Defense Glossary

Browse 172 defense terms defined in plain English, from the cultural dictionary of computing.

172 Defense Terms

Account Takeover
Account Takeover is an attack technique in which an adversary steals or reuses authentication material so an attacker can operate as a legitimate user account....
Active Defense
A defensive approach that goes beyond passive monitoring by actively disrupting, detecting, misleading, or containing attackers during an intrusion attempt....
Air Gap
Air Gap is a security measure where a computer or network is physically isolated from unsecured networks, including the internet, to prevent unauthorized...
Anti-Debugging
Anti-Debugging is a defensive measure intended to resist or complicate debugging techniques used by attackers or analysts. Security teams use it to enforce...
Anti-Ransomware
Built to prevent, detect, or limit ransomware behavior such as mass encryption, malicious persistence, or backup tampering. Anti-ransomware capabilities often...
Anti-Tamper
Anti-Tamper is a defensive measure intended to resist or complicate tamper techniques used by attackers or analysts. Security teams use it to enforce trust,...
API Abuse
API Abuse is an API-focused security concern involving how interfaces are authenticated, limited, or protected from misuse. Security teams use it to enforce...
Application Allowlisting
Application Allowlisting is a security concept, control, or technique used to reduce risk and improve visibility across systems and data. Security teams use it...
Application Hardening
The process of making an application more resistant to attack by reducing exposed functionality, tightening configuration, adding integrity protections, and...
Asset Inventory
A current record of systems, devices, applications, cloud resources, and other assets an organization owns or uses. Asset inventory is foundational because...
Attack Simulation
A controlled exercise that simulates attack conditions to measure whether preventative and detective controls work as intended. It may be automated, manually...
Binary Analysis
Binary Analysis is the examination of binary artifacts or behavior to support security decisions and investigations. Security teams use it to enforce trust,...
Binary Patching
Binary Patching is a security concept, control, or technique used to reduce risk and improve visibility across systems and data. Security teams use it to...
Brute Force Protection
Controls designed to stop repeated guess attempts against passwords, codes, or other secrets, such as rate limits, lockouts, CAPTCHAs, or IP reputation checks....
Canary Token
A digital tripwire — a fake file, URL, or credential planted in a system that triggers an alert when accessed, indicating unauthorized activity. Named after...
Card Skimming
Card Skimming is an attack technique in which an adversary captures payment card data from compromised readers, overlays, or e-commerce skimmer code. Defenders...
Click Fraud
Click Fraud is an attack technique in which an adversary generates fraudulent ad clicks or interactions to drain budgets or manipulate advertising metrics....
Code Obfuscation
Code Obfuscation is the deliberate transformation of code to make analysis, reverse engineering, or tampering more difficult. Security teams use it to enforce...
Command and Control
Command and Control is a security concept, control, or technique used to reduce risk and improve visibility across systems and data. Security teams use it to...
Computer Network Defense
A term often used in government and military contexts for the protection, monitoring, and defense of networked systems against attack. It includes detection,...
Cyber Operations
Planned cyber activities carried out to defend, monitor, influence, or compromise digital systems and networks. The term appears in military, intelligence, and...
Data Exfiltration
Data Exfiltration is an attack technique in which an adversary moves sensitive data out of an environment through approved or covert channels. Defenders...
Data Poisoning
Data Poisoning is an attack technique in which an adversary corrupts training or reference data so downstream analytics or models behave incorrectly. Defenders...
Defense in Depth
Defense in Depth is a defensive architecture principle that layers multiple independent controls so one failure does not expose everything. Security teams use...
Denial of Service
Denial of Service is an attack technique in which an adversary exhausts a service so legitimate users cannot access it reliably. Defenders analyze it to...
Directory Traversal
Directory Traversal is an attack technique in which an adversary uses crafted path input to access files or directories outside the intended application scope....
DoS Amplification
DoS Amplification is an attack technique in which an adversary reflects small requests into much larger responses from third-party services. Defenders analyze...
Double Free
Double Free is an attack technique in which an adversary frees the same memory region twice and creates allocator corruption that can be exploitable. Defenders...
Drive-by Download
Drive-by Download is an attack technique in which an adversary delivers malware when a user visits a compromised page without an obvious installer. Defenders...
Eavesdropping
Eavesdropping is an attack technique in which an adversary intercepts communications or signals without authorization to collect information. Defenders analyze...
Endpoint Security
Endpoint Security is the practice of protecting laptops, servers, and other endpoints through prevention, detection, and response controls. Security teams use...
