Abuse Mailbox
An Abuse Mailbox is the destination of user-reported suspicious emails sent to IT and security teams for further evaluation. It's a crucial part of tracking and stopping potential email threats.
Account Takeover Fraud
Account takeovers happen when cybercriminals steal login credentials to access an email account. If a malicious actor successfully compromises an account, they can use it to commit fraud, send phishing emails, steal data, and more.
Adaptive Authentication
Adaptive authentication dynamically adjusts security requirements based on real-time risk assessment, enabling organizations to balance robust protection with seamless user experiences.
Advanced Persistent Threat
Advanced persistent threats are sophisticated, long-term cyberattacks where nation-state actors and well-resourced groups maintain undetected network access for months or years to steal sensitive data, conduct espionage, or position themselves for future operations.
Adversary In The Middle
Adversary In The Middle attacks intercept authentication between users and services to hijack sessions and bypass multi-factor authentication.
AI TRiSM
AI TRiSM is an acronym coined by Gartner that refers to a framework for how organizations should identify and mitigate risks surrounding reliability, security, and trust within AI models and applications. AI TRiSM stands for trust, risk, security management.
AI-Enabled Cyberattacks
An AI-powered cyberattack, also known as an AI-enabled or offensive AI attack, leverages AI/ML algorithms to carry out malicious activities. These attacks use AI to automate and enhance the capabilities of traditional cyberattacks, making them more sophisticated, targeted, and challenging to detect.
Alert Fatigue
Alert fatigue happens when security teams get overwhelmed by too many alerts, making them less effective at catching real threats.
Angler Phishing
Angler phishing exploits social media customer service channels to harvest credentials, bypassing traditional email security controls through brand impersonation attacks.
Arbitrary Code Execution
Arbitrary code execution enables attackers to run unauthorized commands with system-level privileges, representing a complete compromise of enterprise security infrastructure.
Attack Surface
An attack surface is the total set of points an attacker can exploit to access a system, including digital, physical, and human vulnerabilities.
Attack Vector
Attack vectors are the specific pathways cybercriminals exploit to breach organizations, from phishing emails to unpatched vulnerabilities.
Backdoor Attack
Adversaries establish backdoor attacks as persistent unauthorized access pathways that bypass normal security controls.
Bad Rabbit Ransomware
Bad Rabbit is a notable ransomware attack from 2017 where a file was maliciously installed through a bogus Adobe Flash installer. It encrypted user data and requested a Bitcoin ransom payment, with a similar code structure to the Petya attack. Bad Rabbit originated in Russia and Ukraine, and was spotted in several other countries.
Barrel Phishing
Barrel phishing uses a series of benign emails to establish trust before deploying malicious requests, exploiting relationship dynamics rather than immediate pressure tactics.
Blast Phishing
Blast phishing distributes high-volume, generic phishing emails to thousands of recipients simultaneously, relying on scale rather than precision to achieve successful credential theft and system compromise.
Blue Team Cybersecurity
Blue team cybersecurity represents the defensive backbone of enterprise security operations, continuously monitoring networks and responding to threats through structured frameworks and proactive threat hunting methodologies.
Botnet
A botnet is a network of compromised devices controlled by attackers to launch cyberattacks, spread malware, or steal information.
Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)
BYOD policies enable workforce flexibility by allowing personal devices for work purposes while introducing complex security challenges.
Brute Force Attack
A brute force attack refers to a trial-and-error attempt to steal passwords, login credentials, and encryption keys. Brute force attacks are conducted manually or, more often, with the help of a computer. There are several effective defenses against these attacks–increasing password length, requiring CAPTCHA answers, or limited password attempts.
Business Email Compromise (BEC)
BEC is currently the most expensive type of cybercrime. These socially engineered attacks evade traditional email security systems. Learn how and why BEC works, and how to stop it.
Catfishing
Catfishing uses fabricated online identities to manipulate victims through emotional deception, creating enterprise security risks when employees share credentials or expose corporate data through compromised personal relationships.
CEO Fraud
CEO fraud is a type of business email compromise (BEC) where criminals impersonate a CEO in an attempt to trick employees into paying invoices, sharing sensitive information, or otherwise compromising a company’s cybersecurity infrastructure.
