Foundation · companion glossary
Foundation vocabulary module
Structured learning lives in the Cybersecurity Fundamentals course. This glossary is the searchable companion — not a second curriculum.
How learning works here
- Enrol in Cybersecurity Fundamentals for lessons, labs, and progress.
- Use this glossary (31 terms) to look up vocabulary with everyday examples (Gmail, UPI, Instagram, college portals).
- Open any term for simple + technical explanations, diagram, security relevance, practical example, mini quiz, and related lesson.
Searchable glossary
Not a competing curriculum — a Foundation companion while you study the course.
Showing 31 of 31 terms — open a card for full concept treatment; take the Foundation course for lessons + labs.
Core concepts
CIA Triad
Three goals: keep data secret, correct, and working when needed.
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Core concepts
Asset
Something valuable you protect.
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Core concepts
Threat
Anything that can harm an asset.
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Core concepts
Vulnerability
A weakness a threat can use.
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Core concepts
Risk
Chance of harm × how bad it would be.
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Core concepts
Control / Countermeasure
Something that reduces risk.
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Identity
Authentication (AuthN)
Proving who you are.
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Identity
Authorization (AuthZ)
What you may do after login.
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Principles
Least Privilege
Only the access needed for the job.
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Principles
Defense in Depth
Many layers so one failure is not total failure.
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Principles
Zero Trust
Do not trust just because someone is ‘on the office Wi‑Fi’.
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Threat intel
TTPs
How attackers behave — their playbook.
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Threat intel
IOC
A clue that something bad happened.
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Operations
SIEM
Central security camera room for logs and alerts.
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Operations
EDR
Security camera + guard on each laptop/server.
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AppSec
OWASP Top 10
Common web app risk list developers must know — current edition is Top 10:2025.
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Vuln mgmt
CVSS
A severity score for a software weakness.
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Cloud
Shared Responsibility
Cloud company secures the building; you secure your rooms and keys.
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Operations
Incident Response
A calm plan when something goes wrong.
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Operations
Hardening
Close extra doors attackers love.
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Identity
MFA / 2FA
Password plus another proof.
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Core concepts
Phishing
Fake messages that trick you into giving secrets.
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Networking
Port
Door number for a service on a device.
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Networking
DNS
Phonebook of the internet.
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Networking
Firewall
Gate that allows or blocks traffic.
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Crypto
Hashing vs Encryption
Fingerprint vs secret lockbox.
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Operations
Privilege Escalation
Getting more power than you started with.
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Threat intel
Lateral Movement
Moving sideways across computers after entry.
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Operations
Patch Management
Updating software safely and on time.
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Operations
Logging & Monitoring
Write down what happened; watch for weird patterns.
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AppSec
Supply Chain Risk
Risk from code and vendors you did not write.
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