Evil Twin
Evil Twin is an attack technique in which an adversary stands up a rogue wireless access point that imitates a trusted network name or portal. Defenders...
Firewall
A firewall is a network security system, implemented in hardware, software, or both, that monitors and filters incoming and outgoing traffic based on defined...
Harden
To reduce attack surface and improve resistance to compromise by tightening configuration, removing unnecessary components, limiting privileges, and enabling...
Honeypot
A decoy system or resource designed to attract attackers, allowing defenders to study their techniques, detect intrusions early, and divert attention from real...
Human Firewall
Human Firewall is the idea that trained users and administrators can act as an active layer of defense against common attacks. Security teams use it to enforce...
Information Sharing
The exchange of security-relevant data such as indicators, tactics, incident details, or lessons learned between teams, companies, sectors, or government...
Infrastructure Security
Infrastructure Security is the practice of securing networks, hosts, cloud resources, and foundational services that support applications. Security teams use...
Integer Overflow
Integer Overflow is an attack technique in which an adversary causes arithmetic wraparound that breaks bounds checks, allocations, or logic. Defenders analyze...
Isolation
Isolation is the separation of components, workloads, users, or networks so compromise in one area does not freely spread. Security teams use it to enforce...
Jailbreak
Jailbreak is an attack technique in which an adversary removes or bypasses platform restrictions that are meant to limit code execution or policy. Defenders...
Kerberoasting
Kerberoasting is an attack technique in which an adversary requests service tickets and cracks their encrypted material offline to recover service account...
MAC Flooding
MAC Flooding is an attack technique in which an adversary overwhelms a switch CAM table so frames are broadcast more broadly. Defenders analyze it to...
Macro Virus
Macro Virus is an attack technique in which an adversary embeds malicious logic in document macros so code runs when the file is opened or trusted. Defenders...
Malicious Insider
Malicious Insider is an attack technique in which an adversary misuses legitimate access to steal, sabotage, or expose organizational assets. Defenders analyze...
Man-in-the-Browser
Man-in-the-Browser is an attack technique in which an adversary modifies a browser session locally to alter transactions and observe content in real time....
Man-in-the-Middle
Man-in-the-Middle is an attack technique in which an adversary interposes between communicating parties to observe, modify, or relay traffic. Defenders analyze...
Mass Assignment
Mass Assignment is an attack technique in which an adversary binds unexpected client-supplied fields to privileged server-side object properties. Defenders...
Moat
A sustainable competitive advantage that protects a business from competitors — network effects, switching costs, brand, patents, or data advantages. The wider...
Mobile Security
Mobile Security is the protection of mobile devices, applications, data, identities, and wireless communications. Security teams use it to enforce trust,...
Multi-Factor Authentication
Authentication requiring two or more independent verification factors: something you know (password), something you have (phone/key), something you are...
Password Cracking
A security concept covering password cracking and its role in protecting systems, users, data, or operations. It shows up in application security, identity,...
Password Hash
A cryptographic concept related to password hash, secure communication, key handling, or trust establishment. It shows up in application security, identity,...
Password Manager
A security concept covering password manager and its role in protecting systems, users, data, or operations. It shows up in application security, identity,...
Password Spraying
A security concept covering password spraying and its role in protecting systems, users, data, or operations. It shows up in application security, identity,...
Patch Management
A governance or operations concept focused on patch management as part of ongoing security management. It shows up in application security, identity,...
Patch Tuesday
A security concept covering patch tuesday and its role in protecting systems, users, data, or operations. It shows up in application security, identity,...
Payload Delivery
A security concept covering payload delivery and its role in protecting systems, users, data, or operations. It shows up in application security, identity,...
Personal Data
A security concept covering personal data and its role in protecting systems, users, data, or operations. It shows up in application security, identity,...
Pharming
A security attack or exploit technique associated with pharming in real-world systems and networks. It shows up in application security, identity,...
Physical Security
A security concept covering physical security and its role in protecting systems, users, data, or operations. It shows up in application security, identity,...
Piggybacking
A security concept covering piggybacking and its role in protecting systems, users, data, or operations. It shows up in application security, identity,...
Plaintext
A cryptographic concept related to plaintext, secure communication, key handling, or trust establishment. It shows up in application security, identity,...
Platform Security
A security concept covering platform security and its role in protecting systems, users, data, or operations. It shows up in application security, identity,...
Plausible Deniability
A security concept covering plausible deniability and its role in protecting systems, users, data, or operations. It shows up in application security,...
