The cybersecurity world is filled with technical lingo and jargon. At TechCrunch, now we have been writing about cybersecurity for years, and even we typically want a refresher on what precisely a selected phrase or expression means. That’s why now we have created this glossary, which incorporates a number of the commonest — and never so frequent — phrases and expressions that we use in our articles, and explanations of how, and why, we use them.
This can be a growing compendium, and we are going to replace it commonly.
Superior persistent menace (APT)
A complicated persistent menace (APT) is usually categorized as a hacker, or group of hackers, which positive factors and maintains unauthorized entry to a focused system. The principle purpose of an APT intruder is to stay undetected for lengthy durations of time, usually to conduct espionage and surveillance, to steal knowledge, or sabotage vital programs.
APTs are historically well-resourced hackers, together with the funding to pay for his or her malicious campaigns, and entry to hacking instruments sometimes reserved by governments. As such, most of the long-running APT teams are related to nation states, like China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia. Lately, we’ve seen examples of non-nation state cybercriminal teams which can be financially motivated (similar to theft and cash laundering) finishing up cyberattacks related when it comes to persistence and capabilities as some conventional government-backed APT teams.
(See: Hacker)
The flexibility to run instructions or malicious code on an affected system, usually due to a safety vulnerability within the system’s software program. Arbitrary code execution will be achieved both remotely or with bodily entry to an affected system (similar to somebody’s machine). Within the circumstances the place arbitrary code execution will be achieved over the web, safety researchers sometimes name this distant code execution.
Usually, code execution is used as a solution to plant a again door for sustaining long-term and chronic entry to that system, or for operating malware that can be utilized to entry deeper elements of the system or different units on the identical community.
(See additionally: Distant code execution)
Botnets are networks of hijacked internet-connected units, similar to webcams and residential routers, which were compromised by malware (or typically weak or default passwords) for the needs of being utilized in cyberattacks. Botnets will be made up of lots of or hundreds of units and are sometimes managed by a command-and-control server that sends out instructions to ensnared units. Botnets can be utilized for a spread of malicious causes, like utilizing the distributed community of units to masks and protect the web site visitors of cybercriminals, ship malware, or harness their collective bandwidth to maliciously crash web sites and on-line companies with big quantities of junk web site visitors.
(See additionally: Command-and-control server; Distributed denial-of-service)
A bug is basically the reason for a software program glitch, similar to an error or an issue that causes the software program to crash or behave in an surprising manner. In some circumstances, a bug will also be a safety vulnerability.
The time period “bug” originated in 1947, at a time when early computer systems have been the dimensions of rooms and made up of heavy mechanical and transferring tools. The primary identified incident of a bug present in a pc was when a moth disrupted the electronics of one in all these room-sized computer systems.
(See additionally: Vulnerability)
Command-and-control servers (also called C2 servers) are utilized by cybercriminals to remotely handle and management their fleets of compromised units and launch cyberattacks, similar to delivering malware over the web and launching distributed denial-of-service assaults.
(See additionally: Botnet; Distributed denial-of-service)
Cryptojacking is when a tool’s computational energy is used, with or with out the proprietor’s permission, to generate cryptocurrency. Builders typically bundle code in apps and on web sites, which then makes use of the machine’s processors to finish complicated mathematical calculations wanted to create new cryptocurrency. The generated cryptocurrency is then deposited in digital wallets owned by the developer.
Some malicious hackers use malware to intentionally compromise giant numbers of unwitting computer systems to generate cryptocurrency on a big and distributed scale.
After we discuss knowledge breaches, we finally imply the improper elimination of information from the place it ought to have been. However the circumstances matter and might alter the terminology we use to explain a specific incident.
An information breach is when protected knowledge was confirmed to have improperly left a system from the place it was initially saved and often confirmed when somebody discovers the compromised knowledge. Most of the time, we’re referring to the exfiltration of information by a malicious cyberattacker or in any other case detected on account of an inadvertent publicity. Relying on what is understood concerning the incident, we might describe it in additional particular phrases the place particulars are identified.
(See additionally: Information publicity; Information leak)
An information publicity (a kind of information breach) is when protected knowledge is saved on a system that has no entry controls, similar to due to human error or a misconfiguration. This would possibly embrace circumstances the place a system or database is linked to the web however and not using a password. Simply because knowledge was uncovered doesn’t imply the information was actively found, however nonetheless might nonetheless be thought-about an information breach.
An information leak (a kind of information breach) is the place protected knowledge is saved on a system in a manner that it was allowed to flee, similar to on account of a beforehand unknown vulnerability within the system or by means of insider entry (similar to an worker). An information leak can imply that knowledge might have been exfiltrated or in any other case collected, however there might not at all times be the technical means, similar to logs, to know for positive.
