AC 220 Cybersecurity Chapters 1-3

Midterm

Data

Raw facts, figures, or characters that are collected, stored, and processed by computer systems, often in digital format

Information

Data that has been processed or organized in a way that provides meaning or value to the user

CIA Traid

Model Designed to gudie policies for information security within an organization; Confidentiality, Intergretiy and Availability

Service Organization Controls (SOC) Reports

Reports that provide information about the controls at a service organization, including SOC 1, SOC 2, and SOC 3; SOC for Cybersecurity; and SOC for Supply Chain reports.

Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)

A certification for professionals responsible for ensuring that an organization’s IT systems are effectively monitored, managed, and protected.

Certified Information Systems Manager (CISM)

A certification for professionals who manage, design, and oversee an enterprise’s information security program.

Certified Risk in Information Systems and Control (CRISC)

A certification for professionals who manage enterprise IT risk and implement and maintain information systems controls.

Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)

A globally recognized certification in the field of IT security, offered by the International Information System Security Certification Consortium (ISC2)

Penetration (PEN) Testing

A security exercise where a cybersecurity expert attempts to find and exploit vulnerabilities in a computer system. The purpose of this simulated attack is to identify any weak spots in a system’s defenses.

CompTIA Security+

A global certification that validates the baseline skills necessary to perform core security functions and pursue an IT security career.

Knowledge

Information prepared, sorted, and organized so that it can be used in high-level decision-­making processes to set policy or strategy

ETL Software

Software that can extract, transform, and load big data for analysis.

Database

An organized collection of structured information, or data, typically stored electronically in a computer system.

Star Schema

A type of database schema that organizes data into a central fact table connected to multiple dimension tables.

Snowflake Schema

A type of database schema that organizes data into multiple related tables to reduce redundancy.

Data Normalization

The process of organizing data in a relational database to reduce redundancy and improve data integrity by dividing large tables into smaller, related ones and defining relationships among them.

Structured Query Language (SQL)

A standard programming language used to create, read, update, and delete data in relational databases.

Data Loss Prevention (DLP)

A set of tools, policies, and processes designed to detect, prevent, and respond to the unauthorized access, transmission, or leakage of sensitive data

Metadata

Structured information that describes the characteristics, origin, structure, and usage of data.

Integrity (CIA Triad)

The assurance of accuracy, consistency, and trustworthiness of data and systems throughout their life cycle. It ensures that information is not altered, deleted, or corrupted—whether accidentally or maliciously—without proper authorization or detection

Confidentiality (CIA Traid)

The assurance that sensitive data is not disclosed to unauthorized parties, whether intentionally or accidentally.

Availability (CIA Triad)

The assurance that systems and information will be operational and accessible within the required time frame, even during disruptions or high demand.

Air Gap

A security measure in which a computer or network is physically isolated from other networks, especially the Internet.

Data Lake

A storage repository that holds a vast amount of raw data in its native format until it is needed.

Data Warehouse

A system used for reporting and data analysis, storing current and historical data from multiple sources.

Data Mart

A subset of a data warehouse, often oriented to a specific business line or team.

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)

Integrated software systems that help manage core business processes like finance, HR, and supply chain operations.

Full Backup

The most basic and comprehensive backup method, where a duplicate of all data is sent to another location for storage.

Incremental Backup

A process that backs up all files that have changed since the last backup occurred.

Differential Backup

A process that backs up only the files that have changed since the last full backup.

Data Replication Method

The technique used to copy and maintain data in multiple locations to ensure consistency, availability, fault tolerance, or performance across systems or networks

Business Continuity Planning (BCP)

The creation of a comprehensive framework to maintain or quickly resume critical business functions in the event of a crisis, such as a natural disaster, cyberattack, pandemic, or system failure.

Hot Site

An alternate business location where the target environment is already up and running and can be immediately activated by a failover.

Cold Site

An alternate business location where the contracted facility has no active equipment, requiring extensive setup before use.

Warm Site

An alternate business location where the target environment has some active equipment, requiring minimal setup before use.

Failover

The amount of time it takes to switch from production systems to backup systems.

Data Replication

The process of having data in multiple places that are continually synced to enhance access.

Data Mirroring

The process of copying data from one location to another in real time to ensure data redundancy and high availability.

Local Area Network (LAN)

A network that connects computers within a limited area, such as a home, school, or office building.

Wide Area Network (WAN)

A network that spans a large geographical area, connecting multiple local area networks (LANs) across cities, regions, or countries.

Star Network Topology

All devices connect to a central hub or switch.

Bus Network Topology

All devices share a single communication line (backbone).

Ring Network Topology

Devices form a circular chain; data travels in one or both directions.

Network Management Software

An application or set of applications that lets network engineers manage a network’s independent components.

Surface Web

The portion of the Internet that is indexed by standard search engines and accessible to the general public.