Point of Presence Security
A security concept covering point of presence security and its role in protecting systems, users, data, or operations. It shows up in application security,...
Port Knocking
A technique that keeps a service hidden until a client sends a predefined sequence of connection attempts. It shows up in application security, identity,...
Pre-Authentication
An identity or access control concept centered on pre-authentication and how systems verify or authorize actions. It shows up in application security,...
Pretexting
A security concept covering pretexting and its role in protecting systems, users, data, or operations. It shows up in application security, identity,...
Preventative Control
A security control designed to stop an unwanted event, action, or compromise from occurring in the first place rather than merely detecting or documenting it...
Privacy by Design
A security concept covering privacy by design and its role in protecting systems, users, data, or operations. It shows up in application security, identity,...
Private Key
A cryptographic concept related to private key, secure communication, key handling, or trust establishment. It shows up in application security, identity,...
Privilege Creep
A security concept covering privilege creep and its role in protecting systems, users, data, or operations. It shows up in application security, identity,...
Process Hollowing
A security concept covering process hollowing and its role in protecting systems, users, data, or operations. It shows up in application security, identity,...
Process Injection
A security concept covering process injection and its role in protecting systems, users, data, or operations. It shows up in application security, identity,...
Proof of Knowledge
A security concept covering proof of knowledge and its role in protecting systems, users, data, or operations. It shows up in application security, identity,...
Protection Mechanism
A specific technical or procedural safeguard used to prevent, detect, or limit harm from threats or failures. Protection mechanisms range from memory...
Protocol Downgrade
A security concept covering protocol downgrade and its role in protecting systems, users, data, or operations. It shows up in application security, identity,...
Pseudo-Random Number Generator
A security concept covering pseudo-random number generator and its role in protecting systems, users, data, or operations. It shows up in application security,...
Public Key
A cryptographic concept related to public key, secure communication, key handling, or trust establishment. It shows up in application security, identity,...
Public Key Infrastructure
A cryptographic concept related to public key infrastructure, secure communication, key handling, or trust establishment. It shows up in application security,...
Rainbow Table
A security concept covering rainbow table and its role in protecting systems, users, data, or operations. It shows up in application security, identity,...
Random Number Generator
A security concept covering random number generator and its role in protecting systems, users, data, or operations. It shows up in application security,...
RASP
Runtime Application Self-Protection, a defense that monitors and blocks attacks from inside the running application. It shows up in application security,...
Rate Limiting
Controlling the number of requests a user or client can make to an API within a given time window, preventing abuse and ensuring fair resource allocation....
Rate Limiting Security
A security concept covering rate limiting security and its role in protecting systems, users, data, or operations. It shows up in application security,...
Reclassification
A security concept covering reclassification and its role in protecting systems, users, data, or operations. It shows up in application security, identity,...
Reflected XSS
A security concept covering reflected xss and its role in protecting systems, users, data, or operations. It shows up in application security, identity,...
Registry Key
A cryptographic concept related to registry key, secure communication, key handling, or trust establishment. It shows up in application security, identity,...
Remediation
A governance or operations concept focused on remediation as part of ongoing security management. It shows up in application security, identity,...
Remote Code Execution
A security concept covering remote code execution and its role in protecting systems, users, data, or operations. It shows up in application security,...
Return Oriented Programming
A security concept covering return oriented programming and its role in protecting systems, users, data, or operations. It shows up in application security,...
Reverse Engineering
A security concept covering reverse engineering and its role in protecting systems, users, data, or operations. It shows up in application security, identity,...
Revocation List
A security concept covering revocation list and its role in protecting systems, users, data, or operations. It shows up in application security, identity,...
Risk Matrix
A governance or operations concept focused on risk matrix as part of ongoing security management. It shows up in application security, identity,...
Risk Register
A governance or operations concept focused on risk register as part of ongoing security management. It shows up in application security, identity,...
Runtime Application Self-Protection
A security concept covering runtime application self-protection and its role in protecting systems, users, data, or operations. It shows up in application...
Sandbox
An isolated environment where untrusted code or suspicious files can be executed safely, without risk to the host system. Also used in development to describe...
Sandbox Escape
A security concept covering sandbox escape and its role in protecting systems, users, data, or operations. It shows up in application security, identity,...
Secrets Management
A governance or operations concept focused on secrets management as part of ongoing security management. It shows up in application security, identity,...
Secrets Vault
A security concept covering secrets vault and its role in protecting systems, users, data, or operations. It shows up in application security, identity,...