A distributed denial-of-service, or DDoS, is a type of cyberattack that includes flooding targets on the web with junk net site visitors in an effort to overload and crash the servers and trigger the service, similar to a web site, on-line retailer, or gaming platform to go down.
DDoS assaults are launched by botnets, that are made up of networks of hacked internet-connected units (similar to house routers and webcams) that may be remotely managed by a malicious operator, often from a command-and-control server. Botnets will be made up of lots of or hundreds of hijacked units.
Whereas a DDoS is a type of cyberattack, these data-flooding assaults usually are not “hacks” in themselves, as they don’t contain the breach and exfiltration of information from their targets, however as a substitute trigger a “denial of service” occasion to the affected service.
(See additionally: Botnet; Command-and-control server)
Encryption is the way in which and means through which data, similar to recordsdata, paperwork, and personal messages, are scrambled to make the information unreadable to anybody apart from to its supposed proprietor or recipient. Encrypted knowledge is often scrambled utilizing an encryption algorithm — primarily a set of mathematical formulation that determines how the information ought to be encrypted — together with a personal key, similar to a password, which can be utilized to unscramble (or “decrypt”) the protected knowledge.
Almost all trendy encryption algorithms in use at the moment are open supply, permitting anybody (together with safety professionals and cryptographers) to assessment and examine the algorithm to verify it’s freed from faults or flaws. Some encryption algorithms are stronger than others, which means knowledge protected by some weaker algorithms will be decrypted by harnessing giant quantities of computational energy.
Encryption is completely different from encoding, which merely converts knowledge into a distinct and standardized format, often for the good thing about permitting computer systems to learn the information.
Finish-to-end encryption (or E2EE) is a safety characteristic constructed into many messaging and file-sharing apps, and is extensively thought-about one of many strongest methods of securing digital communications as they traverse the web.
E2EE scrambles the file or message on the sender’s machine earlier than it’s despatched in a manner that enables solely the supposed recipient to decrypt its contents, making it near-impossible for anybody — together with a malicious hacker, and even the app maker — to snoop inside on somebody’s personal communications. Lately, E2EE has develop into the default safety normal for a lot of messaging apps, together with Apple’s iMessage, Fb Messenger, Sign, and WhatsApp.
E2EE has additionally develop into the topic of governmental frustration lately, as encryption makes it inconceivable for tech corporations or app suppliers to provide over data that they themselves wouldn’t have entry to.
Most trendy programs are protected with a number of layers of safety, together with the flexibility to set person accounts with extra restricted entry to the underlying system’s configurations and settings. This prevents these customers — or anybody with improper entry to one in all these person accounts — from tampering with the core underlying system. Nevertheless, an “escalation of privileges” occasion can contain exploiting a bug or tricking the system into granting the person extra entry rights than they need to have.
Malware may also benefit from bugs or flaws attributable to escalation of privileges by gaining deeper entry to a tool or a linked community, probably permitting the malware to unfold.
An exploit is the way in which and means through which a vulnerability is abused or taken benefit of, often in an effort to break right into a system.
(See additionally: Bug; Vulnerability)
Extortion
Typically phrases, extortion is the act of acquiring one thing, often cash, by way of using drive and intimidation. Cyber extortion is not any completely different, because it sometimes refers to a class of cybercrime whereby attackers demand fee from victims by threatening to break, disrupt, or expose their delicate data.
Extortion is usually utilized in ransomware assaults, the place hackers sometimes exfiltrate firm knowledge earlier than demanding a ransom fee from the hacked sufferer. However extortion has shortly develop into its personal class of cybercrime, with many, usually youthful, financially motivated hackers, opting to hold out extortion-only assaults, which snub using encryption in favor of straightforward knowledge theft.
(Additionally see: Ransomware)
There isn’t any one single definition of “hacker.” The time period has its personal wealthy historical past, tradition, and which means throughout the safety neighborhood. Some incorrectly conflate hackers, or hacking, with wrongdoing.
By our definition and use, we broadly consult with a “hacker” as somebody who’s a “breaker of issues,” often by altering how one thing works to make it carry out in another way in an effort to meet their goals. In apply, that may be one thing so simple as repairing a machine with non-official elements to make it perform in another way as supposed, or work even higher.
Within the cybersecurity sense, a hacker is often somebody who breaks a system or breaks the safety of a system. That might be something from an internet-connected laptop system to a easy door lock. However the individual’s intentions and motivations (if identified) matter in our reporting, and guides how we precisely describe the individual, or their exercise.
