Cyber Jargon Buster

Jargon Buster

Botnet – a botnet is a group of hijacked computers which have been infected by malware and is under the control of a cybercriminal. Botnets can be used to launch DDoS attacks against your business. Your computer network can also be hijacked to form part of a botnet.

DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service Attack) – this is where your network is flooded with traffic via a botnet in an attempt to overload the system and prevent you from operating.

Hacking – often via viruses that are used to access a network. Once the virus has infected a file or piece of software, it can hack or damage the whole of the network.

Malware – this is a malicious software that is designed to damage, infiltrate or disable systems.

Phishing – email phishing accounts for approximately 80% of all cyber attacks and is highly successful for cyber attackers. This type of cyber-attack is when someone poses as a trusted source and usually tricks the user into downloading malware or giving away valuable data.

Ransomware – this is software that locks a user out of their system or encrypts their data. This is usually followed by a threat to make the data public or to delete it unless a payment is made.

Social Engineering – this relies on using confidence tricks to lure your employees into releasing confidential information, visiting malicious websites or downloading malware.

Spear-Phishing – this is where an individual employee may be targeted with emails that look like they have come from a trusted source and often include personal information. This is a serious threat to your business and can be more difficult to identify than large-scale phishing attacks.

Spyware – a programme installed maliciously to record what you are doing/saying without your consent.

Trojan Horse – this is malicious software posing as an authentic application and once opened it may take control of the computer and is designed to steal or damage data or inflict damage on your network.

Watering Hole Attack – also a malware attack, with the aim being to infect a website or group of websites that a user or group of users visit frequently. The cybercriminal usually identifies and profiles their target to understand the sites they visit regularly. They then look for vulnerabilities in those sites and inject malicious code into them. The primary aim is to infect the site and gain access to a company’s data and network once the target visits the infected site on their work device.  

It is unlikely any business can completely eliminate cyber-attacks but ensuring you and your employees understand the risks can reduce your vulnerability to them.