Secure Boot
A security concept covering secure boot and its role in protecting systems, users, data, or operations. It shows up in application security, identity,...
Secure Coding
A security concept covering secure coding and its role in protecting systems, users, data, or operations. It shows up in application security, identity,...
Secure Enclave
A security concept covering secure enclave and its role in protecting systems, users, data, or operations. It shows up in application security, identity,...
Secure Multi-Party Computation
A security concept covering secure multi-party computation and its role in protecting systems, users, data, or operations. It shows up in application security,...
Secure Shell
A security concept covering secure shell and its role in protecting systems, users, data, or operations. It shows up in application security, identity,...
Secure Software Development Lifecycle
A security concept covering secure software development lifecycle and its role in protecting systems, users, data, or operations. It shows up in application...
Security Assertion Markup Language
A security concept covering security assertion markup language and its role in protecting systems, users, data, or operations. It shows up in application...
Security Awareness Training
A defensive security practice involving security awareness training to measure exposure, improve controls, or find malicious activity. It shows up in...
Security by Obscurity
A security concept covering security by obscurity and its role in protecting systems, users, data, or operations. It shows up in application security,...
Security Champion
A security concept covering security champion and its role in protecting systems, users, data, or operations. It shows up in application security, identity,...
Security Control
A security concept covering security control and its role in protecting systems, users, data, or operations. It shows up in application security, identity,...
Security Group
A security concept covering security group and its role in protecting systems, users, data, or operations. It shows up in application security, identity,...
Security Headers
HTTP response headers that instruct browsers to enable security features. Key headers: Content-Security-Policy (XSS prevention), Strict-Transport-Security...
Security Key
A cryptographic concept related to security key, secure communication, key handling, or trust establishment. It shows up in application security, identity,...
Security Operations Center
A security concept covering security operations center and its role in protecting systems, users, data, or operations. It shows up in application security,...
Security Orchestration
A security concept covering security orchestration and its role in protecting systems, users, data, or operations. It shows up in application security,...
Security Posture
A governance or operations concept focused on security posture as part of ongoing security management. It shows up in application security, identity,...
Security Token
An identity or access control concept centered on security token and how systems verify or authorize actions. It shows up in application security, identity,...
Self-Signed Certificate
A cryptographic concept related to self-signed certificate, secure communication, key handling, or trust establishment. It shows up in application security,...
Sensitive Data Exposure
A security concept covering sensitive data exposure and its role in protecting systems, users, data, or operations. It shows up in application security,...
Server-Side Request Forgery
A security concept covering server-side request forgery and its role in protecting systems, users, data, or operations. It shows up in application security,...
Session Fixation
A security concept covering session fixation and its role in protecting systems, users, data, or operations. It shows up in application security, identity,...
Session Management
A governance or operations concept focused on session management as part of ongoing security management. It shows up in application security, identity,...
Session Replay
A security concept covering session replay and its role in protecting systems, users, data, or operations. It shows up in application security, identity,...
Session Token
An identity or access control concept centered on session token and how systems verify or authorize actions. It shows up in application security, identity,...
SHA-256
A cryptographic concept related to sha-256, secure communication, key handling, or trust establishment. It shows up in application security, identity,...
Shadow IT
A security concept covering shadow it and its role in protecting systems, users, data, or operations. It shows up in application security, identity,...
Shift Left Security
A security concept covering shift left security and its role in protecting systems, users, data, or operations. It shows up in application security, identity,...
Signal Intelligence
A security concept covering signal intelligence and its role in protecting systems, users, data, or operations. It shows up in application security, identity,...
Single Sign-On Security
A security concept covering single sign-on security and its role in protecting systems, users, data, or operations. It shows up in application security,...
SOC
Security Operations Center — a dedicated facility or team that monitors, detects, analyzes, and responds to cybersecurity incidents around the clock, typically...
Software Bill of Materials
A security concept covering software bill of materials and its role in protecting systems, users, data, or operations. It shows up in application security,...
Software Supply Chain
A security concept covering software supply chain and its role in protecting systems, users, data, or operations. It shows up in application security,...
SSL Certificate
A cryptographic concept related to ssl certificate, secure communication, key handling, or trust establishment. It shows up in application security, identity,...
SSL Stripping
A cryptographic concept related to ssl stripping, secure communication, key handling, or trust establishment. It shows up in application security, identity,...
SSO Token
An identity or access control concept centered on sso token and how systems verify or authorize actions. It shows up in application security, identity,...
