AP Cybersecurity Summer Work Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards covering key cybersecurity and networking terms from the AP Cybersecurity summer study assignment.

acceptable use policy

Agreed-upon principles set forth by a company to govern how the employees of that company may use resources such as computers and Internet access.

access point (AP)

The point at which access to a network is accomplished. This term is often used in relation to a wireless access point (WAP).

accountability

Being responsible for an item. The administrator is often accountable for the network and the resources on it.

adware

Software that gathers information to pass on to marketers or intercepts personal data such as credit card numbers and makes them available to third parties.

algorithm

The series of steps/formulas/processes that is followed to arrive at a result.

antivirus

A category of software that uses various methods to prevent and eliminate viruses in a computer. It typically also protects against future infection.

antivirus software

Software that identifies the presence of a virus and is capable of removing or quarantining the virus.

asset

Any resource of value that you want to secure and protect.

attack

Any unauthorized intrusion into the normal operations of a computer or computer network. The attack can be carried out to gain access to the system or any of its resources.

authentication

The means of verifying that someone is who they say they are.

Authorization

Authorization is the approval, permission, or empowerment for someone or something to do something.

availability

The ability of a resource to be accessed, often expressed as a time period. Many networks limit users’ ability to access network resources to working hours, as a security precaution.

back door (backdoor)

An opening left in a program application (usually by the developer) that allows additional access to data. Typically, these are created for debugging purposes and aren’t documented. Before the product ships, the back doors are closed; when they aren’t closed, security loopholes exist.

backup

A usable copy of data made to media. Ideally, the backup is made to removable media and stored for recovery should anything happen to the original data.

backup plan

A documented plan governing backup situations.

backup policy

A written policy detailing the frequency of backups and the location of storage media.

Bandwidth

Commonly used to mean the capacity of a communication channel to pass data through the channel in a given amount of time. Usually expressed in bits per second.

best practices

A set of rules governing basic operations.

biometric device

A device that can authenticate an individual based on a physical characteristic.

biometrics

The science of identifying a person by using one or more of their features. The feature can be a thumbprint, a retinal scan, or any other biological trait.

BIOS

The basic input/output system for an IBM-based PC. It is the firmware that allows the computer to boot.

Bit

The smallest unit of information storage; a contraction of the term "binary digit;" one of two symbolsN"0" (zero) and "1" (one) - that are used to represent binary numbers.

Blue Team

The people who perform defensive cybersecurity tasks, including placing and configuring firewalls, implementing patching programs, enforcing strong authentication, ensuring physical security measures are adequate and a long list of similar undertakings.

bot

An automated software program that collects information on the Web. For example, the Googlebot collects website information for the Google index. Bots can be used for malicious purposes as well.

Botnet

A botnet is a large number of compromised computers that are used to create and send spam or viruses or flood a network with messages as a denial of service attack.

brute force attack

A type of attack that relies purely on trial and error.

Business Impact Analysis (BIA)

A study of the possible impact if a disruption to a business’s vital resources were to occur.

Byte

A fundamental unit of computer storage; the smallest addressable unit in a computer's architecture. Usually holds one character of information and usually means eight bits.

Cache

Pronounced cash, a special high-speed storage mechanism. It can be either a reserved section of main memory or an independent high-speed storage device.

certificate authority (CA)

An issuer of digital certificates (which are then used for digital signatures or key pairs).

Cipher

A cryptographic algorithm for encryption and decryption.

Ciphertext

Ciphertext is the encrypted form of the message being sent.

client

The part of a client/server network where the computing is usually done. In a typical setting, a client uses the server for remote storage, backups, or security (such as a firewall).

client/server network

A server-centric network in which all resources are stored on a file server and processing power is distributed among workstations and the file server.

collusion

An agreement between individuals to commit fraud or deceit.

confidentiality

Assurance that data remains private and no one sees it except for those expected to see it.

cookie

A plain-text file stored on your machine that contains information about you (and your preferences) and is used by a database server.

cryptanalysis

The study and practice of finding weaknesses in ciphers.

cryptanalyst

A person who does cryptanalysis.

Data Breach

A data breach is a security incident in which sensitive, protected, or confidential information is accessed, stolen, or disclosed without authorization.

decryption

The process of converting encrypted data back into its original form.

denial of service (DoS) attack

A type of attack that prevents any users—even legitimate ones—from using a system.

dictionary attack

The act of attempting to crack passwords by testing them against a list of dictionary words. With today’s powerful computers, an attacker can combine one of many available automated password-cracking utilities with several large dictionaries or "wordlists" and crack huge numbers of passwords in a matter of minutes. Any password based on any dictionary word is vulnerable to such an attack.

directory

A network database that contains a listing of all network resources, such as users, printers, groups, and so on.

disaster recovery

The act of recovering data following a disaster that has destroyed it.

disaster recovery plan

A plan outlining the procedure by which data is recovered after a disaster.

Disruption

A circumstance or event that interrupts or prevents the correct operation of system services and functions.

distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack

A derivative of a DoS attack in which multiple hosts in multiple locations all focus on one target to reduce its availability to the public. See denial of service (DoS) attack.

