Subject area

Cybersecurity

How systems are attacked, and the words we use for defending them.

31 concepts in this area

A

Authenticator App An authenticator app is a free app on your phone that produces the six-digit code a website asks for after your password, so a stolen password is not enough. Read the definition

B

Backup A backup is a second copy of your files, kept somewhere safe from whatever destroys the first copy, so you can get your work back. Read the definition

C

Cyber Insurance Cyber insurance is a policy that pays for the clean-up after an attack, as long as you kept the security promises you made on the application form. Read the definition

D

Data Breach A data breach is the moment private customer information leaves your control, whether a thief took it or someone simply sent it to the wrong address. Read the definition Disaster Recovery Plan DRP A disaster recovery plan is a short written document that says exactly what your business does, and who does it, on the morning the systems stop working. Read the definition

E

Encryption Encryption is a way of scrambling your information into nonsense, so that only the person holding the right key can read it again. Read the definition End-of-Life Software EOL End-of-life software is a program its maker has stopped repairing, so any weakness someone finds in it from that day on stays open forever. Read the definition Ethical Hacking Ethical hacking is an attack on your own system that you asked for and paid for, so a trusted expert finds the holes before a criminal does. Read the definition

G

GDPR GDPR GDPR is the European law that sets out how a business may collect, keep and use the personal information of the people it serves. Read the definition

H

HTTPS HTTPS is the protected version of a web address, and it scrambles everything sent between a visitor's browser and your site so nobody in between can read it. Read the definition

I

Invoice Fraud Invoice fraud is a fake or altered supplier bill that gets you to pay a real amount into a bank account the criminal controls. Read the definition

J

Jailbroken Device A jailbroken device is a phone whose built-in protections have been removed on purpose, which lets one app read what another app keeps private. Read the definition

K

Keylogger A keylogger is a hidden program that records every key someone types on a computer, including the password to the company bank account. Read the definition

L

Least Privilege Least privilege means each person can open only the screens their own job needs, so a stolen account cannot reach the rest of the business. Read the definition

M

Malware Malware is any program written to damage your computer or to work quietly for someone else while you carry on using it. Read the definition

O

Offboarding Offboarding is the security work a business does when someone leaves, closing every login and shared password they had so nothing stays open behind them. Read the definition OWASP Top 10 The OWASP Top 10 is a free list of the ten mistakes that most often let a stranger into a website or a web application. Read the definition

P

Password Manager A password manager is a small program that remembers every password for you and keeps them locked away, leaving you just one to memorise. Read the definition Patch Management Patch management is the habit of updating every program and device you use on a set plan instead of whenever someone remembers. Read the definition PCI Compliance PCI DSS PCI compliance is the set of safety rules that the card companies make every business follow before it is allowed to take card payments. Read the definition Phishing Phishing is a message built to look like it came from someone you trust, so that you hand over a password, a code or a payment. Read the definition

Q

QR Code Phishing (Quishing) QR code phishing, also called quishing, is a scam where a fake code is stuck over a real one so your phone opens a fake payment page. Read the definition

R

Ransomware Ransomware is a program that locks every file on a company's computers and then demands a payment before it will hand them back. Read the definition

S

Security Awareness Training Security awareness training is the short, regular practice that teaches your staff to spot a fake email or phone call before they act on it. Read the definition SIM Swap Fraud SIM swap fraud is a scam in which a criminal moves your phone number onto their own SIM card, so your calls and security codes reach them instead. Read the definition Social Engineering Social engineering is an attack on the person rather than the computer, where someone uses fear or hurry to talk you into handing over a code or a payment. Read the definition

T

Third-Party Risk Third-party risk is the chance that your data leaks through a supplier, a freelancer or a plugin you trusted, rather than through your own team. Read the definition Two-Factor Authentication 2FA Two-factor authentication is a sign-in that asks for your password and then for something you are holding, so a stolen password alone is not enough to get in. Read the definition

U

User Access Review A user access review is a regular check of who can still log into your systems, including the accounts nobody remembers creating. Read the definition

W

Web Application Firewall WAF A web application firewall is a filter that reads every request arriving at your website and blocks the ones that look like a known attack. Read the definition

Z

Zero Trust Zero trust is a way of working where nobody is trusted just for sitting inside the office, and every single login is checked again. Read the definition

Other subject areas

Web Development The terms that come up when we build or rebuild a website or a web application. 4 Hosting & Infrastructure Where software actually runs, and what the numbers in a hosting contract mean. 2 SEO & Marketing The vocabulary of being found — search, content and measurement. 30 Programming Languages The languages software is written in, and what each one is genuinely good at. 12 Frameworks & Platforms The toolkits built on top of a language so teams do not rewrite the same foundations every time. 6 Databases & Data Where your records actually live, and why the choice changes what the system can do. 4 Cloud & Operations How software gets shipped, run and kept alive after it is written. 5 AI & Automation What the machines are actually doing when a product says it uses AI. 4 Design & User Experience How a screen is laid out, and why some sites feel easy while others feel confusing. 0 Mobile Apps The words you meet when you build an app for a phone and put it in a store. 28 Digital Marketing Paid ads, email, offers and the numbers that tell you whether any of it worked. 29 Social Media Posts, followers, reach and the everyday words of running an account well. 0 E-commerce Systems Selling online: the cart, the checkout, the stock and everything after the order. 29 Shops & Point of Sale The counter, the barcode, the till and the stock room of a real shop. 1 Maintenance Centres Repair jobs, spare parts, warranty and getting a device back to its owner. 0 School & University Systems Students, classes, attendance, marks and fees — the software a school runs on. 0 Hospital Management Beds, admissions, departments and the file that follows a patient through a hospital. 0 Clinic Management Appointments, visits, prescriptions and payments in a small medical practice. 0 Medical Laboratories Samples, tests, reference ranges and how a result reaches the person who ordered it. 0 Radiology Centres Scans, images, reports and the systems that store and share them safely. 0 Property & Rentals Units, tenants, contracts and rent — the paperwork of property, done in software. 0 Property Developers Projects, phases, instalment plans and selling a unit that is not built yet. 0 Salons & Spas Bookings, chairs, staff commission and keeping regulars coming back. 0 Gyms & Fitness Memberships, check-ins, classes and trainers — how a gym keeps track of everyone. 0 Web Applications Software that runs in a browser and does real work — dashboards, portals and systems staff use all day. 23 Custom Software Building a system around how a business actually works, instead of changing the business to fit a product. 0 Integrations & APIs Making two systems talk to each other, so the same number does not get typed twice. 0 Payments & Billing Taking money online, sending invoices and knowing exactly who has paid and who has not. 0 ERP & Accounting One set of books behind every department, so the numbers agree at the end of the month. 0 Software Projects How a software project is scoped, priced, built and handed over — and where they usually go wrong. 0 CRM & Customer Support Keeping track of who your customers are, what they asked for, and what you promised them. 0