Chargeback Fraud
Chargeback fraud occurs when authorized cardholders deliberately dispute legitimate transactions to obtain unauthorized refunds, exploiting consumer protection mechanisms.
CISO (Chief Information Security Officer)
CISOs are senior executives who translate cybersecurity risks into business language while developing comprehensive security strategies that protect organizations from sophisticated email threats and AI-driven attacks.
Clone Phishing
Clone phishing occurs when attackers create a convincing clone of a legitimate email. They compromise or impersonate the original sender and use the copycat email to dupe victims into entering login credentials, paying an invoice, downloading malware, or sharing sensitive data. These emails are often identical to a previous email the victim has received, except a malicious attachment or link is included.
Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB)
A cloud access security broker (CASB) is a security policy that sits between cloud service providers and users. A wide ranging CASB can authenticate users, help monitor and stop suspicious activity, prevent malware, and more.
Cloud Email
Cloud-based email is an email delivery and storage method hosted and maintained by an outside provider. It allows organizations and users to securely send, receive, and store emails. This is unlike on-premise email hosting which is physically housed and maintained internally within an organization's servers and IT environment.
Cloud Security
Cloud security protects data, applications, and infrastructure in cloud environments through shared responsibility models, encryption, access controls, and continuous monitoring across public, private, and hybrid deployments.
Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM)
Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) is a set of tools and processes designed to keep cloud-based environments secure by identifying misconfigurations and enforcing security policies.
Command And Control (C&C)
Command and Control infrastructure enables attackers to maintain persistent communication channels with compromised systems for remote management and data exfiltration.
Compliance Monitoring
In cybersecurity, compliance monitoring refers to evaluating security processes for adherence to legal and internal regulations. Certain industries and regions have specific cybersecurity standards. Compliance monitoring helps organizations ensure they operate legally, protect their data, and avoid potential fines.
Computer Virus
A computer virus is a program, software, or piece of code designed to negatively affect the device or network it infects. They’re spread by malware, phishing scams, social engineering, or virtually any cyberattack method.
Consent Phishing
Consent phishing is a specialized type of phishing targeting user permissions for third-party applications. Third-party apps frequently ask permission to access certain features to run properly. But attackers can use fraudulent app permission requests to gain access to a person's account.
Credential Stuffing
Credential stuffing uses stolen login credentials across multiple websites, using bots for mass log-in attempts.
Critical Systems
Critical systems are high-value infrastructure components that require elevated privileges and provide essential trust functions, making them prime targets for sophisticated cyber attacks.
Cryptojacking
Cryptojacking is the use of a device to mine cryptocurrency, without the device owner’s knowledge or permission. It’s usually done by installing malware on an unsuspecting victim’s device, like a computer, phone, or tablet. Mining cryptocurrency requires substantial resources, which makes cryptojacking useful for criminals.
Cyber Risk Scoring
Cyber risk scoring measures how vulnerable an organization is to cyber threats by assigning a number based on its security controls and digital infrastructure.
Cyberattack
A cyberattack is a malicious act that seeks to damage, steal, or disrupt digital systems and data through sophisticated technical exploitation methods.
Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity is a catch-all term for the practice of securing systems, networks, and technologies from attacks and unauthorized access. A strong cybersecurity policy is vital to every modern organization.
Cybersecurity Awareness
Cybersecurity awareness is the knowledge and practices that help individuals and organizations recognize, prevent, and respond to cyber threats through training, vigilance, and security best practices.
Dark Web Monitoring
Dark web monitoring continuously scans hidden internet marketplaces to detect when your organization's credentials or sensitive data appear for sale, enabling swift response before attackers exploit exposed information.
Data Archive
Data archiving is the process of moving inactive or infrequently accessed data to a separate storage system for long-term retention.
Data Breach
A data breach occurs when confidential and sensitive information is stolen by an unauthorized group or individual. Data breaches are one of the end goals of many cyberattacks.
Data Exfiltration
Data exfiltration refers to the unauthorized transfer of information from enterprise systems, posing a critical cybersecurity threat that necessitates comprehensive detection and prevention strategies.
