Glossary

Terms

Attribution

The process of identifying who is behind a cyber incident. It is difficult and should only be done by qualified investigators and law enforcement.

Breach

An incident in which data is exposed to unauthorized parties. Breaches are reported publicly and can be checked through notification services.

Doxxing

The publication of private or identifying information about a person, usually with malicious intent.

IOC (Indicator of Compromise)

Evidence that a system or account may have been compromised, such as a suspicious IP address, domain, or file hash.

OSINT

Open-Source Intelligence: the collection and analysis of publicly available information.

Phishing

Fraudulent messages designed to trick recipients into revealing information, sending money, or installing malware.

Pivoting

Using one piece of information to find related information. A common OSINT technique, but it can become invasive if used improperly.

Social Engineering

Manipulating people into disclosing information or taking actions they would not normally take.

Swatting

A false emergency report intended to send armed responders to a victim's location.

Threat Actor

A person or group responsible for a cyber incident or campaign.

TTP

Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures: the methods a threat actor uses.

Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

A security feature that requires a second form of verification in addition to a password.