There are moral and authorized variations between a hacker who works as a safety researcher, who’s professionally tasked with breaking into an organization’s programs with their permission to establish safety weaknesses that may be mounted earlier than a malicious particular person has an opportunity to take advantage of them; and a malicious hacker who positive factors unauthorized entry to a system and steals knowledge with out acquiring anybody’s permission.
As a result of the time period “hacker” is inherently impartial, we usually apply descriptors in our reporting to supply context about who we’re speaking about. If we all know that a person works for a authorities and is contracted to maliciously steal knowledge from a rival authorities, we’re prone to describe them as a nation-state or authorities hacker (or, if applicable, an superior persistent menace), for instance. If a gang is understood to make use of malware to steal funds from people’ financial institution accounts, we might describe them as financially motivated hackers, or if there may be proof of criminality or illegality (similar to an indictment), we might describe them merely as cybercriminals.
And, if we don’t know motivations or intentions, or an individual describes themselves as such, we might merely consult with a topic neutrally as a “hacker,” the place applicable.
(Additionally see: Superior persistent menace; Unauthorized)
Brief for “data safety,” another time period used to explain defensive cybersecurity targeted on the safety of information and data. “Infosec” could also be the popular time period for business veterans, whereas the time period “cybersecurity” has develop into extensively accepted. In trendy instances, the 2 phrases have develop into largely interchangeable.
Infostealers
Infostealers are malware able to stealing data from an individual’s laptop or machine. Infostealers are sometimes bundled in pirated software program, like Redline, which when put in will primarily hunt down passwords and different credentials saved within the individual’s browser or password supervisor, then surreptitiously add the sufferer’s passwords to the attacker’s programs. This lets the attacker register utilizing these stolen passwords. Some infostealers are additionally able to stealing session tokens from a person’s browser, which permit the attacker to register to an individual’s on-line account as in the event that they have been that person however while not having their password or multifactor authentication code.
(See additionally: Malware)
Jailbreaking is utilized in a number of contexts to imply using exploits and different hacking strategies to bypass the safety of a tool, or eradicating the restrictions a producer places on {hardware} or software program. Within the context of iPhones, for instance, a jailbreak is a method to take away Apple’s restrictions on putting in apps exterior of its “walled backyard” or to achieve the flexibility to conduct safety analysis on Apple units, which is generally extremely restricted. Within the context of AI, jailbreaking means determining a solution to get a chatbot to give out data that it’s not purported to.
Malware is a broad umbrella time period that describes malicious software program. Malware can land in lots of kinds and be used to take advantage of programs in several methods. As such, malware that’s used for particular functions can usually be known as its personal subcategory. For instance, the kind of malware used for conducting surveillance on individuals’s units can also be referred to as “spyware and adware,” whereas malware that encrypts recordsdata and calls for cash from its victims known as “ransomware.”
(See additionally: Infostealers; Ransomware; Spy ware)
Metadata is data about one thing digital, fairly than its contents. That may embrace particulars concerning the measurement of a file or doc, who created it, and when, or within the case of digital images, the place the picture was taken and details about the machine that took the picture. Metadata might not establish the contents of a file, however it may be helpful in figuring out the place a doc got here from or who authored it. Metadata may also consult with details about an change, similar to who made a name or despatched a textual content message, however not the contents of the decision or the message.
Ransomware is a kind of malicious software program (or malware) that forestalls machine house owners from accessing its knowledge, sometimes by encrypting the individual’s recordsdata. Ransomware is often deployed by cybercriminal gangs who demand a ransom fee — often cryptocurrency — in return for offering the personal key to decrypt the individual’s knowledge.
In some circumstances, ransomware gangs will steal the sufferer’s knowledge earlier than encrypting it, permitting the criminals to extort the sufferer additional by threatening to publish the recordsdata on-line. Paying a ransomware gang is not any assure that the sufferer will get their stolen knowledge again, or that the gang will delete the stolen knowledge.
One of many first-ever ransomware assaults was documented in 1989, through which malware was distributed through floppy disk (an early type of detachable storage) to attendees of the World Well being Group’s AIDS convention. Since then, ransomware has developed into a multi-billion greenback felony business as attackers refine their ways and hone in on big-name company victims.
(See additionally: Malware; Sanctions)
Distant code execution refers back to the capability to run instructions or malicious code (similar to malware) on a system from over a community, usually the web, with out requiring any human interplay from the goal. Distant code execution assaults can vary in complexity however will be extremely damaging when vulnerabilities are exploited.
