29 terms
Data breaches and identity theft terms
Data breaches and identity theft are cyber incidents that can occur through human error or malicious activity. Hackers may breach databases to steal sensitive data and use it to sell on the black market or perform identity theft.
Van Eck phreaking
Van Eck phreaking is a form of eavesdropping when an attacker gathers information from electronic devices by picking up and decoding the electromagnetic radiation (EMR) they emit.
Synthetic identity theft
Synthetic identity theft occurs when someone creates fake identities, either by combining stolen and fabricated information or by creating fake personas from scratch.
Side-channel attack
A side-channel attack (SCA) is a type of cybersecurity attack that can cause information leaks and theft.
RAM scraping
RAM scraping is a technique used by cybercriminals to extract sensitive data from a computer's random access memory (RAM).
PWN
PWN is a slang term meaning “to completely defeat (something).” Originally a mistyping of “own”, since “p” and “o” are next to each other on QWERTY keyboards.
Power-analysis attack
A power-analysis attack is a breach where hackers examine the electric energy used by a device while it performs cryptographic or other sensitive computations.
Pod slurping
Pod slurping is data theft using a portable storage device like a USB stick or a digital music player, hence the term “pod.“
Offline Attack
An offline attack is an attack that doesn’t need a direct connection to a targeted system.
Juice jacking
Juice jacking is a cyberattack where a public USB charging port is used to steal data or install malware on a device.
Inference attack
An inference attack is a data mining technique in which data is inferred from partial information.
Identity cloning
Identity cloning is a type of identity theft that involves an individual stealing your identity to use it as their own.
Gnosticplayers
Gnosticplayers is a hackers’ group responsible for one of the largest compilations of data breaches ever created.
Fullz
Fullz is a slang term scammers use when referring to a full information package: someone’s real name, ID, address, bank account details, medical record, etc.
Formjacking
Formjacking is a type of cyber attack where hackers compromise a website's online form to steal any entered information.
Evil maid attack
An evil maid attack is a type of cyberattack that targets unattended devices.
Electronic pickpocketing
Electronic pickpocketing is a type of theft where criminals steal personal information without physical contact.
Doxxing
Doxxing is a form of online harassment that involves sharing a person's private information publicly.
Digital data
Digital data is all user data that a computer or other technological devices understand.
Data theft
Data theft is the unlawful acquisition, duplication, or dissemination of confidential information, typically carried out with malicious motives or financial gain.
Data scraping
Data scraping imports data from websites to files and spreadsheets, and it also extracts data from the web that the scraping operator utilizes or reuses on other websites.
Data leakage
A data leakage is an unauthorized disclosure or transfer of information to an external party.
Data exfiltration
Data exfiltration is an unauthorized data transfer from a device.
Data breach
A data breach occurs when a company leaks personal user information.
Credential stuffing
Credential stuffing is a cyberattack where hackers use breached usernames and passwords to access victims’ accounts.
Cold boot attack
A cold boot attack is a type of cyber attack that targets the contents of a computer's random access memory (RAM) when the system is rebooted from a completely “cold” state.
Clipboard hijacking attack
A clipboard hijacking attack is when malicious software secretly intercepts and modifies the information you copy and paste on your device (e.g., computer).
Account takeover
Account takeover, often called account hijacking, is a form of identity theft where a malicious actor gains unauthorized access to a user's online account.
Account compromise
Account compromise is when an unauthorized party gains access to a user’s account to steal personal information or other malicious purposes.
The importance of data breaches and identity theft terminology
Understanding data breach and identity theft terminology can help users recognize, respond to, and prevent these cyber threats, before they cause significant financial damage.
Know what to do
The glossary contains extensive instructions on how to act when you’ve been exposed to the most common data breach attacks or identity theft.
Understand how cyber threats work
Learning how malicious actors perform identity theft is a first step in finding options on how to safeguard your sensitive data from exposure.
Notice the threats before they occur
Understanding the most common warning signs of a data breach or identity theft can limit the likelihood of you losing your online accounts to bad actors or having them steal your money.
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