Cybercrime Glossary

A prolonged, targeted cyberattack typically conducted by nation-state actors or sophisticated criminal groups.

A network of compromised computers controlled remotely by an attacker, used for DDoS, spam, or cryptomining.

A trial-and-error method of guessing passwords or encryption keys by systematically trying every possible combination.

The documented chronological history of the handling of digital evidence to ensure its integrity.

The primary U.S. federal law criminalizing unauthorized access to computer systems, enacted in 1986.

A digital or virtual currency that uses cryptography for security and operates on decentralized blockchain networks.

A seven-stage framework by Lockheed Martin describing the phases of a cyberattack from reconnaissance to objective completion.

A hidden portion of the internet accessible through special software like Tor, often used for anonymous and illegal activities.

An attack that floods a target with traffic from multiple sources to render it unavailable to legitimate users.

The practice of collecting, preserving, and analyzing digital evidence for use in legal proceedings.

The process of converting readable data into an unreadable format using a cryptographic algorithm and key.

A piece of software, data, or command sequence that takes advantage of a vulnerability to cause unintended behavior.

A network security device that monitors and filters incoming and outgoing traffic based on predefined security rules.

The fraudulent use of another person's personal identifying information for financial gain.

The structured approach to managing and mitigating the aftermath of a cybersecurity breach or attack.

A security risk originating from within the organization, such as a current or former employee misusing access.

Malware or hardware that records keystrokes to capture passwords, credit card numbers, and other sensitive input.

Any software intentionally designed to cause damage, including viruses, worms, trojans, ransomware, and spyware.

An attack where the perpetrator intercepts communication between two parties without their knowledge.

Authorized simulated attacks on a system to evaluate its security posture and identify vulnerabilities.

A social engineering attack using deceptive communications to trick victims into revealing sensitive information.

Malware that encrypts files and demands payment for the decryption key to restore access.

The use of psychological manipulation to trick people into making security mistakes or giving away sensitive information.

A code injection technique that exploits application vulnerabilities to execute malicious SQL statements against a database.

A software security flaw unknown to the vendor and unpatched at the time of exploitation.