Coursera- Google Cybersecurity Course 2 GLOSSARY

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)

A U.S. federal law established to protect patients' health information

Asset inventory

A catalog of assets that need to be protected

Botnet

A collection of computers infected by malware that are under the control of a single threat actor, known as the "bot-herder"

Internal threat

A current or former employee, external vendor, or trusted partner who poses a security risk

Array

A data type that stores data in a comma-separated ordered list

Anomaly-based analysis

A detection method that identifies abnormal behavior

Attack tree

A diagram that maps threats to assets

Baseline configuration (baseline image)

A documented set of specifications within a system that is used as a basis for future builds, releases, and updates

Spear phishing

A malicious email attack targeting a specific user or group of users, appearing to originate from a trusted source

Social engineering

A manipulation technique that exploits human error to gain private information, access, or valuables

Basic Input/Output System (BIOS)

A microchip that contains loading instructions for the computer and is prevalent in older systems

Confidentiality, integrity, availability (CIA) triad

A model that helps inform how organizations consider risk when setting up systems and security policies

Address Resolution Protocol (ARP)

A network protocol used to determine the MAC address of the next router or device on the path

Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP)

A non-profit organization focused on improving software security

Hacktivist

A person who uses hacking to achieve a political goal

Programming

A process that can be used to create a specific set of instructions for a computer to execute tasks

Application

A program that performs a specific task

SQL (Structured Query Language)

A programming language used to create, interact with, and request information from a database

Log

A record of events that occur within an organization's systems

Physical attack

A security incident that affects not only digital but also physical environments where the incident is deployed

Order of volatility

A sequence outlining the order of data that must be preserved from first to last

Algorithm

A set of rules used to solve a problem

Application programming interface (API) token

A small block of encrypted code that contains information about a user

Baiting

A social engineering tactic that tempts people into compromising their security

Bootloader

A software program that boots the operating system

Antivirus software

A software program used to prevent, detect, and eliminate malware and viruses

Data point

A specific piece of information

Sensitive personally identifiable information (SPII)

A specific type of PII that falls under stricter handling guidelines

Adversarial artificial intelligence (AI)

A technique that manipulates artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technology to conduct attacks more efficiently

Angler phishing

A technique where attackers impersonate customer service representatives on social media

Network protocol analyzer (packet sniffer)

A tool designed to capture and analyze data traffic within a network

Watering hole attack

A type of attack when a threat actor compromises a website frequently visited by a specific group of users

Social media phishing

A type of attack where a threat actor collects detailed information about their target on social media sites before initiating the attack

Active packet sniffing

A type of attack where data packets are manipulated in transit

Adware

A type of legitimate software that is sometimes used to display digital advertisements in applications

Business Email Compromise (BEC)

A type of phishing attack where a threat actor impersonates a known source to obtain financial advantage

Security architecture

A type of security design composed of multiple components, such as tools and processes, that are used to protect an organization from risks and external threats

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cyber Security Framework (CSF)

A voluntary framework that consists of standards, guidelines, and best practices to manage cybersecurity risk

Attack surface

All the potential vulnerabilities that a threat actor could exploit

Security information and event management (SIEM)

An application that collects and analyzes log data to monitor critical activities in an organization

Intrusion detection system (IDS)

An application that monitors system activity and alerts on possible intrusions

Physical social engineering

An attack in which a threat actor impersonates an employee, customer, or vendor to obtain unauthorized access to a physical location

USB baiting

An attack in which a threat actor strategically leaves a malware USB stick for an employee to find and install to unknowingly infect a network

Cryptographic attack

An attack that affects secure forms of communication between a sender and intended recipient

Supply-chain attack

An attack that targets systems, applications, hardware, and/or software to locate a vulnerability where malware can be deployed

Password attack

An attempt to access password secured devices, systems, networks, or data

Advanced persistent threat (APT)

An instance when a threat actor maintains unauthorized access to a system for an extended period of time

Asset

An item perceived as having value to an organization

Linux

An open-source operating system

Database

An organized collection of information or data

Threat

Any circumstance or event that can negatively impact assets

Personally identifiable information (PII)

Any information used to infer an individual's identity

Threat actor

Any person or group who presents a security risk

Hacker

Any person or group who uses computers to gain unauthorized access to data

Boolean data

Data that can only be one of two values: either True or False

Security ethics

Guidelines for making appropriate decisions as a security professional

Security frameworks

Guidelines used for building plans to help mitigate risk and threats to data and privacy

Broken chain of custody

Inconsistencies in the collection and logging of evidence in the chain of custody

Protected health information (PHI)

Information that relates to the past, present, or future physical or mental health or condition of an individual

Computer virus

Malicious code written to interfere with computer operations and cause damage to data and software

Confidentiality

Only authorized users can access specific assets or data

Security governance

Practices that help support, define, and direct security efforts of an organization

Security controls

Safeguards designed to reduce specific security risks

Access controls

Security controls that manage access, authorization, and accountability of information

Transferable skills

Skills from other areas that can apply to different careers

Technical skills

Skills that require knowledge of specific tools, procedures, and policies

Malware

Software designed to harm devices or networks

Argument (Linux)

Specific information needed by a command

Privacy protection

The act of safeguarding personal information from unauthorized use

Authorization

The concept of granting access to specific resources in a system

Argument (Python)

The data brought into a function when it is called

Bash

The default shell in most Linux distributions

Vishing

The exploitation of electronic voice communication to obtain sensitive information or to impersonate a known source

Assess

The fifth step of the NIST RMF that means to determine if established controls are implemented correctly

Absolute file path

The full file path, which starts from the root

Availability

The idea that data is accessible to those who are authorized to access it

Integrity

The idea that the data is correct, authentic, and reliable

Bracket notation

The indices placed in square brackets

Analysis

The investigation and validation of alerts

Bandwidth

The maximum data transmission capacity over a network, measured by bits per second

Attack vectors

The pathways attackers use to penetrate security defenses

Cybersecurity (or security)

The practice of ensuring confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information by protecting networks, devices, people, and data from unauthorized access or criminal exploitation

Network security

The practice of keeping an organization's network infrastructure secure from unauthorized access

Asset classification

The practice of labeling assets based on sensitivity and importance to an organization

Protecting and preserving evidence

The process of properly working with fragile and volatile digital evidence

Asset management

The process of tracking assets and the risks that affect them

Authentication

The process of verifying who someone is

Authorize

The sixth step of the NIST RMF that refers to being accountable for the security and privacy risks that might exist in an organization

Bit

The smallest unit of data measurement on a computer

Basic auth

The technology used to establish a user's request to access a server

Biometrics

The unique physical characteristics that can be used to verify a person's identity

Asymmetric encryption

The use of a public and private key pair for encryption and decryption of data

Phishing

The use of digital communications to trick people into revealing sensitive data or deploying malicious software

Automation

The use of technology to reduce human and manual effort to perform common and repetitive tasks

Virus

refer to "computer virus"