Data Governance
Data governance establishes the framework of policies, processes, and accountability that ensures data remains accurate, secure, and compliant throughout its lifecycle.
Data Leak
A data leak happens when sensitive information is exposed to unauthorized individuals due to internal errors. Data leaks are often a result of poor data security and sanitization practices, outdated systems, or a lack of employee training.
Data Leakage
Data leakage exposes sensitive information through unintentional security failures, allowing cybercriminals to steal identities, commit financial fraud, and compromise intellectual property without the need for sophisticated attacks.
Data Loss Prevention (DLP)
Data loss prevention refers to a set of software and processes that work to prevent breaches and unauthorized access of sensitive data. DLP is a critical component in protecting and securing data.
Data Protection
Data protection is a systematic approach to safeguarding organizational information assets through integrated security controls, regulatory compliance, and risk management frameworks.
Denial-of-Service (DoS) Attack
A DoS attack is a common cyberattack where a server, machine, or network is maliciously rendered unusable by a service crash or a flood of requests. DoS attacks prevent legitimate users from accessing the service, usually by overloading it with bogus traffic. These attacks can quickly crash a website.
Digital Forensics
Digital forensics is the investigation and analysis of electronic data to uncover evidence of cybercrime, security breaches, or policy violations.
Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) Attack
A DDoS attack is a cyberattack where a server, system, or network is overloaded with traffic and rendered nonfunctional. A DDoS attack is different from a regular DoS attack in that it is committed by multiple IP addresses or machines, rather than just one.
DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail)
DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) is an email authentication method that uses cryptographic signatures to verify that an email was sent by an authorized server for a given domain.
DMARC
DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) is a standard email authentication protocol. It helps mail administrators and domain owners prevent email spoofing from cyberattackers. Servers can look up the DMARC policy of an incoming email to validate that its DKIM signature is valid, the headers align with the proper domain, and the address matches the domain.
DNS MX Record
An MX record, or mail exchange record, is a type of DNS record that routes emails to specified email servers. MX records essentially point to the IP addresses of a mail server’s email domain.
DOS Attack
Denial-of-Service (DOS) attacks are cyber weapons that overwhelm systems with malicious traffic, denying services to legitimate users and costing enterprises millions in operational damage.
Doxxing
Doxxing weaponizes publicly available information to expose private details about executives and employees, creating enterprise security risks.
Dwell Time Reduction
Dwell time reduction means shortening how long attackers stay hidden in a system after breaking in, which limits the damage they can cause.
Email Archiving
Email archiving is the process of securely storing emails, making it easy to search for and retrieve them. It helps store old emails that you don’t need immediate access to, but don’t want to delete.
Email Encryption
Email encryption transforms readable messages into unreadable ciphertext, protecting sensitive data from interception while ensuring only authorized recipients can decode business communications and regulated information.
Email Filters
Email filtering is the act of processing emails, incoming and sometimes outgoing, to classify and categorize them. This is usually done by an SMTP server. Email filtering is often used to detect spam, viruses, and malware before they reach a user.
Email Forensics
Email forensics specialists systematically examine and analyze email evidence to investigate cybersecurity incidents, support legal compliance, and identify digital threats.
Email Protection
Email protection is a combination of software and processes designed to defend an organization’s inboxes from email-based cyberattacks. This ranges from email security software that scans and detects malicious content and intent in messages to security awareness training for end users.
Email Quarantine
Email quarantine provides a controlled isolation mechanism that stores potentially harmful messages, preventing delivery while enabling security review processes.
Email Scams
Email scams are cyberattacks that use social engineering to deceive recipients into sharing sensitive information, sending money, or downloading malware.
Email Security
Email security is a set of processes and technologies to protect email accounts, users, and organizations from unauthorized and malicious messages.
Email Spoofing
Email spoofing is the act of forging a sender's address to trick recipients and deliver spam or phishing emails. A strong email security framework helps detect and block spoofed messages.
Encryption
Encryption is the process of disguising data so it’s impossible to decipher without authorization. Encryption often involves changing information from plaintext to ciphertext. It’s a vital practice for strong data privacy and security.