Dumpster diving

Looking through trash for clues—often in the form of paper scraps—to find users’ passwords and other pertinent information.

Eavesdropping

Eavesdropping is simply listening to a private conversation which may reveal information which can provide access to a facility or network.

encoding

The process of translating data into signals that can be transmitted on a transmission medium.

encryption

The process of converting data into a form that makes it less likely to be usable to anyone intercepting it if they can’t decrypt it.

entrapment

The process of encouraging an attacker to perform an act, even if they don’t want to do it.

escalation

The act of moving something up in priority. Often, when an incident is escalated, it’s brought to the attention of the next highest supervisor.

firewall

A combination of hardware and software that protects a network from attack by hackers who could gain access through public networks, including the Internet.

forensics

In terms of security, the act of looking at all the data at your disposal to try to figure out who gained unauthorized access and the extent of that access.

full backup

A backup that copies all data to the archive medium.

hacker

Generally used to refer to someone who gains access to a system, software, or hardware without permission.

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)

An act that addresses security and privacy of health-related data.

Hypertext Markup Language (HTML)

A set of codes used to format text and graphics that will be displayed in a browser. The codes define how data will be displayed.

Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP)

The protocol used for communication between a web server and a web browser.

Hypertext Transfer Protocol (Secure)

Also known as HTTPS. A combination of HTTP with Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) to make for a secure connection.

incident

An attempt to violate a security policy, a successful penetration, a compromise of a system, or unauthorized access to information.

incident response

How an organization responds to an incident.

incident response plan (IRP)

A policy that defines how an organization will respond to an incident.

incident response team (IRT)

Also known as a Computer Security Incident Response Team (CSIRT). The group of individuals responsible for responding when a security breach has occurred.

infrastructure

The hardware and software necessary to run your network.

infrastructure security

Security on the hardware and software necessary to run your network.

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)

An international organization that sets standards for various electrical and electronics issues.

Integrity

Integrity is the need to ensure that information has not been changed accidentally or deliberately, and that it is accurate and complete.

internal threat

A threat that arises from within an organization.

Internet layer

The network layer responsible for routing, IP addressing, and packaging.

Internet service provider (ISP)

A company that provides direct access to the Internet for home and business computer users.

Internet Society (ISOC)

A professional membership group composed primarily of Internet experts. It oversees a number of committees and groups, including the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF).

Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF)

The body that defines standard Internet operating protocols such as TCP/IP. The IETF is supervised by the Internet Society Internet Architecture Board (IAB). IETF members are drawn from the Internet Society's individual and organization membership.

intranet

Web (or similar) services set up in a private network to be accessed internally only.

intrusion

The act of entering a system without authorization to do so.

IP spoofing

An attack during which a hacker tries to gain access to a network by pretending their interface has the same network address as the internal network.

latency

The wait time between the call for an action or activity and the actual execution of that action.

local area network (LAN)

A network that is restricted to a single building, group of buildings, or even a single room.

logic bomb

Any code that is hidden within an application and causes something unexpected to happen based on some criteria being met. For example, a programmer could create a program that always makes sure his name appears on the payroll roster; if it doesn’t, then key files begin to be erased.

logs and inventories

Tools used to help an organization know what is happening to its systems and assets. System logs tell what is happening with the systems in the network. Inventories refer to both the physical assets and the software assets a company owns.

malicious code

Any code that is meant to do harm.

man-in-the-middle attack

An attack that occurs when someone/-thing that is trusted intercepts packets and retransmits them to another party. Man-in-the-middle attacks have also been called TCP/IP hijacking in the past.

mantrap

A device, such as a small room, that limits access to one or a few individuals. Mantraps typically use electronic locks and other methods to control access.

modem

A communications device that converts digital computer signals into analog tones for transmission over the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and converts them back to digital upon reception. The word modem is an acronym for modulator/demodulator.

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

An agency (formerly known as the National Bureau of Standards [NBS]) that has been involved in developing and supporting standards for the U.S. government for over 100 years. NIST has become involved in cryptography standards, systems, and technology in a variety of areas. It’s primarily concerned with governmental systems, where it exercises a great deal of influence.

need-to-know

A method of information dissemination based on passing information only to those who need to know it.

Password Cracking

Password cracking is the process of attempting to guess passwords, given the password file information.

Password Sniffing

Passive wiretapping, usually on a local area network, to gain knowledge of passwords.

patch

A fix for a known software problem.

penetration

The act of gaining access.

phishing

A form of social engineering in which you simply ask someone for a piece of information that you are missing by making it look as if it is a legitimate request. Commonly sent via e-mail.

policies

Rules or standards governing usage.

Post Office Protocol (POP)

An e-mail access program that can be used to retrieve e-mail from an e-mail server.

Post Office Protocol Version 3 (POP3)

The protocol used to download e-mail from an SMTP e-mail server to a network client.

privacy

A state of security in which information isn’t seen by unauthorized parties without the express permission of the party involved.

private information

Information that isn’t for public knowledge.

protocols

Standards or rules.

proxy

A type of firewall that prevents direct communication between a client and a host by acting as an intermediary.