Last materially reviewed: September 3, 2026
Direct Answer
This glossary explains common cybersecurity terms in plain English, with emphasis on how they are used in incident response, online safety and Philippine cybercrime discussions.
A–Z Cybersecurity Terms
- Account takeover
- Unauthorized control of another person’s online account.
- Attack vector
- The path or method an attacker uses to gain access to a system.
- Authentication
- A process used to verify identity before access is granted.
- Botnet
- A network of compromised devices controlled remotely.
- Credential stuffing
- Using stolen username-and-password pairs across multiple services.
- Data breach
- An incident involving unauthorized access, disclosure, loss or alteration of protected data.
- Encryption
- Transforming readable data into a protected form that requires a key to read.
- Endpoint
- A device connected to a network, such as a laptop, phone or server.
- Exploit
- Code or a technique that takes advantage of a vulnerability.
- Firewall
- A security control that filters network traffic.
- Indicators of compromise
- Technical clues suggesting a system may have been breached.
- Malware
- Malicious software designed to damage, spy on or control systems.
- MFA
- Multi-factor authentication requiring more than one type of proof of identity.
- Phishing
- Fraudulent messages designed to steal credentials, money or information.
- Ransomware
- Malware that blocks access to systems or data and demands payment.
- Social engineering
- Manipulating people into revealing information or taking unsafe actions.
- Vulnerability
- A weakness that can be exploited to compromise a system or process.
- Zero-day
- A previously unknown or unpatched vulnerability being exploited or at risk of exploitation.