Ethical Hacker
Ethical hackers are authorized cybersecurity professionals who use penetration testing methodologies to identify vulnerabilities and strengthen enterprise security defenses before malicious actors exploit them.
Executive Impersonation
Executive impersonation exploits organizational hierarchy through sophisticated email-based attacks that bypass traditional security controls by mimicking trusted authority figures.
False Positive in Cybersecurity
False positives in cybersecurity refer to the creation of security alerts that incorrectly identify benign or expected activity as potential threats.
Firewall
A firewall is a type of network security that filters incoming and outgoing traffic. It acts as a barrier between a trusted, internal network and an unknown, external network–like the Internet.
GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation)
GDPR is a data privacy law in the European Union that regulates the collection and processing of personal data. Businesses that operate in the EU need a strong cybersecurity framework to comply with the GDPR to avoid substantial penalties.
Graymail
Graymail is a promotional email from a legitimate sender that varies in value to different users. Different from spam, the variance in content and in relevance to users makes it more challenging to filter with rules or policies. It may be a bulk email that a recipient has subscribed to in the past, like a newsletter, or a cold call from a vendor.
Hacktivist
Hacktivists use hacking techniques to advance political or social causes rather than financial gain.
HIPAA Compliance
HIPAA compliance requires implementation of administrative, physical, and technical safeguards protecting patient health information while ensuring data privacy, security, and breach notification protocols.
Honeypot in Cybersecurity
Honeypot in cybersecurity is used to describe iintentionally vulnerable decoy systems to attract attackers, gather threat intelligence, and enhance organizational security defenses.
Identity and Access Management
Identity and Access Management controls who can access enterprise systems and what they can do through centralized authentication and permission management.
Identity Management
Identity management forms the foundation of your security by controlling who accesses what, when they access it, and how they prove they belong by protecting against credential attacks while enabling productivity.
Impersonation Attacks
An impersonation attack is a type of cybercrime where a criminal poses as a known person or organization to steal confidential data or money.
Incident Response
Incident response is the structured process organizations use to detect, contain, and recover from cyberattacks, minimizing damage through coordinated teams, proven methodologies, and integrated security tools.
Indicators of Compromise (IOCs)
Indicators of Compromise (IOC) are forensic clues and evidence of a potential breach within an organization's network or system. IOCs give security teams essential context in discovering and remediating a cyberattack.
Insider Threat
An insider threat is a person within an organization who poses a cyber security risk. This person uses their credentials and trusted status to compromise a network or leak data to unauthorized people outside the organization, intentionally or accidentally.
Integrated Cloud Email Security (ICES)
Integrated cloud email security (ICES) is a cloud-based email security solution that supplements the native security capabilities of a cloud email provider like Microsoft or Google. ICES is a relatively new term coined by Gartner to describe the evolving offerings in the email security market.
Internet of Things (IoT)
The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to network-connected devices that collect and exchange data but often lack built-in security, leaving them vulnerable to cyber threats.
Intrusion Detection System
Intrusion detection systems monitor network traffic and system activity in real time to identify malicious behavior, alerting security teams to threats that bypass primary defenses.
IP Reputation
IP reputation measures the behavioral quality of an IP address and how many unwanted requests it sends. If an IP address sends authentic, spam-free emails, it gets a positive IP reputation score. On the other hand, if associated with bulk spam, malware, dangerous domains, or suspicious locations, an IP address will have a poor IP reputation.
ISC2
ISC² (International Information System Security Certification Consortium) is the world's largest nonprofit cybersecurity certification organization, providing globally recognized credentials that validate security expertise and drive professional development for its members.
Keylogger
Keyloggers are surveillance tools that secretly record keystrokes to steal passwords, financial data, and confidential information from compromised systems.
Lateral Movement
Lateral movement enables attackers to pivot across your network after breaching the perimeter, using stolen credentials and legitimate tools to reach high-value assets while evading detection.
Least Privilege Access
Least privilege access restricts user permissions to the minimum necessary levels, reducing attack surfaces in modern cybersecurity architectures.
