| Word/Phrase | Explanation |
|---|
|
| 419 Scam |
The scammer claims they can help you to claim a large amount of stolen or "unclaimed" money. You must pay a fee for their help, and of course the money never arrives. |
|
| Account |
A computer account holds your settings, apps and permissions (admin accounts are more powerful than ordinary user accounts). Each account has its own login details which differ from other accounts on the device. |
| Ad Blocker |
This stops your web browser from showing advertising on a web site, which is sometimes in the form of windows that pop-up or videos that play automatically. |
| Add-In |
Often this is a small computer program that adds to the features of a web browser. This is very often written by programmers who don't work on the browser itself. |
| Add-On |
Often this is a small computer program that adds to the features of a web browser. This is very often written by programmers who don't work on the browser itself. |
| Address Bar |
The address bar in a browser is the long box that is often at the top of the browser page. You can use it to type the address of the site you want. It shows the address of the web site once you've reached it. |
| Advance Fee Fraud |
The scammer claims they can help you to claim a large amount of stolen or "unclaimed" money. You must pay a fee for their help, and of course the money never arrives. |
| Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) |
An APT can either mean an organisation or an attack on a computer system. APT attackers have deep knowledge of computer systems. This may mean they criminals and/or work on behalf of a country. |
| AirDrop |
AirDrop is a technology that allows one iPhone user to transfer a message or photo directly to another iPhone without using email or the internet. The technology used is Wi-Fi and Bluetooth |
| Algorithm |
An algorithm is a list of instructions to do a job. To make a cup of tea, for example, the algorithm could be (1) Find a clean cup (2) Fill the kettle, etc.. A computer also needs a list of instructions for anything it has to do. |
| Amazon Web Services (AWS) |
Run by the same Amazon that sells you products online. AWS runs in the "cloud", which means huge computers, set up so that you can rent a small part of their computing power or their storage space, to use as if it were your own. |
| Anchor |
In web page code (HTML), the <a> tag is called an anchor. You don't see the tag: what you see as a user is a [hyper]link to another web page. |
| Android |
Android is a very popular operating system for mobile phones and tables. Without an operating system, your apps wouldn't work. It provides the services that apps need. |
| App |
Short for "application", this usually means computer programs designed to run on mobile phones. They have to be smaller than programs designed for computers |
| App Store |
An app store like the Google PlayStore or the App Store from Android provides approved apps for download to smartphones. |
| Artificial Intelligence (AI) |
AI is a way for a computer to make decisions without being programmed. It looks for patterns in the data that are usually seen alongside whatever it's looking for. It doesn't 'understand' in the way a human does. It can't explain its decisions. |
| Astro-turfing |
Astro-turfing is hiding who's really sponsoring or paying for a message or an organisation, so that it seems as if it's a mass movement, supported by ordinary people. |
| Attachment |
An attachment is a document like a picture or a Word document which is not in the main email message - You can usually see it below or at the side and you have to click to open it. |
| Attack Surface |
The attack surface is the whole range of weaknesses in a system that could be used to attack it. Every app may have its own weaknesses, so the more installed apps and features you have, the bigger your attack surface will be. |
| Attribution |
Attribution is identifying who launched an attack against a system. For example, security experts from one government may identify which country they think launched an attack on their banking systems |
| Authentication |
The first thing a software security system needs to know is whether you really are who you say you are. Checking your identity is called "Authentication". |
| Azure |
Microsoft's equivalent to Amazon Web Services. Azure runs in the "cloud", which means huge computers, set up so that you can rent a small part of their computing power or their storage space, to use as if it were your own. |
|
| Bait and Switch |
This is a scam where the first offer is very attractive but once the seller is talking to you they will switch you to something that makes more money for them. |
| Bare Metal |
Software can change the way a computer looks to programs running on it. This "virtualisation" makes it possible for programs to run when they wouldn't work on the "bare metal" (the real computer and operating system). |
| Bellingcat |
An organisation that does journalistic investigations and fact-checking, often using OSINT (open-source intelligence), which means collecting publicly available information to investigate crimes and events. |
| Bitcoin (BTC) |
Bitcoin is not a physical thing: it's created and stored on computers. Bitcoin is often described as a currency but its value goes up and down far more than dollars or pounds, for example. It's quite hard to spend, and because governments and banks are not in control, it can be difficult to get bitcoin back if you're hacked. |
| Black Pill |
A variant of the Red Pill, this has a variety of meanings but is generally more negative than "Red Pill" and sometimes associated with the Incel movement. |
| Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) |
When Windows crashes so badly that your computer stops working, you normally see a "Blue Screen of Death", full of plain text giving some technical information on what happened. |
| Bluetooth |
Bluetooth is a way for smartphones to communicate over very short distances |
| Bookmark |
Bookmarking a website in your browser is a handy way of storing links to web sites that you often visit. The help section of your browser will tell you how to do it. |
| Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) |
The Internet is world-wide, but it's made up of a number of big chunks (networks) which need to connect to each other. BGP is the way that large networks connect to each other. |
| Bot |
Short for "robot": usually computer programs using fake accounts to post comments on social media. The computer posts these comments automatically, so bots can be used to pretend that a politician or an idea has huge support. |
| Botnet |
A botnet is a group of computers that were attacked and are now controlled by a criminal. These computers can be used together to launch more powerful attacks. |
| Brick |
To "brick" a smartphone or a computerised home device means to stop it working, so that it just sits there as useless as a brick |
| Brick, to |
