The demand for increased cybersecurity across the globe will not cease as long as new technologies are being developed.
As a result, the field of cybersecurity continues to be one of the most rapidly evolving. Cybersecurity specialists around the world must continuously evolve their skill sets to defend private data on a grand scale. And as crucial as the defense of a network is, it’s equally as important that cybersecurity specialists dedicate their efforts to protecting a network as well. The number of technologies and tools required to protect and defend systems, networks, and programs from digital attacks is limitless.
Even if the global impact of cybersecurity doesn’t seem to interest you, individually we all need to increase our cybersecurity efforts. In our own homes, we must keep track of all device usage and monitor the websites we visit and attachments we download. Securing your network and putting passwords on your devices is also a good practice, especially if you have a family that may not always practice good cybersecurity. Furthermore, to best implement safe cyber practices in your life, it’s important you know the most used cybersecurity terms to better protect your family and private information.
15 Cybersecurity Terms You Should Know
To gain a better understanding of the field of cybersecurity, we have defined 15 of the most used information technology words or phrases. If you decide to learn what these words mean, you defend your own devices from malicious hackers and ensure all your personal information stays safe.
- User Authentication is used to validate the identity of any user who connects to a network resource.
- Encryption is the process of encoding data, by converting the original information into an alternative form of text, ciphertext.
- Antivirus helps protect your computer against malware and cybercriminals by seeking out and removing computer viruses that have infected your computer.
- 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.
- Firewall is a network security system that tracks all incoming and outgoing network traffic based on security rules set up by an administrator.
- Phishing is the fraudulent use of electronic communications to take advantage of users and collect personal information.
- Cloud is a storage system that allows the access of data and programs over the Internet instead of your computer’s hard drive.
- Network is a digital telecommunications network for devices that use a common telecommunications technology.
- IoT (Internet of Things)is a system of interrelated computing devices, mechanical and digital machines or objects used and managed over a network.
- Penetration Testing is an authorized simulated cyberattack on a computer system, performed to locate network vulnerabilities.
- 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.
- 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.
- Ethical Hacking is an authorized, legal practice of bypassing system security to locate potential data breaches and threats in a network.
- Ransomware is a form of malware that demands payment to restore access after locking the user out of their devices or accounts.
- A Cyber Attack is any unauthorized attempt to access, change, steal or block system or user information.
Discover More
If you found these terms interesting and want to learn more about the growing field of cybersecurity, you can connect with one of our admissions advisors at 407-413-8238.
The cybersecurity workforce is a growing field and the University of Central Florida Cyber Defense Certificate program was designed to take you from zero to hero offering you the training and skills you need to enter the workforce and take many of the industry’s leading certification exams in less than a year.
