Cyber Lexicon

Breaking down cyber terms for a safer, shared digital experience.

D

DDoS Attacks

Distributed Denial-of-Service attacks (DDoS) are a potent weapon in a hacker’s arsenal designed to disrupt normal business activity by flooding systems with unnecessary traffic, overwhelming servers and websites.

DORA

The Digital Operational Resilience Act is legislation introduced by the European Union whose purpose is to improve the cyber defenses of the financial sector. DORA sets clear operational standards to help businesses reduce digital disruptions and better protect themselves from cyberthreats.

Doxxing

Doxxing is a malicious online scheme that involves exposing private information about individuals or organizations in the digital arena, setting the stage for security breaches and relentless harassment.

M

Malware

Malware is a blanket term for any type of malicious software designed by cybercriminals to infiltrate a system. From viruses and worms to ransomware and trojans, malware can take many forms and have very diverse consequences on your devices.

Man-in-the-Middle Attack

In man-in-the-middle (MitM) attacks, a malicious actor intercepts communication between two parties without their knowledge or consent, which allows the attacker to eavesdrop on the conversation, altering or stealing information exchanged between the two parties.

MFA Fatigue Attack

An MFA fatigue attack is a tactic where attackers flood a user with repeated multi-factor authentication requests, exploiting the user’s decreasing alertness due to exhaustion. This vulnerability is then used to breach an account or system.

Multi-Factor Authentication

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is a security method in which users have to provide two or more forms of verification to access a system or account. It can rely on three different types of identifiers: something the user knows, something the user has, and something the user is.

P

Phishing

Phishing is a type of cybercrime in which attackers use different channels – often fraudulent emails – to deceive individuals into revealing sensitive information.

Phishing Simulation

Phishing simulations are simulated phishing attacks that educate employees on recognizing and defending against email-based threats. They help improve employee awareness, identify vulnerabilities, and cultivate a resilient cyber security culture.

Pretexting

Pretexting is a social engineering technique where an attacker fabricates a scenario and assumes a false identity to manipulate individuals into divulging confidential information or performing actions that compromise security.

S

Shadow IT

Shadow IT represents the hidden side of cyber security where employees use software, hardware, or cloud services behind the scenes, without IT’s approval, inadvertently paving the way for cybercriminals.

Smishing

Smishing is a form of phishing where cybercriminals use text messages to lure recipients into disclosing sensitive information or downloading malware to their devices.

Social Engineering

Cybercriminals use social engineering techniques to manipulate their victims into disclosing sensitive information.

Spoofing

Spoofing is a deceptive practice where hackers mask their identity to emulate a trusted source as part of a fraudulent scheme. It can play out across different channels, from GPS and text messages to email, and relies on three pivotal elements: the appearance of a familiar user, the imitation of a trusted device, and the simulation of a safe location.

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