To "brick" a smartphone or a computerised home device means to stop it working, so that it just sits there as useless as a brick |
| Browser |
Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Internet Explorer (which you should stop using) are all types of browser. |
| Browser Extension |
Browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Opera etc.) have to do lots of different work and it would be too complicated to have one gigantic set of computer code in the browser. “Browser extensions” are small programs that let you “accessorise” your browser for special tasks that the plain browser can’t do. They may be written by programmers who don’t work on the browser itself. The programming code may be excellent, but it could be badly written or unsafe. |
| Brute Force |
Brute force means using minimum intelligence to solve a problem. A simple program trying to get into a system by submitting millions of passwords would be an example of a "brute force" attack. |
| Buffer |
A buffer is a temporary store of data. When you stream video, for example, your browser pulls down extra data into a buffer. It can use the buffer to continue playing your video even if your supply of data from the web site is temporarily interrupted. |
| Bug |
The first bug was literally an insect that was found in a computer at Harvard in the United States. It came to mean a fault in a computer program. Bugs are not attacks on software, but they are often a “weak spot” that an attacker can use to break in to a system. |
| Bug Bounty |
This is a reward given by a software company to a hacker or researcher who has found an error in the software that could make it easier to attack. |
| Burner Account |
A "throwaway" account that you use for a short time only. This can be used to hide your real identity, or to keep the data in your main account safe if the burner account is broken into. |
| Business Email Compromise (BEC) |
Where the scammer uses email to trick someone into sending money or giving out company information. The scammer poses as a manager or someone who is trusted. |
|
| Cache |
It takes time to move things across the Internet. Apps like your browser speed things up by keeping copies. They can use their copy next time instead of getting another one over the Web. The place where the copies are stored is called the "cache" |
| Cascading Style Sheet (CSS) |
When a web page is written with HTML, it will be black and white and all the letters will be in one type style. CSS is used to style the page, including the locations and sizes of items on the page, colours, and fancy type styles. |
| Catfishing |
This means creating a false identity to deceive someone. Catfishing happens on social media, and can be used by paedophiles, on dating sites, or to get money. |
| Central Processing Unit (CPU) |
The processor in a computer is the not the part that stores your data, such as photos. It's the part that does the work when you ask the computer for something, such as a web site that you want to see, or a calculation in maths. |
| ChatGPT |
ChatGPT is a chatbot which takes artificial intelligence to a new level in the quality of language it produces. The answers are sometimes wrong, but they sound convincing. When it's queried, it returns one piece of text as the result, unlike Google. |
| Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) |
Images or videos showing a child engaged in explicit sexual activity or made to look as if they are engaged in it. |
| Chum box |
Advertisements with misleading clickbait headlines, which appear next to what you actually want to read. |
| Clickbait |
Clickbait is a link which is designed to make you click on it, using text which is misleading or deceptive. "The miracle cure doctors don't want you to know about..." for example. |
| Client |
A "client" is a computer that is receiving data from another computer, unlike a computer sending the information, which is the "server". Your home computer or smartphone is usually a client, and it calls servers all over the Internet. |
| Cloud |
Cloud computing uses huge computers with software which splits up the computing power into units that you can rent. Customers can avoid buying their own computers by using cloud services to run their programs. |
| Coding |
Coding is computer programming, but the focus tends to be on languages like JavaScript which form part of a web site and may control the part of the site that the user sees, rather than the “plumbing” that works behind the scenes. Writing code can be simpler than true computer programming since a coder doesn’t always need to understand the background system that supports the web site. |
| Coinbase |
Coinbase is a big cryptocurrency exchange, where various cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum can be bought and sold. |
| Cold Storage |
A cold wallet is storage for cryptocurrency. It is not connected to the Internet. Because it's difficult or impossible to recover cryptocurrency that has been stolen, so removing the Internet connection improves security. |
| Cold Wallet |
A cold wallet is storage for cryptocurrency. It is not connected to the Internet. Because it's difficult or impossible to recover cryptocurrency that has been stolen, so removing the Internet connection improves security. |
| Configuration |
Configuration means the way that you set up a computer or smartphone, for example the permissions you give to apps to find out your location, or to use the microphone or camera |
| Confirmation Bias |
When a new piece of information supports (confirms) something we already believe, we may accept it when we should test whether it's really true. This is "confirmation bias". |
| Content Delivery Network (CDN) |
When a web site is a long way from you it runs slower than if it were near. With a "CDN", the site is spread over a group of computers around the world, so there's usually one near you which can respond quickly. |
| A normal menu is usually at the top of the page. Whatever you are doing, the menu doesn't change and usually stays visible. You usually bring up a context menu by right-clicking the mouse or by pressing a smartphone screen with your finger. The context menu figures out what your are doing and shows only the commands you need. |
| Contrepreneur |
Someone who claims that they are an entrepreneur and can help others to achieve financial independence but is just selling phoney investments. |
| Cookie |
When you visit a website for the first time you may set it up the way you like it. The web site can "remember" these settings by writing a small file to your computer. Next time you visit the site it will read the cookie so that it can put back the settings you chose last time. Third-party cookes are different - they track your web activity |
| County Lines |
Selling drugs which have been moved from one police or local authority area to another, often using children or vulnerable people to do it, is known as "county lines". |
| Credential Stuffing |