Stack Smashing
A security concept covering stack smashing and its role in protecting systems, users, data, or operations. It shows up in application security, identity,...
Stored XSS
A security concept covering stored xss and its role in protecting systems, users, data, or operations. It shows up in application security, identity,...
Supply Chain Compromise
A security concept covering supply chain compromise and its role in protecting systems, users, data, or operations. It shows up in application security,...
Symmetric Encryption
A cryptographic concept related to symmetric encryption, secure communication, key handling, or trust establishment. It shows up in application security,...
System Hardening
A governance or operations concept focused on system hardening as part of ongoing security management. It shows up in application security, identity,...
Tailgating
A security concept covering tailgating and its role in protecting systems, users, data, or operations. It shows up in application security, identity,...
Threat Feed
A security concept covering threat feed and its role in protecting systems, users, data, or operations. It shows up in application security, identity,...
Threat Intelligence Platform
A security concept covering threat intelligence platform and its role in protecting systems, users, data, or operations. It shows up in application security,...
Threat Landscape
A governance or operations concept focused on threat landscape as part of ongoing security management. It shows up in application security, identity,...
Threat Surface
A governance or operations concept focused on threat surface as part of ongoing security management. It shows up in application security, identity,...
TLS Certificate
A cryptographic concept related to tls certificate, secure communication, key handling, or trust establishment. It shows up in application security, identity,...
TLS Fingerprinting
A cryptographic concept related to tls fingerprinting, secure communication, key handling, or trust establishment. It shows up in application security,...
TLS Termination
A cryptographic concept related to tls termination, secure communication, key handling, or trust establishment. It shows up in application security, identity,...
Token Binding
An identity or access control concept centered on token binding and how systems verify or authorize actions. It shows up in application security, identity,...
Tokenization
An identity or access control concept centered on tokenization and how systems verify or authorize actions. It shows up in application security, identity,...
Trapdoor
A security concept covering trapdoor and its role in protecting systems, users, data, or operations. It shows up in application security, identity,...
Two-Factor Authentication
An authentication scheme requiring two distinct forms of verification — typically something you know (password) and something you have (phone, hardware key) —...
Two-Person Integrity
A security concept covering two-person integrity and its role in protecting systems, users, data, or operations. It shows up in application security, identity,...
Type Confusion
A security concept covering type confusion and its role in protecting systems, users, data, or operations. It shows up in application security, identity,...
URL Filtering
A security concept covering url filtering and its role in protecting systems, users, data, or operations. It shows up in application security, identity,...
Use After Free
A security concept covering use after free and its role in protecting systems, users, data, or operations. It shows up in application security, identity,...
Vulnerability
A security concept covering vulnerability and its role in protecting systems, users, data, or operations. It shows up in application security, identity,...
Vulnerability Chaining
A security concept covering vulnerability chaining and its role in protecting systems, users, data, or operations. It shows up in application security,...
Vulnerability Disclosure
A security concept covering vulnerability disclosure and its role in protecting systems, users, data, or operations. It shows up in application security,...
Vulnerability Management
A governance or operations concept focused on vulnerability management as part of ongoing security management. It shows up in application security, identity,...
WAF
Web Application Firewall — a security layer that filters, monitors, and blocks HTTP traffic to and from a web application, protecting against attacks like SQL...
Watering Hole
A security concept covering watering hole and its role in protecting systems, users, data, or operations. It shows up in application security, identity,...
Web Cache Poisoning
A security concept covering web cache poisoning and its role in protecting systems, users, data, or operations. It shows up in application security, identity,...
Web Shell
A security concept covering web shell and its role in protecting systems, users, data, or operations. It shows up in application security, identity,...
Whitelisting
A security concept covering whitelisting and its role in protecting systems, users, data, or operations. It shows up in application security, identity,...
Wi-Fi Deauthentication
An identity or access control concept centered on wi-fi deauthentication and how systems verify or authorize actions. It shows up in application security,...
Wildcard Certificate
A cryptographic concept related to wildcard certificate, secure communication, key handling, or trust establishment. It shows up in application security,...
Windows Defender
A security concept covering windows defender and its role in protecting systems, users, data, or operations. It shows up in application security, identity,...
Wire Fraud
A security concept covering wire fraud and its role in protecting systems, users, data, or operations. It shows up in application security, identity,...
Wireshark Filter
A security concept covering wireshark filter and its role in protecting systems, users, data, or operations. It shows up in application security, identity,...

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