Deep Web

The part of the Internet that is not visible to users without a credential, meaning it requires a login, largest part of the internet.

Dark Web

A part of the Internet that is not indexed by traditional search engines and requires specific software, configurations, or authorization to access. It is often associated with illegal activities.

TOR (The Onion Router)

A technology that uses layered encryption to route Internet traffic through multiple volunteer-run servers (nodes), hiding the user’s identity, location, and activity, used to access the dark web.

Internet of Things (IoT)

A network of physical objects embedded with sensors, software, and other technologies to connect and exchange data with other devices and systems over the Internet.

Intrusion Detection and Prevention System (IDPS)

Hardware and/or software tools that detect and respond to suspicious activities on a network or system, combining both detection and prevention functionalities

Network Detection and Response (NDR)

Security solutions that use machine learning and behavioral analytics to detect and respond to threats on a network.

Black Hat Hacker

Malicous hacker

Gray Hat Hacker

Not malicous but not always ethcial

White Hat Hacker

Ethical Hacker

Green Hat Hacker

Unskilled Hacker, “Script Kiddies”

Blue Hat Hacker

Cybersecurity Consultant

Red Hat Hacker

Vigilante hacker

Red Hacker Team

Simulate attacks to test an orgs. security

Blue Hat Hacker

Day to day monitoring of orgs. cybersecurity

Purple Hacker Team

combination of simulating attacks and monitoring the day to day of orgs. cyberscurity

Ransomware as a Service (Raas)

A hacker business model in which cybercriminals lease ransomware tools and infrastructure to other attackers for a share of the ransom profits.

Software as a Service (SaaS)

A cloud computing service model that delivers software applications over the Internet on a subscription basis

Personally Identifiable Information (PII)

Information that, when used alone or with other relevant data, can identify an individual.

Protected Health Information (PHI)

Any information about health status, provision of healthcare, or payment for healthcare that can be linked to an individual.

Cardholder Data (CHD)

Any personally identifiable information associated with a credit card holder, such as the card number, expiration date, and service code.

Exploit

Code or techniques used to take advantage of a vulnerability to perform unauthorized actions.

Supply Chain Attack

A type of cyberattack where attackers target less-secure elements within an organization’s supply chain to compromise the larger network. These attacks can occur in both software and hardware supply chains.

Malware

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

Payload

The part of malicious software (malware) or exploit code that actually delivers the intended harmful action once the attack successfully compromises a system.

Botnet

A network of compromised computers that are remotely controlled by a hacker, often used for large-scale cyberattacks.

Exfiltrate

To steal and transfer data out of a system or network without authorization. It’s the digital equivalent of secretly smuggling information out of a secure facility.

Rootkit Trojan

A Trojan malware type that operates at a deep level within the system, often evading detection by standard security measures.

Remote Access Trojan (RAT)

A Trojan malware type that allows the attacker remote access to and control of the infected system.

Worm

Malicious software that replicates itself and spreads to other systems without user intervention.

Whaling

A type of phishing attack that targets high-level executives or other important individuals in an organization, often involving personalized and sophisticated tactics.

Vishing

refers to fraudulent phone calls or voice messages designed to trick victims into providing sensitive information or access.

Quishing

A type of phishing attack where cybercriminals use malicious QR codes to trick victims into visiting fraudulent websites, downloading malware, or revealing sensitive information.

Brute Force Attack

Attempts to gain unauthorized access to a system by systematically trying all possible combinations of letters, numbers, and symbols for passwords or encryption keys.

Dictionary Attack

A method of breaking a password or encryption by systematically entering every word in a predefined list of likely passwords.

Cross-Scripting (XSS)

A type of security vulnerability typically found in web applications, where attackers inject malicious scripts into content from otherwise trusted websites.

SQL Injection

A type of attack where malicious SQL code is inserted into a database query, allowing the attacker to gain unauthorized access to data.

Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS)

A cyberattack in which multiple compromised systems are used to flood a targeted system with traffic, overwhelming it and causing it to be unavailable.

Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs)

A long-term targeted cyberattack in which the attacker gains unauthorized access to a network and remains undetected for an extended period

Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) Attack

A cyberattack where an attacker secretly intercepts and relays communication between two parties who believe they are communicating directly with each other.

STRIDE Threat Model

A developer-focused model to identify and classify threats under six types of attacks—spoofing, tampering, repudiation, information disclosure, denial of service (DoS), and elevation of privilege.

Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs)

The methods and strategies that threat actors use to carry out cyberattacks.

Threat Intelligence

Evidence-based knowledge about past, current, and future threats, including information on threat actors and their motives.

Information Sharing Analysis Centers (ISACs)

Groups that share threat intelligence to protect critical infrastructure.

Information Sharing and Analysis Organizations (ISAOs)

Groups that voluntarily share threat intelligence within industries.

Threat

Any circumstance or event with the potential to cause harm to an information system.