When passwords have been stolen from a system, "credential stuffing" means trying those passwords on another system. Using different passwords for each system protects against this. |
| Crypto |
Often a short way of saying "crypto-currency", a new type of money created purely on computer using mathematics. It's not controlled by government. Examples: BitCoin, Ether |
| Crypto Miner |
Crypto currencies like Bitcoin are created on computers. They are different to gold, and dollars or pounds created by governments. "Mining" crypto currencies means earning crypto-currency by solving mathematical puzzles. |
| Cyber-Bullying |
Bullying over the Internet. Many people use this word when bully and victim know each other. If they’re strangers, it’s often called trolling. |
| Cyber-utopianism |
Very simply, cyber-utopianism is the belief that the Internet will change the world into a utopia, a place where the most important desires and needs of humanity are satisfied. |
|
| Dark Web |
The dark web is websites which cannot be reached with an ordinary browser like Chrome or Edge. Criminals need secrecy so the dark web is home to many serious criminals. |
| Data Breach |
A data breach is when data that should be kept private by an organisation is taken by an attacker. Many well-known organisations have suffered data breaches as you can see here |
| Data Centre (Cloud Computing) |
Cloud computing makes use of data centres: huge banks of powerful servers (computers) managed by a cloud provider such as Microsoft. The computing power is shared among users of the cloud service. This saves those users the effort of buying and maintaining their own computers. |
| Data Integrity |
Data has integrity when it hasn't been changed, and where values that are stored in more than one place agree with each other. |
| Data Localisation |
A number of countries have laws which demand that data related to a country must be stored locally, in that country. Companies follow this law by localising their data to the country of origin. |
| Data Mining |
Data mining uses a computer to process large amounts of information and uncover unexpected patterns in it. |
| Data Scraping |
Scraping a web site is a way to get information without using systems provided by the web site owner. These systems make it easy to read the data, but may require a subscription or a payment. Scraping the site is simply reading what's on the web page and converting the page code into data. |
| Database |
A database is a type of program that stores information. There are usually databases behind websites. This definition is stored in the GoSafer.Online database. |
| Debugging |
Debugging means a computer programmer walking through a program step-by-step to find out how it works or why it's going wrong. |
| Deep Link |
On the web, a deep link goes directly to the page of a web site that contains the information needed, not to the home page of the site. |
| Deep Web |
The Deep Web is the information that you can't find with a search engine like Google. This website contains Deep Web information. Google can't find it because it's in a database, not actually written in the web pages. |
| Deets |
Slang for "details", often relating to a credit card or bank account. |
| Department of Homeland Security (DHS) |
A cabinet department of the U.S. federal government. It has job of preventing terrorist attacks and assisting in the case of disasters. |
| Your digital footprint is made up of all the traces you leave on the Internet, photos or comments you made on social media. These often last for years and are likely to be viewed by employers before they offer you a job. |
| Disk |
In most older computers, all the storage of data (photos, messages, and documents) was on an actual disk, so it can be another way of referring to data storage. |
| Distributed Denial of Service (DDOS) |
"Denial of Service" means bringing down an online service like a web site. in a "distributed" denial of service, a large group of computers works together to hit the service with pointless queries. This keeps it so busy that it can't answer genuine customer requests. |
| Domain |
This word can mean different things, but typically an internet domain is unique across the whole internet, and belongs to a person or organisation. They will attach the domain to a website. It's the core of a web address. This site is at "http://howto.gosafer.online": the domain name is gosafer.online. |
| Domain Flipping |
"Flipping" is buying something and hoping to sell it quickly for a profit, so domain flipping is buying an internet domain name and hoping to sell it for a quick profit |
| Downloading |
Downloading is copying a file to your computer from somewhere else. |
| Dox |
Doxing someone means to deliberately reveal their private or personal information, for example their home address or phone number. |
| Doxing |
Doxing someone means to deliberately reveal their private or personal information, for example their home address or phone number. |
|
| Echo Chamber |
When someone only gets news or social media posts that agree with their opinions, they are in an "echo chamber". Their ideas are reflected back to them. Instead of considering other points of view, their opinions may become more extreme. |
| Email Attachment |
An attachment is a document like a picture or a Word document which is not in the main email message - You can usually see it below or at the side and you have to click to open it. |
| Embedded Systems |
A computer system that is a component of an appliance, or forms part of a bigger system. For example, the software that controls a washing machine programme runs on an embedded system. |
| Encryption |
Encryption is scrambling a message in a way that makes it very difficult for anyone to read it excapt the person it is intended for. |
| End User Licence Agreement (EULA) |
This is agreement you have to accept before you can use a piece of software. It is meant to be a legally binding contract, but the law may cancel some of it. |
| End-to-End Encryption (E2EE) |
A messaging or social media app is "end-to-end" encrypted if the information is scrambled all the way from sender to receiver. No-one in-between, such as the phone company or Facebook, can read it. |
| E-Safety |
The E in “E-Safety” is short for Electronic. So E-Safety is about keeping your device safe from attackers. It covers the use of a mobile phone, a tablet or a laptop computer. |
| Ethereum (ETH) |
Ethereum is an alternative to Bitcoin, created and stored on computers. As a cryptocurrency, speculating on Ethereum carries risks. |
| Exfiltrate (Exfil) |
Roughly opposite to "infiltrate": in computing it means to secretly remove data from a system. |
| Extension |
A file extension is the part of the file name after the dot, like the ".docx" in a Microsoft Word document such as "Information.docx". It usually shows what kind of document the file is, and which program works with it. |
|
| Fact Checking |
Fact checking is supposed to decide whether memes, or claims made by public personalities, are actually true |
