This Data Breach Glossary provides essential terminology related to security incidents, cyber-attacks, and data protection. Understanding these terms is crucial for organizations and security professionals working to prevent, detect, and respond to unauthorized access or exposure of sensitive information.
Table of Contents
A
- Advanced Persistent Threat (APT):
A sophisticated, continuous, and targeted cyberattack where an intruder gains and maintains unauthorized access to a network for an extended period to steal sensitive information. - Access Control:
Methods and policies that restrict access to systems, networks, and data so that only authorized users can view or manipulate them. - Advanced Encryption Standard (AES):
A widely used encryption algorithm that secures data by converting it into an unreadable format, requiring a key for decryption.
B
- Breach Notification:
The process of informing affected individuals, regulatory authorities, and sometimes the public when a data breach occurs, as required by various state and federal laws. - Data Breach:
An incident where sensitive, confidential, or protected data is accessed, disclosed, or stolen by unauthorized parties. - Data Leak:
The accidental or unintentional exposure of sensitive data to unauthorized persons, often due to misconfigurations or human error.
C
- Cybersecurity:
The practice of protecting systems, networks, and data from digital attacks, damage, or unauthorized access. - Compliance:
Adherence to laws, regulations, and guidelines that govern data protection, cybersecurity practices, and breach reporting.
D
- Data Exfiltration:
The unauthorized transfer or copying of data from a system or network to an external location, often performed covertly by attackers. - Decryption:
The process of converting encrypted data back into its original, readable format using a decryption key. - Digital Forensics:
The process of collecting, analyzing, and preserving digital evidence from computer systems and networks, typically after a cyber incident. - Data Integrity:
The accuracy and consistency of data over its lifecycle, ensuring it remains unaltered and reliable.
E
- Encryption:
The process of converting data into a secure code to prevent unauthorized access, ensuring that only those with the correct decryption key can access the original data. - Exploit:
A method or technique used by attackers to take advantage of a vulnerability in a system, application, or network.
F
- Forensic Investigation:
A detailed analysis performed after a security incident to determine the cause, scope, and impact of a data breach. This process often involves collecting and analyzing digital evidence.
I
- Incident Response:
A structured approach to managing and mitigating the effects of a cybersecurity incident or data breach, including detection, containment, eradication, recovery, and post-incident analysis. - Information Security (InfoSec):
A broader discipline that encompasses cybersecurity along with processes and policies designed to protect data confidentiality, integrity, and availability. - Intrusion Detection System (IDS):
A security solution that monitors network or system activities for malicious actions or policy violations, alerting administrators of potential breaches. - Intrusion Prevention System (IPS):
Similar to an IDS but with the capability to actively block or mitigate detected threats in real time.
M
- Malware:
Malicious software designed to disrupt, damage, or gain unauthorized access to computer systems. Examples include viruses, worms, trojans, and ransomware. - Mitigation:
The process of reducing the severity, likelihood, or impact of a cybersecurity risk or breach through various control measures and practices. - Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA):
A security mechanism that requires users to provide multiple forms of verification (e.g., something they know, something they have, and something they are) before accessing a system or data.
P
- Patch Management:
The process of regularly updating software to fix vulnerabilities, improve functionality, and reduce the risk of exploitation by attackers. - Personal Identifiable Information (PII):
Any data that can be used to identify an individual, such as names, social security numbers, addresses, or dates of birth. - Protected Health Information (PHI):
Medical and health-related data that can be linked to an individual, which is subject to strict regulations under laws such as HIPAA. - Phishing:
A type of social engineering attack where attackers send fraudulent messages (often via email) to trick recipients into revealing sensitive information or clicking on malicious links. - Penetration Testing:
A simulated cyberattack against an organization’s systems or networks to identify vulnerabilities that could be exploited by real attackers. - PII Exposure:
The accidental or unauthorized disclosure of personally identifiable information, often resulting from a data breach or system vulnerability.
R
- Ransomware:
A type of malware that encrypts a victim’s data, rendering it inaccessible until a ransom is paid to the attackers in exchange for the decryption key. - Remediation:
The steps taken to resolve a security vulnerability or breach, which may include patching systems, strengthening controls, and updating policies to prevent recurrence. - Risk Assessment:
The process of identifying, evaluating, and prioritizing risks to an organization’s data and systems, usually followed by the implementation of appropriate mitigation measures.
S
- Security Operations Center (SOC):
A centralized facility or team responsible for monitoring, detecting, analyzing, and responding to cybersecurity incidents around the clock. - Social Engineering:
A manipulation technique used by attackers to trick individuals into divulging confidential information or performing actions that compromise security. - Stolen Credentials:
Usernames, passwords, or other authentication data that have been illicitly obtained by attackers, often used to gain unauthorized access to systems or data.
T
- Threat:
Any potential danger or malicious action that could exploit a vulnerability and cause harm to an organization’s data or systems. - Third-Party Risk:
The risk associated with outsourcing services or sharing data with external vendors or partners, whose security practices may not be as robust as those of the primary organization.
V
- Vulnerability:
A weakness in a system, network, or process that can be exploited by attackers to gain unauthorized access or cause harm. - Zero-Day Vulnerability:
A previously unknown vulnerability in software or hardware that has not yet been patched, leaving systems exposed to exploitation.