Lightweight Directory Access Protocol
Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) is a critical enterprise directory service protocol that enables centralized authentication and access control across distributed systems.
Living Off The Land Attack
Living Off The Land attacks exploit legitimate system tools already present in target environments to conduct malicious operations while evading traditional security detection methods.
Log Files
Log files provide structured records of system events and activities, delivering essential forensic evidence and real-time visibility for cybersecurity threat detection and incident response.
look alike domains
Lookalike domains are subtly manipulated domain names designed to impersonate legitimate brands, used by threat actors to launch phishing attacks, harvest credentials, and facilitate business email compromise.
Malware
Malware is a type of malicious software (hence the name) designed to disrupt a victim’s computer, server, or network. It’s a catch-all term for software like viruses, trojan horses, ransomware, spyware, worms, and more.
Malware
Malware is malicious software that infiltrates systems to steal data, disrupt operations, and compromise security.
Man-in-the-Middle (MITM) Attack
A man-in-the-middle (MITM) attack happens when a cybercriminal positions themselves between two parties to intercept and eavesdrop on private communications. They can then trick users into revealing sensitive data like passwords or banking credentials.
MDM - Mobile Device Management
MDM or Mobile Device Management enables organizations to secure, monitor, and enforce policies on employees' mobile devices across multiple platforms and operating systems.
Mean Time To Detect
Mean Time to Detect (MTTD) measures the average time it takes an organization to identify a security incident or system failure after it occurs.
Mean Time to Respond
Mean Time to Respond (MTTR) measures how long it takes to detect, investigate, and resolve security incidents.
MFA Bypass
A multi-factor authentication (MFA) bypass is a broad term referring to an attack method where a cybercriminal navigates around MFA requirements to gain unauthorized access to an account.
MFA Fatigue Attacks
Multi-factor authentication (MFA) fatigue attack is a social engineering tactic where attackers send numerous calls or push notifications to a person's authenticator app or phone, hoping the person will eventually accept one. The attackers then gain access to the account. In some cases, the attacker may pose as a trusted figure like a coworker in IT.
Mitre Att&ck
MITRE ATT&CK is a free database of real hacker tactics that helps organizations detect and defend against cyberattacks.
Network Level Authentication
Network Level Authentication is a security enhancement that validates credentials before establishing sessions, preventing unauthorized resource consumption and protecting against remote attacks.
Network Security
Network security protects computer networks from unauthorized access, data theft, and cyberattacks through multiple defense layers, including firewalls, encryption, and access controls.
Network Segmentation
Network segmentation divides enterprise networks into isolated zones with controlled boundaries, preventing lateral movement during breaches and containing threats to minimize damage across your infrastructure.
NIST Framework
The NIST Cybersecurity Framework provides organizations with voluntary guidelines and best practices to manage cybersecurity risk through five core functions: Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, and Recover, plus a sixth governance function in version 2.0.
OAuth
OAuth is an open authorization standard that enables applications to access user resources across different platforms without sharing passwords, using secure tokens instead of credentials.
OPSEC
OPSEC (Operational Security) systematically denies adversaries critical intelligence about organizational capabilities, preventing sophisticated attacks before threat actors gather enough information to succeed.
OSI Model
The Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model provides a seven-layer framework for understanding network communication, enabling diverse systems to exchange data through standardized protocols and interfaces.
Packet Loss
Packet loss is a data transmission error when pieces of data (packets, in this case) don’t make it to their intended destination. Packet loss is usually caused by network congestion, software bugs, cyberattacks, or hardware issues.
Patch Management
Patch management is the systematic process of identifying, testing, prioritizing, and deploying software updates to remediate known vulnerabilities and maintain system security across IT infrastructure.
Payment Fraud
Payment fraud includes sophisticated cybercriminal schemes targeting enterprise financial processes, mainly via business email compromise attacks manipulating payment transactions.
Penetration Testing
Penetration testing simulates real cyberattacks to identify exploitable vulnerabilities before criminals find them.
Pharming
Pharming is a cyberattack that secretly redirects users from legitimate websites to fake copies, typically through malware or by tampering with internet systems. Since users believe they're on the correct site, they often enter passwords, payment information, or other sensitive data before realizing anything is wrong.