| Fake Reviews |
Since so many people look at reviews to make buying decisions, businesses sometimes cheat by writing their own reviews or paying money for fake reviews. The reviews say nice things about them or nasty things about their competitors. The extra money they make by looking good on TripAdvisor or getting to the top of Amazon searches covers the cost of the phoney reviews. |
| False flag |
A false flag operation is where an attacker hides their true identity and pretends to be working for a different country. |
| False Flag Operation |
A false flag operation is where an attacker hides their true identity and pretends to be working for a different country. |
| Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO) |
Fear Of Missing Out can be caused by spending too much time on social media and taking it seriously. Generally people only post things that make them look happy and successful. Someone who compares this fantasy online world with their own life may feel that there is something wrong with them. “Why do I have so many problems when these people spend their whole lives having fun and making money?” (etc.) |
| Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt (FUD) |
Promoters of a crypto or other project often accuse people who criticise it of creating FUD instead of sticking to the facts |
| File Transfer Protocol (FTP) |
FTP is an older method of sending files from one computer to another, for example downloading a file from a server to your laptop. It is steadily falling out of use and it's better to avoid using it if possible. |
| Fingerprinting |
When all the settings of your device and your browser are put together, they form a unique combination which can be used to identify and track you. This is called "fingerprinting". |
| Firewall |
A firewall is security software that blocks instructions coming into and out of a computer unless the firewall rules allow them. Without a firewall, any attacker on the Internet could communicate with your computer. |
| Firmware |
Hardware devices are all different, so it's impossible for an operating system (like Android or Windows) to understand how every piece of hardware works. Firmware does the job of talking to the hardware. If there is an operating system on the device, it talks to the firmware not directly to the hardware. The firmware translates the instructions for the hardware. |
| Flash Drive |
A flash drive is a small storage device that fits into the USB port on your computer. |
| Forum |
An online location for discussions, often around a specific interest. Messages are saved so that conversations can last for a long time. |
| Fudders |
People who create Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt to attack a project. |
| Furu |
Fake Guru: Someone who claims to be an expert but actually is trying to sell something. |
|
| Gas Fees |
"Gas fees" is what transaction fees on the Ethereum blockchain are called. The name is sometimes used in relation to other crypto-currencies. |
| Gaslighting |
Gaslighting is manipulating someone and changing their understanding of reality. Lies, distraction, and discrediting the victim among their friends and associates are some of the techniques used. |
| Generative AI |
Generative AI is artificial intelligence that creates (or generates) words, pictures, and other results for the user. It doesn't control anything or make decisions like other AI may do. |
| Godwin's Law |
Godwin's Law says that the longer any online discussion continues, the more likely it is that someone will make a comparison to Adolf Hitler or the Nazis. |
| GPS Tracker |
"GPS" stands for Global Positioning System. Devices on earth can communicate with GPS to find out their location, so a GPS tracker provides up-to-date location information, typically on a person, animal or piece of equipment. |
| Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) |
A graphics processing unit in a computer does the work of figuring out how to show an image on a screen. A GPU can also be help with processing big amounts of data, as in cryptocurrency mining. |
| Grift |
A dishonest money-making scheme |
|
| Hacker |
This word is used to mean several different things. People who don’t work in technology say “hacker” are often talking about someone who unlawfully attacks a system, but they may also use the expression “life hack”, which doesn’t mean anything bad. For IT people, the idea of a hacker may be similar: someone who finds clever ways to do a job or fix a problem. |
| Hacker, Ethical |
An ethical hacker is someone invited by an organisation to try and beat their security. The ethical hacker uses the same skills as the criminal hacker. The important difference is that they are paid for what do and don’t risk being arrested and possibly jailed. |
| A menu with three horizontal bars (so it's like bread+meat+bread) that drops down when you click it. Our logo includes a hamburger menu. |
| Haptic |
"Haptic" technology reacts to what the user does by moving or vibrating in a way that makes it seem like a real experience. |
| Hash |
Hashing a piece of data such as a piece of text means calculating a unique number from it. The number should be unique. Unlike data encryption, a hash doesn't preserve the original data. It's still useful because matching data produces matching hashes. A web site will store a hash of your password. and when it hashes the password you type in, the two hashes will match if your password is correct. |
| Hashtag |
Hashtags start with a "#". They group social media posts around topics like #family or #fitness. Adding a hashtag to a post makes it more likely to be found by users searching on that hashtag. |
| Hodling |
This word comes from crypto speculation. Based on the phrase "Hold On For Dear Life", it means that when the price of your crypto coin drops heavily, you shouldn't sell it because the price will come back up eventually. This is not advice that you can depend on in every situation. |
| Homophily |
Individuals tend to associate and bond with others who are similar to them. as in "birds of a feather flock together". This is called "homophily". |
| Honeypot |
A honeypot is a decoy, used to defend a computer system. It is designed to attract attackers, but instead of the attacker gaining any power or information, the owner of the system gets a warning. The can now investigate, find information about the intruder, and do whatever else is needed to protect the system. |
| Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) |
HTML is a type of language that designers use to make a web page. The photos, lines and boxes you see are written up in HTML. On a computer browser you can often see HTML if you right click and choose "View Source" from the context menu. |
| Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) |
Http is the set of rules that make the Internet work. These rules allow computers to talk to each other. When you click a link, http messaging transfers you to the new computer. |
| Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) |
Http allows computers to talk to each other, but the messages are like postcards - anyone can read them while they're on the way. Https is more like a letter in an envelope: the information can't be spied on as it travels from sender to receiver. |
| Hypervisor |
A virtual machine looks like computer hardware with an operating system running on it but is actually just a piece of software. A hypervisor is the operating system that the virtual machines need to run. |
|
| Identity Theft |
When someone has captured information that identifies you so that they can take over accounts belonging to you |
| In-App Browser |
Chrome, Edge and Firefox are "stand-alone" browsers. You run them as an app, separately to your other apps. With an "In-App Browser" inside an app like Instagram or TikTok, you are surfing from inside the app. You don't need to launch a separate browser. |
| Incognito Mode |
Incognito browsing keeps your browsing history private. It doesn't protect you from viruses or malware. Your Internet Service Provider can still see which sites you've visited, and the website itself may see your physical address. |
| Influencer |
An influencer is a popular person on social media. He or she uses this popularity to push commercial products. For this, they receive a payment from the company providing the product or service. |
| Initial Coin Offering (ICO) |
An ICO is the offer for sale of quantities of a new cryptocurrency. They are speculative and risky, which may be why they have become less popular in recent years. |
| Internet of Things (IOT) |
The Internet of Things is a name for household objects like video doorbells and even light bulbs that connect to the Internet. Software quality and security in these devices is often poor. |
| Internet Service Provider (ISP) |
Your Internet Service provider is the company that provides the service (and probably the modem) that you need to connect to the Internet. |
| Internet, the |
The Internet is the biggest computer network in the world. When computers are networked they can talk to each other. This is how you can look at web pages from anywhere in the world. |
| Involuntary Celibate (Incel) |
Incels define themselves as unable to get a romantic or sexual partner. Incels interact online, which can lead to very negative attitudes and sometimes actual violoence towards women or people who are sexually active. |
| iOS (IOS) |
iOS is the operating system for the iPhone from Apple. |
|
| Jailbreak |
Jailbreaking a mobile phone means removing the manufacturer's locks to get more control over the phone. You can then choose to take a risk such as installing apps that the manufacturer has not approved. |
| Javascript (JS) |
Javascript is a computer language that is widely used on the internet. It often runs in your browser, doing things that HTML and web page styling can't. If you view the source of the web page, you may see JavaScript in a "script tag" like this <script>{java script here}</script> |
|
| Key Logger |
A key logger is a piece of software that an attacker puts onto your system to record what you type. It tells them the web sites you visit and your passwords. |
| Keystroke |
This word is normally used in the expression "keystroke logger", where an app records your keystrokes: the letters you type, your mouse clicks or what you tap on a touchscreen. |
|
| Larping |
The word "larp" comes from Live Action Role Play events. It's also used to refer to a person who is role-playing in their real life, false claiming to be rich, or to be an expert when they're not. |
| Link |
In web page code (HTML), the <a> tag is called an anchor. You don't see the tag: what you see as a user is a [hyper]link to another web page. |
| Link Shortening |
Some internet links are very long and it's inconvenient to type them by hand. Link shortening services such as TinyUrl and Bitly create an alternative link which is unreadable but shorter. |
| Load Balancing |
A web site normally runs on several big computers (called "servers"). Load balancing makes sure that work is spread evenly across the servers. This helps the web site to respond quickly to users. |
| Long-Term Support (LTS) (LTS) |
Long Term Support is a term often used for software such as operating systems. When the LTS period ends, the software supplier will no longer update the software or fix problems. |
| Loot Box |
In an online game, a loot box contains player benefits which can be earned during play or bought with actual money. The rewards are unknown beforehand, which makes loot boxes like gambling |
| Love bombing |
Love bombing is giving a lot of attention and affection to someone with the purpose of influencing them. It can be a way to groom or manipulate someone. |
|
| MAC Address |
A MAC address is a number that identifies the hardware component (network adapter) connecting a computer to the net. It is set by the manufacturer of the network adapter, so unlike the IP address it does not change. |
| Machine Learning (ML) |
Machine learning does not depend on a human progarmmer, as it develops by recognising patterns in data. ML can work with huge amounts of data, and evolve as it works. Self-driving cars and Netflix recommendations are two examples of machine learning. |
| Malware |
Software written to attack a device or a software program. |
| Matter |
"Matter" is a standard for "smart" and home automation products. It simplifies software programming and allows devices from different manufacturers to work together. |
| Meme |
A meme is an idea, often an image, that spreads quickly within a culture. Nowadays memes usually spread over the Internet or social media. |
| Memory |
Memory (RAM) is the part of a computer or phone that stores your data, in other words your photos, messages, or documents. |
| Men Going Their Own Way (MGTOW) |
An anti-feminist, anti-woman, mainly online community with the goal of forming an all-male society separate from women. |
| Money Laundering |
Criminals cannot use money from crime until they hide where it came from. Money laundering is they way they clean it up and get it into a bank so that they can use it. |
| Money Muling |
This is helping a criminal by passing stolen money through your bank account so that it looks like the money was honestly made. The criminal pays you a share in return for your services. |
| Monitor |
A computer screen which is separate from the computer, so monitors are used with bigger computers like servers or workstations |
| Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) |
To sign in to a website that uses Multi-Factor Authentication, you'll need more than a password. The web site will send a request to an app on your smartphone which you approve to get in, or it may send a code by text which you enter into the sign-in box . |
| Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) |
A system where more money is made by recruiting others than by selling the product. Only a small group at the top of the pyramid makes a lot of money |