(See additionally: Arbitrary code execution)
Sanctions
Cybersecurity-related sanctions work equally to conventional sanctions in that they make it unlawful for companies or people to transact with a sanctioned entity. Within the case of cyber sanctions, these entities are suspected of finishing up malicious cyber-enabled actions, similar to ransomware assaults or the laundering of ransom funds made to hackers.
The U.S. Treasury’s Workplace of Overseas Property Management (OFAC) administers sanctions. The Treasury’s Cyber-Associated Sanctions Program was established in 2015 as a part of the Obama administration’s response to cyberattacks concentrating on U.S. authorities businesses and personal sector U.S. entities.
Whereas a comparatively new addition to the U.S. authorities’s bureaucratic armory towards ransomware teams, sanctions are more and more used to hamper and deter malicious state actors from conducting cyberattacks. Sanctions are sometimes used towards hackers who’re out of attain of U.S. indictments or arrest warrants, similar to ransomware crews primarily based in Russia.
A broad time period, like malware, that covers a spread of surveillance monitoring software program. Spy ware is often used to consult with malware made by personal corporations, similar to NSO Group’s Pegasus, Intellexa’s Predator, and Hacking Staff’s Distant Management System, amongst others, which the businesses promote to authorities businesses. In additional generic phrases, these kind of malware are like distant entry instruments, which permits their operators — often authorities brokers — to spy and monitor their targets, giving them the flexibility to entry a tool’s digicam and microphone or exfiltrate knowledge. Spy ware can also be known as industrial or authorities spyware and adware, or mercenary spyware and adware.
(See additionally: Stalkerware)
Stalkerware is a type of surveillance malware (and a type of spyware and adware) that’s often bought to extraordinary customers below the guise of kid or worker monitoring software program however is usually used for the needs of spying on the telephones of unwitting people, oftentimes spouses and home companions. The spyware and adware grants entry to the goal’s messages, location, and extra. Stalkerware sometimes requires bodily entry to a goal’s machine, which supplies the attacker the flexibility to put in it instantly on the goal’s machine, actually because the attacker is aware of the goal’s passcode.
(See additionally: Spy ware)
What are you making an attempt to guard? Who’re you anxious about that would go after you or your knowledge? How might these attackers get to the information? The solutions to those sorts of questions are what is going to lead you to create a menace mannequin. In different phrases, menace modeling is a course of that a corporation or a person has to undergo to design software program that’s safe, and devise strategies to safe it. A menace mannequin will be targeted and particular relying on the state of affairs. A human rights activist in an authoritarian nation has a distinct set of adversaries, and knowledge, to guard than a big company in a democratic nation that’s anxious about ransomware, for instance.
After we describe “unauthorized” entry, we’re referring to the accessing of a pc system by breaking any of its security measures, similar to a login immediate or a password, which might be thought-about unlawful below the U.S. Laptop Fraud and Abuse Act, or the CFAA. The Supreme Court docket in 2021 clarified the CFAA, discovering that accessing a system missing any technique of authorization — for instance, a database with no password — shouldn’t be unlawful, as you can not break a safety characteristic that isn’t there.
It’s value noting that “unauthorized” is a broadly used time period and infrequently utilized by corporations subjectively, and as such has been used to explain malicious hackers who steal somebody’s password to interrupt in by way of to incidents of insider entry or abuse by staff.
Digital personal community (VPN)
A digital personal community, or VPN, is a networking know-how that enables somebody to “nearly” entry a personal community, similar to their office or house, from anyplace else on the earth. Many use a VPN supplier to browse the net, considering that this will help to keep away from on-line surveillance.
TechCrunch has a skeptics’ information to VPNs that may aid you determine if a VPN is sensible for you. If it does, we’ll present you the way to arrange your personal personal and encrypted VPN server that solely you management. And if it doesn’t, we discover a number of the privateness instruments and different measures you may take to meaningfully enhance your privateness on-line.
A vulnerability (additionally known as a safety flaw) is a kind of bug that causes software program to crash or behave in an surprising manner that impacts the safety of the system or its knowledge. Typically, two or extra vulnerabilities can be utilized together with one another — referred to as “vulnerability chaining” — to achieve deeper entry to a focused system.
(See additionally: Bug; Exploit)
A zero-day is a selected kind of safety vulnerability that has been publicly disclosed or exploited however the vendor who makes the affected {hardware} or software program has not been given time (or “zero days”) to repair the issue. As such, there could also be no fast repair or mitigation to forestall an affected system from being compromised. This may be significantly problematic for internet-connected units.
(See additionally: Vulnerability)
Final up to date on November 5, 2024.
