In this blog you will get information about the Essential Terms in Cybersecurity used in cybersecurity for Beginners and Professionals.
Disclaimer: - This post is for educational purposes only.
Essential Terms in Cybersecurity
General Cybersecurity Terms
Vulnerability
In cybersecurity, a vulnerability refers to a weakness in a system, software, hardware, network, or process that, if exploited by an attacker, can compromise its security. Consequently, it can lead to unauthorized access, data breaches, service disruptions, or other forms of malicious activities.
Phishing
It is the attempt to obtain sensitive information such as usernames, passwords, etc. By a fake website or link.
Zero day
This describes a threat or vulnerability that is unknown to developers and has not been addressed. It is considered a serious problem in many cases
Spam
Unwanted email and other electronic messages that attempt to convince the receiver to either purchase a product or service, or use that prospect to defraud the recipient.
Rootkit
A rootkit is a set of software programs used to gain unauthorized access to a computer system.
Rootkits hide their presence and the activities of other malicious programs, making them particularly dangerous and difficult to detect or remove.
zombie
A zombie refers to a computer or device that has been compromised by a hacker, malware, or virus and is being controlled remotely without the owner’s knowledge.
Botnet
A botnet is a group of computers controlled without their owner’s knowledge and used to send spam and make denial of service attacks
Exploit
An exploit is a specific technique, code, or tool that takes advantage of a vulnerability or weakness in a system, application, or network to gain unauthorized access or cause unintended behavior.
Script Kiddies
An unskilled individuals who use pre-made hacking tools or scripts, created by others, to exploit vulnerabilities without understanding the working mechanisms of the script.
Phreaker
A hacker who identifies and exploits weaknesses in telephones instead of computers.
Hacker
A hacker is a person who breaks in to a system or network without authorization to destroy, steal sensitive data, or perform malicious attacks.
Attack Types
Ransomware
Malware that encrypts data and demands payment for decryption.
DoS (Denial of Service)
A DoS attack is a malicious attempt to disrupt a system’s services by overwhelming it with excessive traffic or exploiting vulnerabilities, making it unavailable to users.
DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service)
This is a type of DoS attack in which more that one computer system is used to perform attack.
Man-in-the-Middle (MITM)
MITM occurs when an attacker intercepts and alters communication between two parties, gaining unauthorized access to sensitive data or manipulating information.
Security Measures and Tools
Firewall
A firewall is a network security device or software. It monitors and controls incoming and outgoing traffic according to the predefined set of rules, blocking unauthorized access while permitting legitimate communication.
Encryption
The art of hiding digital data from human-readable form to human-unreadable form is called encryption.
It uses algorithms and keys to convert data into ciphertext.
Note: – Encryption is reversible.
Hashing
It is the process of converting data of any size into a fixed-size string of characters using a mathematical function. The mathematical functions used in hashing are known as hash function or hashing algorithm.
Note: – Hashing is irreversible.
Hashing Algorithm
It is a mathematical function that converts input data into a fixed-size string (hash), ensuring data integrity, uniqueness, and irreversibility for security purposes.
MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication)
It is a security process that requires users to provide two or more verification factors for ex: – 2FA code or approve popup notification to access systems.
MFA adds additional layer of security and also protects unauthorized access of accounts in case of data breach.
IDS (Intrusion Detection System)
IDS (Intrusion Detection System) is a security technology that monitors network or system activities for suspicious behavior or known threats, alerting administrators to potential security breaches.
Note: – IDS can only identify suspicious activities and can not block the suspicious alert.
IPS(Intrusion Prevention System)
IPD (Intrusion Prevention Device) is a security system that actively monitors and prevents network or system intrusions by detecting and blocking potential malicious activities in real-time.
Note: – IPS can identify suspicious activities and can also block them.
SIEM (Security Information and Event Management)
SIEM is a security solution that collects, analyzes, and correlates real-time data from various sources to detect and respond to security threats.
Note: – SIEM tool stores logs in a centralized server.
Networking and Protocols
VPN (Virtual Private Network)
A VPN (Virtual Private Network) is a secure, encrypted connection that extends a private network across a public network, such as the internet.
VPN is good for protecting the data from hackers as it provides a secure tunnel for data transfer and maintaining anonymity.
Note: – VPN can help protect against MITM (Man-in-the-Middle) attacks to some extent.
HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure)
HTTPS is a secure version of HTTP, using SSL/TLS encryption to protect data integrity, confidentiality, and authentication between users and websites. HTTPS uses port 443 for communication.
Note: – HTTPS = HTTP + SSL/TLS.