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| National Security Agency (NSA) |
The NSA is an American defence agency responsible for collecting information and processing it, as well as protecting information and communication systems. |
| Nation-State Actor |
An attacker which works for a government or is supported by it |
| Network Address Translation (NAT) |
Networks of home or office computers can talk to each other, but they can't reach the Internet. NAT connects these private computers to the public Internet. Outside computers can't reach the private computers since there is almost always no NAT in the other direction, which is good for security. |
| Network Interface Card (NIC) |
A network interface card is inside your computer and connects it to a network. Without an NIC you would not be able to connect to the Internet. |
| NFT Wash Trade |
An NFT wash trade is a phoney trade intended to boost the price of an NFT by making it look like it's in demand. Sometimes the buyer and sell are the same party. |
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| Obfuscation |
Obfuscation of computer code means scrambling it in such a way that it still works but is difficult to read and understand |
| Object-Relational Mapping (O/RM) |
Matching a class in a computer program with the database objects that persist (store) the class for future reference |
| O-Day |
This is a "brand-new" weakness in a software product that would allow it to be hacked, and which was not known to the software maker. Therefore, they've had 0 days to fix it. |
| Open Source |
Strictly speaking, this is where the programming code behind a piece of software is available to everyone, so that others use the code to create new or altered software. The phrase can also be used for anything that's open to the public, as in "Open Source Intelligence". |
| Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) |
An Open Source intelligence investigator uncovers facts without spying or stealing secret information. OSI is a deep investigation of public information, looking for details that give away the truth. |
| Operating System (OS) |
An empty device straight from the factory is useless. It needs to have an operating system installed before it can run any other software or store pictures or information. |
| Overton Window |
Also known as the "window of discourse", this is the range of government policies that are acceptable to most of the population, OK to discuss and not regarded as extreme or dangerous. |
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| Password Manager |
Password Managers generally provide unique, complicated (good) passwords for your accounts, while you only have to remember one "master password". |
| Patriotic Hacker |
An attacker who aims to work in their country's interest even though they are not directly supported by their government |
| Payment Card Industry (PCI) |
Credit card companies have high security standards because they have very sensitive information about their customers |
| Pen Tester |
This is someone who tests the defences of a system |
| Perimeter |
The perimeter of a system is its boundary, the parts of the system that are exposed to the public Internet. |
| Persist |
To persist information means to store it. |
| Personalisation |
Companies usually want to offer you products that you're likely to buy. They need information about you to do this. This may raise concerns about privacy. |
| Personally Idenfifiable Information (PII) |
Information (like full name and address) which identify someone personally. |
| Personally Identifiable Data (PID) |
Information (like full name and address) which identify someone personally. |
| Phishing Attack |
Directing a user to a malicious site which is disguised as an honest site. Thinking they are at the honest site, the user enters credentials which are then used at the honest site to steal from them |
| Photoshop |
Photoshop is a graphics program, therefore "to Photoshop" a picture is a common expression for changing it, especially with the idea of creating a false image. |
| Pig Butchering |
Pig Butchering is a term from Asia for a system where the scammer develops a close relationship with the victim, convincing them to place money in a fake investment scheme, usually involving cryptocurrency. |
| Pixel |
On a screen, a pixel is the smallest unit of the screen. Therefore a screen with more pixels can display a finer, more precise image |
| Pizzagate |
A 2016 conspiracy theory involving allegations against US Democrat politicians and a Washington pizzeria, disproved later. |
| Platform |
A platform is an environment where software can run. An operating system like Windows is one example. The cloud is another: it is a platform where many different operating systems and programmes can run. |
| Plug-in |
A plug-in is a piece of software that “plugs” into a software program. After the plug-in is added, the main program will able to do new jobs that it couldn’t do before. A browser is one example of a program that can be extended with a plug-in. |
| Podcast |
A podcast is like a radio programme that you listen to by clicking the link. One example is Le Show by Harry Shearer who did some of the voices behind “The Simpsons” cartoon. |
| Poe's Law |
Put very simply, Poe's Law says that a sarcastic comment made on the Internet will be taken seriously unless there is a marker such as an emoji next to it to clearly show that it is a joke. |
| Private Browsing |
Incognito browsing keeps your browsing history private. It doesn't protect you from viruses or malware. Your Internet Service Provider can still see which sites you've visited, and the website itself may see your physical address. |
| Privilege Escalation |
A Privilege is what you can do in a system. If you can escalate your privileges (to Administrator privileges for example) you'll be able to do more work on (or damage) a system. |
| Processor |
The processor in a computer is the not the part that stores your data, such as photos. It's the part that does the work when you ask the computer for something, such as a web site that you want to see, or a calculation in maths. |
| Protocol |
A technology protocol is a standard set of rules for how something should be done. The computers in a system can make that thing happen if they all follow the protocol rules. |
| Pump and Dump |
Criminals who own low quality shares "pump" the value up with a publicity campaign and false information. They "dump" (sell) the shares before their price drops back to fair value. |
| Pwn |
The word “pwn” is sometimes used instead of “own” when an attacker controls something that belongs to you such as the name and password of your social account. |
| Pwned |
The word “pwn” is sometimes used instead of “own” when an attacker controls something that belongs to you such as the name and password of your social account. |
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| QR Code |
