Cybersecurity Course 4 Glossary

Vocabulary flashcards based on the Cybersecurity Course 4 glossary, covering fundamental computer components, Linux terminology, and database concepts.

Central Processing Unit (CPU)

A computer’s main processor, which is used to perform general computing tasks on a computer

Absolute file path

The full file path, which starts from the root

Application

A program that performs a specific task

Argument (Linux)

Specific information needed by a command

Authentication

The process of verifying who someone is

Authorization

The concept of granting access to specific resources in a system

Bash

The default shell in most Linux distributions

Basic Input/Output System (BIOS)

A microchip that contains loading instructions for the computer and is prevalent in older systems

Bootloader

A software program that boots the operating system

CentOS

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

Command

An instruction telling the computer to do something

Graphical user interface (GUI)

A user interface that uses icons on the screen to manage different tasks on the computer

Hard drive

A hardware component used for long-term memory

Command-line interface (CLI)

A text-based user interface that uses commands to interact with the computer

Database

An organized collection of information or data

Date and time data

Data representing a date and/or time

Digital forensics

The practice of collecting and analyzing data to determine what has happened after an attack

Directory

A file that organizes where other files are stored

Distributions

The different versions of Linux

Exclusive operator

An operator that does not include the value of comparison

File path

The location of a file or directory

Filesystem Hierarchy Standard (FHS)

The component of the Linux OS that organizes data

Filtering

Selecting data that match a certain condition

Foreign key

A column in a table that is a primary key in another table

Inclusive operator

An operator that includes the value of comparison

Internal hardware

The components required to run the computer

Legacy operating system

An operating system that is outdated but still being used

Log

A record of events that occur within an organization's systems

Operating system (OS)

The interface between computer hardware and the user

Hardware

The physical components of a computer

Kali Linux ™

An open-source distribution of Linux that is widely used in the security industry

Kernel

The component of the Linux OS that manages processes and memory

Linux

An open-source operating system

nano

A command-line file editor that is available by default in many Linux distributions

Numeric data

Data consisting of numbers

Operator

A symbol or keyword that represents an operation

Options

Input that modifies the behavior of a command

Package

A piece of software that can be combined with other packages to form an application

Random Access Memory (RAM)

A hardware component used for short-term memory

Relative file path

A file path that starts from the user's current directory

Package manager

A tool that helps users install, manage, and remove packages or applications

Parrot

An open-source distribution that is commonly used for security

Penetration test (pen test)

A simulated attack that helps identify vulnerabilities in systems, networks, websites, applications, and processes

Peripheral devices

Hardware components that are attached and controlled by the computer system

Permissions

The type of access granted for a file or directory

Primary key

A column where every row has a unique entry

Principle of least privilege

The concept of granting only the minimal access and authorization required to complete a task or function

Query

A request for data from a database table or a combination of tables

Red Hat® Enterprise Linux®

A subscription-based distribution of Linux built for enterprise use

Relational database

A structured database containing tables that are related to each other

Root directory

The highest-level directory in Linux

Root user (or superuser)

A user with elevated privileges to modify the system

Ubuntu

An open-source, user-friendly distribution that is widely used in security and other industries

Shell

The command-line interpreter

SQL (Structured Query Language)

A programming language used to create, interact with, and request information from a database

Standard error

An error message returned by the OS through the shell

Standard input

Information received by the OS via the command line

Standard output

Information returned by the OS through the shell

String data

Data consisting of an ordered sequence of characters

Syntax

The rules that determine what is correctly structured in a computing language

Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI)

A microchip that contains loading instructions for the computer and replaces BIOS on more modern systems

User

The person interacting with a computer

User interface

A program that allows the user to control the functions of the operating system

Virtual machine (VM)

A virtual version of a physical computer

Wildcard

A special character that can be substituted with any other character