Phishing
Phishing is a social engineering attack where criminals send fraudulent messages—usually by email—purporting to be a legitimate business, organization, or person. The goal: trick a user into sharing sensitive data like login credentials or deploying malware.
Phishing Simulation
Phishing simulation is a controlled cybersecurity training technique that tests employee responses to realistic phishing attacks.
Pretexting
Pretexting is a sophisticated social engineering technique where attackers create fabricated scenarios and false identities to manipulate victims into divulging sensitive information, making fraudulent payments, or granting unauthorized access.
Proxy Server
A proxy server acts as an intermediary or gateway between a user and the Internet. It’s the middleman between an end user and a network resource and it can provide an added layer of security.
QR Code Phishing Attacks
QR code phishing, also known as quishing, is a cyberattack where malicious QR codes are used to trick users into visiting fake websites or downloading harmful content.
Ransomware
Ransomware is a type of malware that can lock computers, networks, and systems until a ransom is paid. It's a growing problem for businesses and individuals alike.
Red Team Cyber Security
Red team cybersecurity simulates real-world cyberattacks to test an organization's defenses, detection capabilities, and incident response through ethical hacking exercises.
Remote Desktop Protocol
Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) is Microsoft's protocol that lets users remotely access and control Windows computers over a network connection.
Risk Assessment
Risk assessment systematically identifies, analyzes, and mitigates cybersecurity threats to protect organizational assets and ensure regulatory compliance.
Role-Based Access Control
Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) is a formal cybersecurity model that restricts system access through organizational roles rather than individual permissions, reducing administrative costs while improving security scalability.
Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)
RBAC restricts system access by assigning permissions to defined job roles rather than individuals, enforcing least privilege while simplifying administration and meeting compliance requirements.
Sandbox
A sandbox is a computer security term for an isolated environment where any suspicious or unknown code can run without putting the host device or network at risk. Sandboxes are vital in cybersecurity to vet and analyze potential threats.
Scareware
Scareware is a social engineering attack that uses fake security alerts to manipulate users into downloading malware or paying for fraudulent software solutions.
Secure Email Gateway (SEG)
A secure email gateway (SEG) is a security solution that monitors and filters inbound and outbound email traffic to protect organizations from threats like phishing, malware, and spam.
Security Awareness Training
Security awareness training minimizes security risks by empowering employees with tools and knowledge against cyber threats. It's a necessary part of cybersecurity–organizations are only as safe as their users.
Security Controls
Security controls are systematically defined safeguards prescribed by government standards that protect organizational assets through administrative, technical, and physical measures.
Security Operations Center (SOC)
A Security Operations Center serves as the centralized nerve center where security teams continuously monitor, detect, and respond to cyber threats, dramatically reducing breach costs and detection times through coordinated defense operations.
Sender Policy Framework (SPF)
Sender Policy Framework (SPF) is an email authentication protocol that helps verify an email’s true sender. Receiving servers use SPF to check that an email comes from a server approved by the purported sending domain.
Shadow IT
Shadow IT is when employees use unapproved software, devices, or online services at work without the IT department’s knowledge or permission.
Smishing
Smishing is a type of phishing attack conducted over text messages. It's increasingly common due to the ease of setting up spoofed numbers and the lack of spam filters for SMS messaging.
SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol)
SMTP is a common language used to send email. It’s a universal set of rules that allow servers and email clients to communicate via the internet. It helps increase email deliverability and reduce spam by verifying email senders. Think of SMTP as the language your computer uses to tell a server where an email goes, what’s in the email, what’s attached, and more.
Social Engineering
In information security, social engineering refers to deceptive and manipulative practices used by bad actors to trick people into sharing sensitive data or sending money to a threat actor. Social engineering is a cornerstone of many successful cyberattacks, and it's unique from other attacks in that it doesn't require technical skills.
Spam Mail
Spam email is unsolicited and often bulk-sent electronic messages designed to advertise, scam, or deliver malicious content.
