It’s no secret that the technology industry is booming, and as we rely more and more on technology to get through our day-to-day lives and run our businesses, it’s important to stay abreast of the latest technology terms in cybersecurity to help curb threats to our security systems.
To help you understand some important IT security system buzzwords to improve your knowledge and understanding of cyber security, we’ve compiled this guide. Here are 12 IT security terms you should know.
Patch
Patch or patches are fundamental to creating a robust security system for your important computer files. Patch refers to the method that network engineers use to repair small security vulnerabilities that they discover in computer networks to stop major security breaches like data leaks, hacking and other types of cybercrime.
IT professionals will usually run regular checks for new patches and updates that seek to repair small vulnerabilities in the system.
Cryptography
Cryptography is the process of securing communication networks to ensure that only the sender and the receiver can read a message. This is an important part of tackling cybercrime that monitors communication lines to intercept messaging, potentially leading to hackers and cybercriminals stealing sensitive information.
Cryptographers help to design secure messaging networks that ensure no third parties can read or intercept messages.
Malware
Malware refers to a type of software that is used with the intent to harm. This includes software designed to slow down computers, steal information, spy or leak private information. There are a few well-known types of malware, including trojan viruses, adware, worms, ransomware and standard computer viruses.
Ransomware
Ransomware refers to a special kind of malware that blocks user access to computer systems until the user pays out a sum of money. This type of malware is known to cause havoc to industries and has cost many businesses millions in lost revenue.
There have been many prolific cases of ransomware in recent years. An example of one of these cases includes the ransomware attack on the colonial pipeline in 2021 in the United States, which resulted in five days of disruption in the form of price hikes and significant fuel shortages.
Social Engineering
Social engineering is a term that refers to the act of tricking individuals into revealing sensitive information such as banking information, instead of using computer software to infiltrate their computer system.
We tend to see a lot of social engineering attacks in the form of cyber scams, such as fake phone calls about winning money, being in an accident or text messages claiming to be different companies or institutions.
Phishing
Phishing scams are some of the most common scams out there. It’s a type of social engineering scam that impersonates a legitimate website or application to convince a person to hand over their personal information. Most commonly, people fall victim to phishing scams via email or text messages.
Zero-Day Attacks
Zero-day attacks refer to when cybercriminals exploit a cyber security vulnerability before the vendor has the opportunity to release an update or patch that targets the vulnerability.
Intrusion Prevention System
An intrusion prevention system is a type of security device that monitors your computer’s network. This program partners with your computer’s firewall and consistently monitors for unauthorized access and any other malicious activity, stopping it before it can target your system’s vulnerabilities.
Virtual Private Network
A virtual private network (VPN) is another example of a security system that users can use to reinforce their network security. Essentially, a VPN protects your internet connection by providing an encrypted channel for you to use when surfing the internet.
This stops any third parties from spying on your internet activity and disguises your online identity to prevent theft.
Spyware
Spyware is a form of malware that’s primarily used by cybercriminals to steal sensitive information by spying on the user’s computer activity. Typically, spyware secretly installs itself onto your computer device and covertly steals your sensitive information from your systems such as identity or banking information.
Cybercriminals can then use this information for their own personal gain or use this to sell on to a third party for profit.
Distributed Denial Of Service
Distributed denial of service is a type of cyber-attack that coordinates multiple systems to attack one server. This aims to disrupt normal traffic to a server, stopping internet users from reaching a site or interacting with the page.
This type of attack overloads the site’s infrastructure, stopping it from being able to serve other users. This can cost large businesses a significant amount of money.
Encryption
Encryption is probably one of the most universally recognizable terms as it’s used in our phones, computers, messaging applications, and so much more. Encryption is a security device used to hide information by transforming it into random pieces of information, known as ciphertext.
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