The Top 15 Cybersecurity Terms To Know


With an expanded interest for cybersecurity in every field, it’s not unexpected that the demand for cybersecurity professionals is ascending.

Administrations, organizations, and people alike must adopt cybersecurity best practices regardless of their affiliation or employment. Hackers can perform cyber attacks on any system, if it’s left defenseless. Prepared cybersecurity professionals continually advance their skills to better guard against the endeavors of these malicious characters. The devices and procedures used to evade hackers will continue to be innovated. Be that as it may, It is dependent upon every person to organize cybersecurity with their home, work, and mobile devices.

There is a significant need for increased cybersecurity on all devices. Individuals should be monitoring their networks to ensure the safety of their private data. It’s important to have a fundamental understanding of cybersecurity terminology will help you better protect your data and private information.

15 Cybersecurity Terms to Know

With an understanding of information technology and cybersecurity practices, you can help protect your private information from cyber threats. The 15 cybersecurity terms below detail how you can protect your devices, networks, and, ultimately, data without any specialized training. It’s increasingly important to take your cybersecurity seriously to maintain the privacy of your networks and ensure your private information remains secure.

  1. Firewall – is a network security system that tracks all incoming and outgoing network traffic based on security rules set up by an administrator.
  2. Phishing is the fraudulent use of electronic communications to take advantage of users and collect personal information.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. User Authentication – is often used to identify and validate the identity of anyone who connects to a network resource.
  6. 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.
  7. Antivirus – helps protect your computer against malware and cyber criminals by seeking out and removing computer viruses that have infected your computer.
  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. Ethical Hacking – is an authorized, legal practice of bypassing system security to locate potential data breaches and threats in a network.
  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.

Dive into Cybersecurity

In an effort to better understand the growing field of cybersecurity, you can call an admission advisor at (734) 707-9985.

The Nexus at University of Michigan Engineering Cybersecurity Bootcamp offers a program that will allow you to gain the skills and knowledge needed to have a career in cybersecurity in as little as a year. Individuals that complete the program will exit with all the training and skills you need to enter the workforce.

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