Spear Phishing
Spear phishing is a highly targeted cyberattack in which criminals research a victim and send convincing phishing emails. It's effective and can have potentially devastating effects.
Spyware
Spyware is surveillance malware that covertly monitors enterprise systems to steal credentials, intellectual property, and sensitive business data.
SQL Injection
SQL injection attacks exploit malicious input to manipulate database queries, enabling unauthorized access to sensitive data and system compromise.
Supply Chain Attack
Supply chain attacks happen when a criminal compromises a trusted vendor, opening the door for attacks across a supply chain. They can infect shared infrastructure with malware, or send convincing phishing attacks from the trusted vendor.
Tailgating Attack
Tailgating attacks exploit human behavior to gain physical access to secure facilities, bypassing expensive technological security investments and creating insider-style access.
Telemetry
Telemetry is the automated collection and transmission of data from remote devices and systems, enabling real-time monitoring, performance analysis, and security threat detection.
Text Message Scam
Fraudsters use text message scams as fraudulent SMS communications to steal credentials, deliver malware, or manipulate recipients into financial losses.
Threat Actor
Threat actors are human adversaries who deliberately exploit vulnerabilities for profit, espionage, or disruption.
Threat Actor Attribution
Threat actor attribution determines which individuals, groups, or countries launched cyberattacks by analyzing technical evidence, behavior patterns, and intelligence data.
Threat Hunting
Threat hunting proactively searches for hidden cyberattacks that automated defenses miss, assuming adversaries are already inside your environment and systematically tracking them down before damage occurs.
Top-Level Domain (TLD)
Top-level domains are the suffixes that follow domain names: attackers weaponize them at scale to bypass email security defenses and execute phishing campaigns.
Transport Layer Security
Transport Layer Security (TLS) is a protocol that secures internet communications, protecting sensitive data from interception, tampering, and unauthorized access across networks.
Trojan Horse
Trojan horses are deceptive malware that disguises itself as legitimate software, representing the dominant cybersecurity threat facing enterprises due to their sophisticated social engineering and multi-stage attack capabilities.
Typosquatting
Typosquatting weaponizes simple typing errors to redirect users to malicious domains that steal credentials, deliver malware, or damage brand reputation through deceptive look-alike websites.
URL Rewriting
URL rewriting is a security technique that redirects email links through scanning systems to detect threats before users click them.
Vishing
Vishing is a phishing attack conducted entirely over the phone. Americans face millions of scam calls every month, thanks in part to new technologies that make vishing easy and effective.
VPN
A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is a secure technology that encrypts internet traffic and hides user IP addresses to protect privacy and enable safe remote access.
Vulnerability Management
Organizations implement vulnerability management as a systematic cybersecurity approach that identifies, assesses, prioritizes, and mitigates security weaknesses across IT environments to reduce organizational risk.
WannaCry
WannaCry was a massive ransomware attack in 2017 that impacted over 200,000 computers across 150 countries, causing billions of dollars in damages. Several sources identified North Korea as the origin of the attack.
Watering Hole Attack
A watering hole attack is a threat vector that targets a specific group of users by compromising a website they frequently visit. The watering hole refers to predators who wait for prey by the watering hole—in this case, a compromised website.
Web Proxy
Web proxies serve as critical network security intermediaries that mediate client-server connections, providing essential traffic inspection and access control capabilities.
Whaling
Whaling is a type of spear phishing attack that specifically targets or impersonates high-value targets—like C-suite executives–to steal sensitive data and, ultimately, money. Whaling attacks are a form of social engineering that utilize false urgency and deep research to trick victims.
Whitelisting
Whitelisting creates a default-deny security model that permits only pre-approved applications, users, and connections to access systems, providing proactive protection against malware and unauthorized access.
Wire Fraud
Wire fraud is a federal crime involving electronic communications to intentionally deceive and defraud victims of money or property.
Zero Trust Security
Zero Trust is a cybersecurity approach in which no user, device, or action is trusted by default. Everything must be verified before access is allowed.
Zero-Day Vulnerability
Zero-day vulnerabilities are unknown software flaws that cybercriminals exploit before vendors can patch them, creating severe security risks for enterprise systems.