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Cyber Safety Glossary
The Cyber Safety Glossary provides useful information to educate you about illegal, fraudulent schemes and how to avoid them.
A computer user’s most important protection is his or her own awareness.
| Adware | Annoying pop-up and banner ads? System slowdowns? Your computer may be infected with Adware | |
| Bots & Botnets | Hackers use bot programs for theft, fraud, and denial-of-service attacks on Web sites | |
| Browser Highjacking | ||
| Cookies | A Web page that welcomes you by name uses cookies | |
| Digital Signatures |
Businesses rely on what is called a digital signature to recognize their customers |
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| Extortionware |
A software program that encrypts essential personal files - taking them hostage and demanding money for their safe return |
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| Keylogger | Hackers illegally use software keyloggers to identify their victims’ computer passwords, login names, bank account and credit card numbers | |
| Malware | Any software program developed for the purpose of doing harm to a computer system or to create mischief | |
| Man-in-the-Middle Attack | Cyber criminals eavesdrop on electronic communication between a consumer and a legitimate organization | |
| Nigerian Scam | Unsolicited email messages from a stranger who promises great wealth — a get-rich-quick scheme | |
| P2P File Sharing | Peer-to-peer file sharing is very popular on the Internet, but it can also lead to virus infections and a host of other problems | |
| Pharming | A technically sophisticated scam designed to trick individuals into disclosing sensitive information such as bank account, credit card, and Social Security numbers | |
| Phishing | Official looking and sounding messages that urge immediate action to update sensitive financial and identity information | |
| SMishing | ||
| Social Engineering Scams | A scam that preys upon our acceptance of authority and willingness to cooperate with others | |
| Social Networking Sites | Never under any circumstances should your child or young teenager agree to meet in person someone from one of these sites | |
| Software Piracy | The illegal use and/or distribution of software protected under intellectual property laws | |
| Spam | The cyber equivalent to junk mail – spammers have developed many ways of obtaining email addresses | |
| Spim | Unsolicited product or service advertisements that appear as instant messages | |
| Sping | Spam from a fake blog tricking the unwary into visiting | |
| Spit | A spam campaign against VOIP voicemail | |
| Splog | A spam campaign directed against blogs | |
| Spoofing | A criminal pretends to be a business or organization in order to gain access to a computer user’s sensitive information such as bank account, credit card, or Social Security numbers | |
| Spy-Phishing | ||
| Stealth, Polymorphic, and Armored viruses | ||
| Bots & Botnets | Hackers use bot programs for theft, fraud, and denial-of-service attacks on Web sites | |
| Trojan Horses | Files or software programs that appear to be legitimate, but once installed can cause havoc | |
| Viruses | Malicious programs or codes inserted into computer systems without the user’s permission | |
| Warez Sites | Any site that hosts pirated software | |
| Worms | These malicious software programs spread automatically from computer to computer | |
| Zombie Drones | Personal computers secretly under the control of hackers | |