SSL/TLS (Secure Sockets Layer/Transport Layer Security)
SSL stands for Secure Socket Layer. It is a cryptographic protocol designed to provide secure communication over a computer network. It encrypts the data transfer between a web server and a client (such as a web browser).
TLS stands for Transport Layer Security and is a cryptographic protocol designed to secure communication over a network. Moreover, TLS is the updated version of SSL, offering enhanced security compared to its predecessor.
Note: – TLS is more secure than SSL.
DNS (Domain Name System)
DNS stands for Domain Name System, and it functions much like an internet phonebook. Specifically, it translates human-readable domain names into machine-readable IP addresses. As a result, it helps users access websites using easy-to-remember names instead of complex numeric addresses.
DNSSEC (Domain Name System Security Extensions)
DNSSEC adds security to DNS by using cryptographic signatures to verify data integrity and authenticity.
Note: – DNSSEC is a secure version of DNS.
Essential Terms in Cybersecurity
Trojan
A trojan is a type of malicious software which behaves as legitimate software, used to gain unauthorized access to systems or harm the system.
Trojan can be an entry point for other malware.
Note: – Trojan is no Self-Replication an it can serve as a backdoor.
Worm
A worm is a self-replicating malware that spreads independently across networks, often causing damage or exploiting vulnerabilities without user interaction.
Note: – Worm don’t need to attach themselves to a legitimate program and is self-replicating.
Adware
Adware is software designed to display advertisements on a user’s device, often without consent, and may collect data to deliver targeted ads or generate revenue.
Note: – The motive of an adware is to generate revenue.
Spyware
Spyware is a malicious software designed to track users activity and perform monitoring without consent.
Note: – Primary objective of an spyware is to perform monitoring and stealthy data collection.
Rootkit
A rootkit is a type of malicious software designed to gain unauthorized access to a computer system and hide its presence.
Note: – Rootkits hide their presence, can elevate privileges and remain undetected over long periods.
Authentication and Authorization
Access Control
It is a security practice that allow who can view or use resources in a computing environment.
Note: – Access control is important for protecting sensitive data, ensuring only authorized users gain access.
Zero Trust
It is a security model that assumes no one, inside or outside, should be trusted by default, requiring continuous verification.
Note: – Zero Trust reduces potential attack surfaces by verifying everything and granting the least privileged access.
Privilege Escalation
It is the process of gaining unauthorized access to higher levels within a system or network, often by exploiting vulnerabilities.
Note: – Privilege escalation once done attackers may have unrestricted control over the system.
Threat Intelligence and Management
Cyber Attack Surface
It refers to the total sum of all potential entry points or vulnerabilities in a system, network, or application that an attacker could exploit to gain unauthorized access.
Note: – A larger cyber attack surface increases the risk of security breaches.
SOC (Security Operations Center)
SOC is a centralized unit that monitors, detects, responds to, and mitigates cybersecurity threats in real-time.
Note: – SOC is crucial for real-time threat detection and maintaining overall security posture for organizations.
Threat Hunting
Threat hunting is the prepared process of searching for hidden cyber threats or vulnerabilities within a network before they cause damage.
Note: – Threat hunting is important because it increases awareness and improves security posture.
Penetration Testing
It is a simulated cyberattack on systems to identify vulnerabilities and weaknesses, helping organizations to identify vulnerabilities in advanced.
Note: – Penetration testing helps reduce the attack surface by identifying and addressing vulnerabilities in systems.
Red Team
Blue Team
Note: – Blue Team actively monitoring, detecting, and blocking cyber threats.
Key Cybersecurity Frameworks
OWASP (Open Web Application Security Project)
OWASP is a non-profit organization focused on improving software security through resources, tools, and best practices, including the renowned OWASP Top Ten.
NIST Cybersecurity Framework
It provides guidelines to manage cybersecurity risks by focusing on five key functions: Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, and Recover. Furthermore, these functions work together to enhance resilience against cyber threats.
Essential terms in cybersecurity are crucial for beginners, intermediate learners, and working professionals. Moreover, everyone should be familiar with the terms mentioned in the blog, as they provide a solid foundation for understanding and navigating the cybersecurity landscape.
Essential Terms in Cybersecurity questions: –
Q1. What is cybersecurity?
Ans. Cybersecurity involves protecting computer systems, networks, and data from unauthorized access.
Q2. What are the Pentesting processes?
Ans. The Pentesting processes are: –
- Information Gathering
- Scanning
- Vulnerability Assessment
- Exploitation
- Reporting
Q3. What is Pentesting framework?
Ans. Pentesting frameworks help to follow a structured approach to find threats in various aspects of your organization.
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