9 Cyber-Security Terms You Should Know in 2021 | Free Antivirus Software

Everyone is responsible for their own cybersecurity. You don't have to be an IT professional to know how to protect yourself from a cyber attack. 

To get you started, here are some helpful terms that you should know so that you don't feel in the dark, whether you're teaching yourself how to update your anti-malware, bring your systems up to date, or your technical Consult support.

 

MALWARE

For a long time, the term “computer virus” has been misused to define any type of attack aimed at harming or compromising your computers and networks. 

A virus is actually a specific type of attack or malware. 

While a virus is designed to replicate itself, any software designed to break into networks or steal data should be classified as malware.

 

RANSOMWARE - RANSOM NOTE

Don't be confused by all of the other words that end in “goods”; they are all just subcategories of malware. 

Currently, one of the most popular of these is “ransom,” which is malware that encrypts valuable data until a ransom is paid for its return.

 

INTRUSION PROTECTION SYSTEM (IPS)

There are several ways to protect your network from malware, but IPS is quickly becoming one of the required ways. 

IPS reside inside your company's firewall, looking for suspicious and malicious activity that can be stopped before it can exploit a known vulnerability.

 

SOCIAL ENGINEERING

Not all types of malware are based solely on fancy computer programming. 

Experts agree that most attacks require some form of so-called "social engineering" in order to be successful. 

Social engineering is the process of getting people, not computers, to reveal confidential or proprietary information. 

Complicated software is completely unnecessary if all you can do is convince potential victims that you are a security professional who needs their password to keep their account secure.

 

PHISHING

Although social engineering often relies on face-to-face interactions, more technical methods are occasionally used. 

Phishing is the creation of an application or website that poses as a trustworthy and often a well-known company in order to obtain confidential information. 

Just because you received an email saying it was from your house bank doesn't mean it should be taken at face value - always check the source requesting your confidential information.

 

ANTIVIRUS

Antivirus software is often misunderstood as a way to fully secure your servers and workstations. 

These applications are only part of the cybersecurity puzzle and can only check the drives they are installed on for signs of known malware variants.

Protect your computer with the best free antivirus software

 

ZERO DAY ATTACKS

Malware is most dangerous when it's published but not yet discovered by cybersecurity experts. 

If a vulnerability is found in a software, the manufacturers will release an update to close the security gap.

However, when cyberattackers release a piece of malware that has never been seen before, and when that malware exploits one of these loopholes before the vulnerability is fixed, it is called a zero-day attack.

 

PATCHES

When software developers discover a vulnerability in their programming, they usually publish a small file to update and "patch" that vulnerability. 

Patches are essential to protect your network from the hackers lurking on the Internet. 

By checking for and installing patches as often as possible, you will protect your software from the latest malware.

 

REDUNDANT DATA

If antivirus software, patches, and intrusion detection fail to protect your information, there is only one option: Quarantine offsite storage. 

Duplicating your data offline and storing it somewhere other than your company's workspace ensures that you have backups in the event of a malware infection.