Cybersecurity Terms

While people once thought of cybersecurity as a tool designed exclusively for big businesses, that's changed with the evolution of the internet. In today's world, everybody should know what cybersecurity is and how it plays a role in their life, including understanding basic cybersecurity terms.

We know the world of cybersecurity can be a little confusing if you're new, but don't let terms like SOC 2 or ISO 27001 throw you off. When it comes to cyber terms numbers are an important thing to know. SOC 2 and ISO 27001 are simply two of the security standards an organization might adhere to.

There's also some hacker lingo you might have heard in recent years, whether it's someone talking about a DDoS attack or ransomware. These terms can be confusing if you're used to the old days when everything was simply labeled a virus. Luckily, there are only a few hacker slang terms you need to know about as an individual or a small business owner.

Understanding all the cybersecurity terms can be tough, so we'll take you through some of them in this quick guide.‍

Cybersecurity Keywords List

Even if you don't know a whole lot about computers and the internet, chances are you've heard a lot of cybersecurity vocabulary words. While some of these terms and acronyms may seem intimidating at first, they're easy to understand with a little help.

Here's a cybersecurity keywords list to help you out if you're just getting started with cybersecurity:

  • Cyber attack: A cyber attack is any attack carried out by an individual or organization against the computer and information systems of another individual or organization. Common examples of cyber attacks include computer viruses and email spoofing.
  • Malware: Malware is any type of software that's designed to have a malicious intent on the user, whether that malware steals information, blocks access to certain websites and services, or causes computer problems.
  • Risk: Risk is the potential for damage in the event of a cyber attack. If somebody gets a hold of private data from your company, what's the worst that can happen? Questions like these are an important part of a cyber risk assessment.
  • Vulnerability: Vulnerabilities are potential weaknesses in your company's cybersecurity, which could be a superuser or admin account, third-party software, and more.
  • Threats: Threats are the potential attacks that could affect your company, whether you're talking about malware, DDoS attacks, or ransomware attacks.
  • Ransomware: Ransomware is a type of attack where information or services are held for ransom by the attackers. Once the victim of the attack has paid the ransom, they can continue using their computer or gain access to their accounts again.
  • Email Spoofing or Phishing: Spoofing, commonly referred to as phishing, refers to the practice of masking your email with a fake email address. Using spoofing, an attacker can send a malicious message via email that looks like it came from a legitimate email address.
  • DDoS: A direct denial of service attack is an attack designed to interfere with web traffic. DDoS attacks are commonly used to take down servers that host certain content, including multiplayer video games.
  • Cyber insurance: Cyber insurance protects a company that's been a victim of a cyber attack from the liability that can come with these attacks.
  • NIST: The National Institute of Standards and Technology is a company that helps set standards to protect consumers and keep industries competitive.

This cyber words list doesn't cover everything, but you can find out more by checking out the NIST glossary.

A To Z of Cybersecurity

You might not be a cybersecurity expert, but learning cybersecurity vocabulary words can help you be a better, more secure business owner. Even reading a simple security terminology PDF can help you go into your next meeting more prepared, or it can encourage you to take action and bolster cybersecurity.

No matter what you know about cybersecurity or how it affects your company, working with the right people is important. Cybersecurity for small businesses is different than it is for enterprise companies, so keep that in mind.

Cybersecurity Buzzwords 2021

You've probably heard a lot of cybersecurity buzzwords in 2021, and there were plenty of cybersecurity buzzwords in 2020 as well. From ransomware attacks to whitelists and blacklists, there are dozens of terms that seem to make the rounds every year. While you don't have to spend countless hours researching and staying up to date with everything, knowing some cyber related words and cybersecurity phrases can do a lot to make your life easier.

So, is cybersecurity hard? It might seem like it, particularly for small businesses. For business owners, cybersecurity is about evaluating risks, then figuring out what to do to mitigate those risks. Any residual risk that you may face as a business owner can be transferred to a cyber insurance company, which is what we can help you with at Trava.