Page 11 - My FlipBook

DISTRIBUTED DENIAL OF SERVICE (DDOS) ATTACK: an attack in which a group of
computers sends a massive number of messages to overwhelm and disable a website
or network
ECHO CHAMBER: an online environment in which people encounter only opinions and
beliefs similar to their own. Social media enables echo chambers by linking people
who share one another’s views.

ENCRYPTION: encoding data into a form that can be accessed by only certain users.
Cybersecurity staff often use encryption to protect data from cyberattacks. During
ransomware attacks, cyberattackers might use encryption to prevent authorized
users from accessing their own data.
ETHICAL HACKER: a person who hacks into a computer network to test or evaluate its
security. If ethical hackers find a vulnerability, they can tell the network administrator
how to fix it.

FAKE NEWS: news items or social media posts that are designed to look like real
news stories but are mostly or wholly untrue

FIREWALL: a software barrier designed to block unauthorized access to a computer
network

HACKER: a person who gains unauthorized access to a computer or network
HACKTIVIST: someone who hacks into computers to advance a political agenda.
Hacktivists might disable the websites of organizations they oppose or take over the
sites to send their own messages.

HONEYPOT: a website or server designed to attract cyberattackers. A honeypot
might contain fake or useless data. Once the honeypot is attacked, cyberdefenders
can figure out who the attacker is and how to keep the attacker from getting
valuable data.
IMPLICIT BIAS: an automatic and unconscious prejudice against or opinion about a
member of a certain racial, ethnic, religious, or other group
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (IT): the use of computer systems for data storage and
communications
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY: work that is the result of human intelligence, such as a
manuscript, a design, or an invention
MALWARE: short for malicious software, any software (such as computer viruses,
worms, and spyware) designed to disrupt, damage, or allow unauthorized access to
data or computer systems

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