect to the Internet, your system passes through their ISP (Internet Service Provider) and the traffic is viewable. With a VP, the ISP is left out.
These are our top picks for getting you acquainted with the current cybersecurity jargon. Titanium Cobra Engineers use many of these security methods to help train our current and prospective clients’ teams to defend against different types of cyber-attacks. Many believe having a Cobra in their corner has made our clients total cybersecurity posture stronger and more manageable.
