External Threats in Cybersecurity

Vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts related to external threats in cybersecurity.

Social Engineering

Tricking someone into revealing private information by using human psychology and social techniques.

Phishing

A method where an electronic message is sent to an individual, asking them to click on a link or reply with information, often to steal confidential data or infect their computer.

Shoulder Surfing

Observing someone entering sensitive information, such as a PIN or password, to steal it.

Malware

Malicious software designed to damage or disrupt systems; includes viruses, worms, Trojans, and more.

Virus

A type of malware that spreads from computer to computer, attaching itself to legitimate software or files.

Worm

A type of malware similar to a virus but does not need to attach to other programs or files to spread.

Trojan

Malicious code disguised as legitimate software, containing a harmful payload.

Botnet

A network of computers controlled by attackers to carry out large-scale attacks, such as Denial of Service.

Ransomware

Malware that encrypts local files and demands payment for the decryption.

Hacking

Gaining unauthorized access to a system, often through social engineering techniques.

White Hat Hackers

Security professionals who find and fix vulnerabilities in systems.

Black Hat Hackers

Malicious individuals who exploit systems for personal gain.

Denial of Service Attack

An attack that floods servers with traffic to overwhelm resources, making services slow or unusable.

DDoS Attack

Distributed Denial of Service attack where the assault comes from multiple computers, often via botnets.

Pharming

A technique that misdirects users to a fake website without their knowledge, often by modifying DNS settings.

Man-in-the-Middle Attack

An attack where an attacker intercepts communication between two parties to steal data.