Cybersecurity Terms You Need to Know

In today’s connected world, everyone benefits from cybersecurity. 

With all the new, innovative technologies and attacks being developed, the cybersecurity field continues to be one of the most difficult to keep up with. And while you may have a very basic understanding of the field, it’s important you know that cybersecurity is more than just the protection and defense of systems, networks, and programs from digital attacks. 

Even on a personal level, keeping your technology protected from outside threats and potential hackers is crucial. At home, you should monitor your family’s use of devices and what websites they visit and teach them the dangers of browsing unsecured pages. Securing your network and putting passwords on your devices is also a good practice. On top of this, knowing what certain terms mean can help ensure you’re never in the dark about things that could be the difference between staying protected and being vulnerable. 

Popular Cybersecurity Terms to Know

To help you get a more comprehensive understanding of the cybersecurity field, we have defined 15 of the most fundamental technology terms. Learning what these words mean can help you protect your own devices and ensure all your personal information stays out of the hands of malicious hackers.

1. User Authentication – is often used to identify and validate the identity of anyone who connects to a network resource.
2. Encryption – is the process of encoding data, by converting the original representation of the information, known as plain text, into an alternative form known as cipher text.
3. Antivirus – helps protect your computer against malware and cyber criminals by seeking out and removing computer viruses that have infected your computer.
4. Phishing – is the fraudulent use of electronic communications to take advantage of users and collect personal information.
5. Multi-Factor Authentication –  is a layered security system that requires more than one means of authentication (i.e. fingerprint and password) to grant access to an account or device.
6. DoS / DDoS (Denial of Service) – is a cyber-attack in which the bad actor makes a device or network resource unavailable by flooding the services of a host connected to the Internet.
7. Ethical Hacking – is an authorized, legal practice of bypassing system security to locate potential data breaches and threats in a network.
8. Malware – is any type of software designed to harm or exploit any programmable device, service or network. Examples include computer viruses, worms, and Trojan horses.
9. Firewall – is a network security system that tracks all incoming and outgoing network traffic based on security rules set up by an administrator.
10. Ransomware – is a form of malware that locks the user out of their devices or accounts, then demands payment to restore access
11. Cyber Attack – is any unauthorized attempt to access, alter, steal or block system or user information. 
12. Cloud – is a storage system that allows the access of data and programs over the Internet instead of your computer’s hard drive.
13. Network – is a digital telecommunications network for communication between devices that use a common telecommunications technology
14. IoT – (Internet of Things) is a system of interrelated computing devices, mechanical and digital machines or objects used and managed over a network. 
15. Penetration Test – is an authorized simulated cyber attack on a computer system, performed to locate network vulnerabilities.

To attain the skills and knowledge you need to enter the cybersecurity workforce, you can enroll in the University of Miami Cybersecurity Bootcamp. This program will provide the training you need and can help you get the training and skills you need to enter the workforce and take many of the industry’s leading certification exams in as little as a year.