A QR code is a graphic that contains a web address. By scanning it with a smartphone you can view the address. If it looks safe, tap the address and you will be taken to the web site. |
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| Random Access Memory (RAM) |
Memory (RAM) is the part of a computer or phone that stores your data, in other words your photos, messages, or documents. |
| Ransomeware |
The crime of ransomeware is scrambling the information on a computer and also any spare copies, then demanding a payment to unscramble it. |
| Real-Time |
In computing, this means that commands are carried out immediately, rather than being collected and executed later in a batch. |
| Red Pill |
Red pill is associated with a free-thinking attitude, someone who can face painful truths, unlike the ignorant majority of people. |
| Remote Access Tool (RAT) |
Software that allows someone to control your computer from somewhere else. There may be good reasons to do this or it could be done secretly to take over your device. |
| Remote Access Trojan (RAT) |
Software that allows a criminal to secretly get control of your computer or smartphone. |
| Remote Code Execution (RCE) |
An attacker somewhere else in the world has some control of your machine (because they can run computer code on it) |
| Remote Wipe |
Wiping data from your mobile phone when it’s not with you. You could do this to prevent a thief from getting your passwords and personal data. |
| An idea submitted to a non-commercial organisation that controls an area of tech. The proposal may change as comments are received. If it still looks like a good idea it will be adopted as a standard. |
| Reseller |
A Company or person who sells computer equipment or software to the public. |
| Resolution |
The resolution of a screen (1024 x 768 for example) tells you how detailed the picture will be. Higher numbers are sharper. |
| Responsive App |
A responsive web app alters size and shape to suit the device it's being used on. This web site is responsive. |
| Robux |
The Roblox "digital currency", bought with real money and used to buy "virtual" clothes and accessories. You see them in Roblox but of course they don't exist in the real world. |
| Rubber Ducky |
A hacking tool which looks like a USB flash drive, but presents itself as a keyboard and achieves its purpose by sending keystrokes to the computer it's plugged into. |
| Rug Pull |
When the backers of a new cryptocurrency or NFT project accept money from buyers and, instead delivering the product, just take the money. |
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| S3 Bucket |
In Amazon Web Services, this is a place where you can store and manage files. |
| Salted Hash |
In cryptography, "salt" is an extra value added to, for example, a password. This changes the password's hash value and makes it more difficult to crack the hash and get the original password. |
| Sandbox |
A sandbox is a security mechanism that keeps a program isolated so that it cannot affect the operating system or other programs running on it. |
| Scope |
An agreement between a pen tester and client on what the pen tester is allowed to do |
| Scraping |
Scraping a web site is a way to get information without using systems provided by the web site owner. These systems make it easy to read the data, but may require a subscription or a payment. Scraping the site is simply reading what's on the web page and converting the page code into data. |
| Script Kiddie |
Someone with a low skill level who is not interested in getting a deep knowledge of technology. Script kiddies often launch attacks on systems but instead of fully understanding what they are doing they rely on software written by others. Most of the comments in this article Avoid Becoming A Script Kiddie are pretty accurate. |
| Search Engine |
A piece of software running in your browser that lets you search the Internet. Google and Bing (a less popular product from Microsoft) are both search engines. |
| Server |
Web pages come from computers all over the world. These are large computers that can deliver a large number of pages. They're known as "servers" and your machine is called the "client", because you are asking the server for the web page. |
| Shaping |
An Internet Service Provider may "shape" your service, by slowing down certain types of activity (streaming video for example), while letting other activities run at full speed. |
| Shell |
With a "shell" you can control an operating system. Examples are the "DOS box" or "command shell", where you type instructions in a box, on a black background, but the normal screen of your phone is also a shell. |
| Shill |
A shill is someone who publicly supports a person or organisation but does not reveal that they have a close relationship or receive benefits from that person or organisation. |
| Shortened Url |
Since some web addresses are long and hard to type, people and companies will use services like Bitly to give you a much shorter link that still takes you to the right address. Unfortunately unless you use a web address expander, you won’t know where the shortened link points, which can be a security risk. |
| SideLoading |
The normal way of installing apps to your phone is through an app store. Sideloading is installing unapproved apps from outside the app store. |
| Signals Intelligence (SigInt) |
This is gathering information about a person or organisation by reading their signals or other communication with others. |
| Sim Swap |
Sim swapping is a crime that can be committed without stealing your sim card. The criminal who wants to take over your phone calls the phone company and impersonates you. They pass the identity checks with some information they've gathered about you, say that the phone is lost, and get your phone number transferred to their phone. |
| Social Credit System |
A national system being developed in China which blacklists individuals whom the systems scores as "anti-social". Employment, travel, and other privileges may be affected for people the system judges as having poor social credit. |
| Social Engineering |
Social “Engineering” is not really engineering. It’s any method of getting into a system that involves tricking people, instead of using technical methods to attack the software |
| Sock Puppet |
A sock puppet is a fake name or complete fake identity. |
| Spam |
Emails or other messages sent by computer software. It has a list of addresses. It puts those addresses together with a message. It’s easy to send thousands or millions of messages this way. They are usually scams.If only one in 10,000 people reply that may be enough for the scammer to make money |
| Spear Phishing |
"Spear Phishing" is like phishing. The goal is to trick a user into thinking that a fake site is real, but extra details are provided to make it more convincing to the target individual or group. |
| SSLStrip |
MIM attacker's technique |
| Streaming |
"Streaming" is sending data to your computer continuously, a bit at a time. You can look at the video while it streams, instead of having to wait until everything downloads before you start. |
