Cybersecurity Fundamentals – Module 1

Fill-in-the-blank flashcards covering key definitions, concepts, roles, skills, and statistics from Cybersecurity Course 1, Module 1.

Cybersecurity is the practice of __ data, people, and systems from unauthorized access or harm.

protecting

The three core goals of information security, known collectively as the CIA triad, are __, __, and __.

Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability

__ means keeping data private and accessible only to authorized users.

Confidentiality

__ means ensuring data remains accurate, complete, and unaltered.

Integrity

__ means making sure systems and information are accessible whenever they are needed.

Availability

A __ is any person or group that tries to cause harm to systems, data, or people.

threat actor

Phishing emails, malware, and data-breach attempts are examples of __ threats.

external

Risks created by employees, ex-employees, or vendors are called __ threats.

internal

Following laws such as GDPR or HIPAA to avoid fines is known as __.

regulatory compliance

Keeping operations running after an attack is an aspect of __.

business continuity

A security analyst’s main mission is to __, detect, respond, and recover.

protect

The three day-to-day responsibilities of a security analyst are to protect systems, prevent threats, and __ security regularly.

audit

Ethical hacking that deliberately probes a company’s own defenses is called __ testing.

penetration

A __ is a systematic ‘health check’ that reviews records, activities, and policies to verify security.

security audit

Working with IT teams to install security software and build safe systems is an example of __ threat prevention.

proactive

Strong security saves money by reducing __ and downtime.

data-loss recovery costs

Job titles like Security Analyst, Cybersecurity Specialist, SOC Analyst, and Information Security Analyst all focus on protecting __.

information assets (or data and systems)

Veronica’s help-desk experience taught her troubleshooting and debugging, which are examples of __ skills.

transferable

Cybersecurity welcomes people without a college degree as long as they show __ and a willingness to learn.

curiosity

Nikki works on __ threat detection, which focuses on spotting suspicious behavior by employees.

insider

Step-by-step guides that tell analysts how to handle detections are called __.

playbooks

The defensive ‘blue team’ protects systems, while the offensive ‘red team’ tries to __ security flaws.

find (or exploit)

Entry-level __ focus on day-to-day operations and incident response.

security analysts

__ follow laws and corporate rules to maintain security and avoid penalties.

Compliance practices (or simply Compliance)

__ are blueprints or guidelines that help organizations plan how to handle threats.

Security frameworks

Passwords, firewalls, and MFA are examples of security __.

controls

A company’s overall readiness to defend itself is called its security __.

posture

__ security protects data, devices, and systems inside the corporate network from outsiders.

Network

__ security ensures data stored on internet-based servers is configured correctly and accessed only by authorized users.

Cloud

Knowing a programming language like Python helps analysts __ repetitive tasks such as scanning for threats.

automate

Clear writing and speaking that translate complex risks for non-technical audiences demonstrate strong __ skills.

communication

Working with engineers, ethical hackers, and project managers shows the importance of __ in cybersecurity.

collaboration

Breaking down complex problems to recommend protective measures is an example of __ thinking.

analytical

Prioritizing urgent alerts over routine tasks illustrates good __ management.

time

Tools that collect and analyze system-event data for threat detection are known as __ tools.

SIEM (Security Information and Event Management)

Systems that monitor networks for unauthorized access and alert analysts are called __.

IDS (Intrusion Detection Systems)

The structured approach taken when handling a security breach is called __ response.

incident

Data such as full name, date of birth, or email address is categorized as __.

PII (Personally Identifiable Information)

Social Security numbers, medical records, and biometric data are examples of __.

SPII (Sensitive PII)

Using stolen personal information to impersonate someone for fraud is known as __ theft.

identity

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, cybersecurity roles are projected to grow by over __ percent by 2030.

30

Any condition that could harm systems, people, or data is called a __.

threat

Installing software that blocks malicious code before it executes is an example of __ prevention.

malware

During security audits, analysts use __ tools to better understand threats and vulnerabilities.

SIEM

Thinking carefully and thoroughly when monitoring systems or mitigating risk exemplifies __ thinking.

analytical