Cybersecurity Glossary

A vocabulary list of important cybersecurity terms and definitions to aid in understanding and studying for exams.

Terms and definitions from the certificate

A

Absolute file path: The full file path, which starts from the root

Access controls: Security controls that manage access, authorization, and accountability of information

Active packet sniffing: A type of attack where data packets are manipulated in transit

Address Resolution Protocol (ARP): A network protocol used to determine the MAC address of the next router or device on the path

Advanced persistent threat (APT): An instance when a threat actor maintains unauthorized access to a system for an extended period of time

Adversarial artificial intelligence (AI): A technique that manipulates artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technology to conduct attacks more efficiently

Adware: A type of legitimate software that is sometimes used to display digital advertisements in applications

Algorithm: A set of rules used to solve a problem

Analysis: The investigation and validation of alerts

Angler phishing: A technique where attackers impersonate customer service representatives on social media

Anomaly-based analysis: A detection method that identifies abnormal behavior

Antivirus software: A software program used to prevent, detect, and eliminate malware and viruses

Application: A program that performs a specific task

Application programming interface (API) token: A small block of encrypted code that contains information about a user

Argument (Linux): Specific information needed by a command

Argument (Python): The data brought into a function when it is called

Array: A data type that stores data in a comma-separated ordered list

Artificial intelligence (AI): Computer programs that can complete cognitive tasks typically associated with human intelligence

AI tool: AI-powered software that can automate or assist users with a variety of tasks

AI user: Someone who leverages AI to complete a personal or professional task

Assess: The fifth step of the NIST RMF that means to determine if established controls are implemented correctly

Asset: An item perceived as having value to an organization

Asset classification: The practice of labeling assets based on sensitivity and importance to an organization

Asset inventory: A catalog of assets that need to be protected

Asset management: The process of tracking assets and the risks that affect them

Asymmetric encryption: The use of a public and private key pair for encryption and decryption of data

Attack surface: All the potential vulnerabilities that a threat actor could exploit

Attack tree: A diagram that maps threats to assets

Attack vectors: The pathways attackers use to penetrate security defenses

Authentication: The process of verifying who someone is

Authorization: The concept of granting access to specific resources in a system

Authorize: The sixth step of the NIST RMF that refers to being accountable for the security and privacy risks that might exist in an organization

Automation: The use of technology to reduce human and manual effort to perform common and repetitive tasks

Availability: The idea that data is accessible to those who are authorized to access it

B

Baiting: A social engineering tactic that tempts people into compromising their security

Bandwidth: The maximum data transmission capacity over a network, measured by bits per second

Baseline configuration (baseline image): A documented set of specifications within a system that is used as a basis for future builds, releases, and updates

Bash: The default shell in most Linux distributions

Basic auth: The technology used to establish a user’s request to access a server

Basic Input/Output System (BIOS): A microchip that contains loading instructions for the computer and is prevalent in older systems

Behavioral interview: A type of interview designed to understand how you responded in past situations to predict your future performance

Biometrics: The unique physical characteristics that can be used to verify a person’s identity

Bit: The smallest unit of data measurement on a computer

Boolean data: Data that can only be one of two values: either True or False

Bootloader: A software program that boots the operating system

Botnet: A collection of computers infected by malware that are under the control of a single threat actor, known as the “bot-herder"

Bracket notation: The indices placed in square brackets

Broken chain of custody: Inconsistencies in the collection and logging of evidence in the chain of custody

Brute force attack: The trial and error process of discovering private information

Bug bounty: Programs that encourage freelance hackers to find and report vulnerabilities

Built-in function: A function that exists within Python and can be called directly

Business continuity: An organization's ability to maintain their everyday productivity by establishing risk disaster recovery plans

Business continuity plan (BCP): A document that outlines the procedures to sustain business operations during and after a significant disruption

Business Email Compromise (BEC): A type of phishing attack where a threat actor impersonates a known source to obtain financial advantage

C

Career Dreamer: An experimental tool that uses AI to make career exploration easier and more personalized

Career identity statement: A few sentences about yourself that provide a quick but insightful overview of your key skills, interests, career goals, and what you're passionate about

Case interview: An interview type designed to evaluate your problem-solving, analytical, and communication skills by presenting you with real-world business challenges to analyze and solve

Categorize: The second step of the NIST RMF that is used to develop risk management processes and tasks

CentOS: An open-source distribution that is closely related to Red Hat

Central Processing Unit (CPU): A computer’s main processor, which is used to perform general computing tasks on a computer

Chain of custody: The process of documenting evidence possession and control during an incident lifecycle

Chat: An input box in an AI tool where you can add prompts

Chronicle (Google SecOps): A cloud-native tool designed to retain, analyze, and search data

Cipher: An algorithm that encrypts information

Cloud-based firewalls: Software firewalls that are hosted by the cloud service provider

Cloud computing: The practice of using remote servers, applications, and network services that are hosted on the internet instead of on local physical devices

Cloud network: A collection of servers or computers that stores resources and data in remote data centers that can be accessed via the internet

Cloud security: The process of ensuring that assets stored in the cloud are properly configured and access to those assets is limited to authorized users

Command: An instruction telling the computer to do something

Command and control (C2): The techniques used by malicious actors to maintain communications with compromised systems

Command-line interface (CLI): A text-based user interface that uses commands to interact with the computer

Comment: A note programmers make about the intention behind their code

Common Event Format (CEF): A log format that uses key-value pairs to structure data and identify fields and their corresponding values

Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE®) list: An openly accessible dictionary of known vulnerabilities and exposures

Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS): A measurement system that scores the severity of a vulnerability

Compliance: The process of adhering to internal standards and external regulations

Computer security incident response teams (CSIRT): A specialized group of security professionals that are trained in incident management and response

Computer virus: Malicious code written to interfere with computer operations and cause damage to data and software

Conditional statement: A statement that evaluates code to determine if it meets a specified set of conditions

Confidential data: Data that often has limits on the number of people who have access to it

Confidentiality: The idea that only authorized users can access specific assets or data

Confidentiality, integrity, availability (CIA) triad: A model that helps inform how organizations consider risk when setting up systems and security policies

Configuration file: A file used to configure the settings of an application

Containment: The act of limiting and preventing additional damage caused by an incident

Controlled zone: A subnet that protects the internal network from the uncontrolled zone

Cover letter: A personalized document that showcases your communication skills and personality while demonstrating how your skills and experience align with the employer's needs

Cross-site scripting (XSS): An injection attack that inserts code into a vulnerable website or web application

Crowdsourcing: The practice of gathering information using public input and collaboration

Cryptographic attack: An attack that affects secure forms of communication between a sender and intended recipient

Cryptographic key: A mechanism that decrypts ciphertext