| Subdomain |
An owner of a domain can create new web addresses with subdomains. The subdomain name goes in front of the domain name, and the two are separated by a dot. This site has a subdomain address. It's the "howto" part of our address "howto.gosafer.online". |
| Subresource Integrity (SRI) |
Disallows changes to source website and/or content of third-party code |
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| Technical Debt |
Technical debt is a way of financing a business by delaying some necessary technical work until the business has grown and is able to afford it. |
| Third Party Cookie |
Third party cookies aren't placed on your computer or smartphone by the company whose website you're looking at. Other companies who are advertisers on the site place third-party cookies.. They track where you go on the web so that they can find the best way to sell you products. |
| Throttling |
In information technology, throttling is limiting the speed of a service or computer process. A common example is ISP throttling, where your Internet Service Provider caps the speed of all your internet connections, perhaps at peak times. |
| Thumb Drive |
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| To Crawl |
Crawling a web site is done automatically by a "bot", often for a search engine like Google. It starts at the home page, visits all the linked pages, the links on the linked pages, and so on, recording the information it finds. |
| Tor |
(Short for "The Onion Router"), Tor is software for anonymous communication over the Internet. |
| Tracking Protection |
When you go to a web page, items designed to track you will be blocked if you have tracking protection enabled. This may sometimes affect the way the web page looks |
| Transmission Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) |
TCP/IP is the technology that handles the basics of messaging between computers. It's quite technical so a full explanation can't be provided here. |
| Trojan |
A trojan pretends to be harmless and useful, so that you will install it on your computer and it can do whatever bad thing the writer designed it for. |
| Troll |
A troll leaves messages on the Internet to get a reaction or cause upset. |
| Twitch |
Twitch is a video live streaming service. Twitch streams are used for gaming, chat, and other purposes. |
| Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) |
To sign in to a website that uses Multi-Factor Authentication, you'll need more than a password. The web site will send a request to an app on your smartphone which you approve to get in, or it may send a code by text which you enter into the sign-in box . |
| Typo Squatting |
Typo squatting is setting up a criminal web site with a similar name to a legitimate one but slightly mis-spelled. When someone wants to go to the proper site they may make a typo (typing error) and will end up at the bad site. It looks similar to the proper site so that the user doesn't realise what's happened, and can be tricked #into giving away confidential information like passwords. |
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| Universal Serial Bus (USB) |
USP ports are the small square slots at the edge of a laptop or at the front or back of a bigger machine. Mouses, keyboards, storage devices and other equipment can be plugged into the USB port. |
| Unix |
Unix is an operating system which is an alternative to Windows, and often used on servers (big computers providing a service). |
| Uploading |
"Uploading" is usually the opposite of downloading: typically it means sending a file from your computer to another one, probably an Internet server. |
| Upsell |
"Upselling" is trying to sell more to a customer who has made a basic purchase, persuading them to sign up for extras, accessories, etc.. |
| URL |
A web address, like https://gosafer.online |
|
| View Source |
Browsers will often have a menu item or a context menu called "View Source" or "View Page Source". This shows the HTML, styling and any scripts that are on the page. Some javascript and other items may be stored on the server, not the page, in which case you won't be able to see them. |
| Viral |
When an idea spreads widely and quickly it's said to have gone viral. |
| Virtual Machine |
A virtual machine is a piece of software that can look to a program like an operating system running on a physical machine. So a large machine running the Windows Server operating system can host a virtual machine which looks like Windows 11 on an HP laptop and allows you to install Microsoft Word on it. |
| Virtual Private Network (VPN) |
A VPN is designed to make secure connections over the internet, which is not a secure network. It is often encrypted. A VPN can bypass censorship and bypass geographic restrictions. |
| Virtualised |
In computing, virtualising something means creating it in software. For the user or computer connecting to it, the software behaves exactly like the physical object would, as in a "virtual machine". |
| Virus |
A small computer program that gets onto your device and tries to copy itself to (“infect”) other devices. Each copy of the virus will try to do the same so if it works it spreads fast. |
| Vulnerability (Vuln) |
A weakness in a software program or an operating system is called a vulnerability. |
|
| Wayback Machine |
The Wayback Machine (https://web.archive.org/) goes around the internet saving copies of web sites. You use it to see what a web site looked like in the past. |
| Web Scraping |
Scraping a web site is a way to get information without using systems provided by the web site owner. These systems make it easy to read the data, but may require a subscription or a payment. Scraping the site is simply reading what's on the web page and converting the page code into data. |
| Web Server |
A large computer which serves up a web site to the Internet is called a "web server". |
| Web, the |
Another name for the Internet |
| White Label |
A white label product or service is produced by one company and rebranded by another company as their own. |
| Wifi |
Wifi lets you connect to the Internet without a wire |
| Wi-Fi |
Wifi lets you connect to the Internet without a wire |
| Workstation |
A workstation is a powerful office or lab computer which sits on a desk and is used for scientific and other applications requiring a high-performance computer. |
| Worm |
A worm is a piece of software that can quickly copy itself to other computers in a network. They may consume a lot of computing power and bring down a web site or computer service. Occasionally worms can be designed for a good purpose. |
| Wormable |
This is a fault in software which could be used to create a worm, software which rapidly spreads over a network. |
|
| Zero-Day (0-Day) |
This is a "brand-new" weakness in a software product that would allow it to be hacked, and which was not known to the software maker. Therefore, they've had 0 days to fix it. |
