Cybercrime and Digital Forensics – Key Vocabulary

Flashcards covering essential vocabulary from the introductory chapters on technology, cybercrime, policing, and digital forensics.

Cybercrime

Any illegal act in which computers or networked devices are the primary means or targets of the offense.

Digital Forensics

The identification, preservation, examination, and presentation of electronic evidence for use in legal proceedings.

Computer-mediated Communications (CMC)

Any human communication that occurs through the use of two or more electronic devices.

Technicways

Behavioral changes in society that result from technological innovations.

Digital Native

A person born into a world already saturated with digital technology, who grows up using it naturally.

Digital Immigrant

Someone born before the widespread adoption of digital technology who had to adapt to it later in life.

Dark Web

A hidden part of the Internet accessible only through special software (e.g., TOR) where content is not indexed by standard search engines.

The Onion Router (TOR)

An anonymity network and browser that routes traffic through multiple nodes to conceal users’ locations and identities.

Proxy Server

An intermediary computer that routes Internet traffic, masking the original user’s IP address.

Cyber-trespass

Illegally crossing digital boundaries of ownership, such as hacking into systems without permission.

Cyber-deception and Theft

Online offenses that illegally obtain money, property, or sensitive information through deceitful practices.

Cyber-porn and Obscenity

Distribution or access of sexually explicit materials online, legal status varying by jurisdiction.

Cyber-violence

The use of online communications to inflict psychological, emotional, or physical harm.

Cyberterrorism

Politically or ideologically motivated attacks against computers, networks, or information intended to intimidate or coerce.

Subculture

A group with distinct values, norms, and language that set it apart from the dominant culture.

Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) Attack

An assault in which multiple compromised systems flood a target with traffic, rendering it unavailable.

Web Defacement

Unauthorized alteration of a website’s appearance or content, often to display a message.

Spam

Unsolicited bulk electronic messages, typically email.

Phishing

Fraudulent practice of sending deceptive messages to trick individuals into revealing sensitive data.

Malware

Malicious software designed to disrupt, damage, or gain unauthorized access to computer systems.

Botnet

A network of compromised computers remotely controlled by an attacker, often used for DDoS or spam.

Digital Evidence

Information stored or transmitted in binary form that may be relied on in court.

Incident Response

The organized approach to addressing and managing the aftermath of a security breach or cyberattack.

Computer Emergency Readiness Team (CERT)

A group of experts that handles and responds to cybersecurity incidents for an organization, sector, or nation.

Spamhaus

A nonprofit organization that tracks spam and related cyberthreats and provides real-time block lists.

Cyber Civil Rights Initiative (CCRI)

An NGO that assists victims of non-consensual pornography and advocates for stronger legal protections.

Fusion Center

A state or regional hub that gathers, analyzes, and shares threat intelligence among law-enforcement agencies.

Interpol

The International Criminal Police Organization that facilitates cross-border police cooperation and intelligence sharing.

PRISM

A U.S. National Security Agency program that collected electronic communications data from major tech companies.

KARMA POLICE

A GCHQ program aimed at profiling Internet users worldwide through large-scale metadata collection.

Civil Law

Legal domain governing disputes between private parties, often resulting in monetary compensation.

Criminal Law

Body of law that relates to crimes and their prosecution by the state.

Preponderance of Evidence

The burden of proof in civil cases requiring that a claim is more likely true than not (>50% likelihood).

Beyond a Reasonable Doubt

The high standard of proof required for criminal convictions.

Compensatory Damages

Monetary awards intended to reimburse a plaintiff for actual losses in a civil case.

Punitive Damages

Monetary awards meant to punish a defendant for egregious wrongdoing and deter future misconduct.

Private Investigator (PI)

A licensed professional hired to conduct investigations, sometimes including digital forensic work, for private parties.

Licensing (for PIs)

State-mandated certification allowing individuals to legally conduct private investigations.

Child Sexual Exploitation Material (CSEM)

Illegal images or videos depicting sexual activities involving minors.

Revenge Porn (Non-consensual Pornography)

Distribution of sexual images without the subject’s consent, often to humiliate or harm.

Identity Theft

Illicit acquisition and use of another person’s personal data for financial gain or deception.

Data Breach

An incident in which sensitive, protected, or confidential data are accessed or disclosed without authorization.

Social Engineering

Manipulating individuals into divulging confidential information or performing actions that compromise security.

Romance Scam

Fraud in which offenders create fake online relationships to extract money from victims.

Force Multiplier (in cybercrime)

A technology that allows one offender to victimize many targets with minimal additional effort.

Extradition

Legal process of surrendering an accused or convicted person from one jurisdiction to another.

Jurisdiction

Legal authority granted to law-enforcement bodies to enforce laws within a defined territory or over certain crimes.

Safe Haven (for cybercriminals)

A country lacking relevant laws or extradition treaties, enabling offenders to operate with limited risk of prosecution.

International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol)

Global agency that assists member nations in combating transnational crime, including cyber-offenses.

Lawful Access

Governmental ability, granted by court order, to obtain data or communications for investigative purposes.

Encryption Key Disclosure Law

Statute that compels individuals to surrender encryption keys or passwords to law-enforcement agencies.

Legitimacy (policing)

Public perception that law-enforcement actions are appropriate, just, and deserve compliance.

Threat Intelligence

Information about existing or emerging hazards to assets that can inform defensive decisions.

Write Blocker

Hardware or software tool that prevents changes to digital storage devices during forensic imaging.

Digital Imaging (forensics)

Creating a bit-for-bit copy of electronic media to preserve evidence for analysis.

Slack Space

Unused storage in file clusters that may contain remnants of previously deleted data.

File Carving

Recovering files based on signatures without using file system metadata.

Chain of Custody

Documented and unbroken trail of evidence handling that proves integrity from seizure to courtroom.

Best Practices for Seizing Electronic Evidence

Guidelines issued to aid first responders in correctly identifying, collecting, and preserving digital evidence.

RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act)

U.S. law originally targeting organized crime, proposed for expansion to prosecute coordinated cybercriminal groups.

CERT-US

The U.S. government’s Computer Emergency Readiness Team, part of CISA, offering incident response and advisories.

Five Eyes

Intelligence alliance of the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand that shares signals intelligence data.