Cyber security glossary

Get a handle on the key terms around cyber security so you can understand the common forms of cyber attack, and the measures you can put in place.

Last reviewed on 7 July 2022

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Contents

We’ve picked out the key terms you need to be familiar with from the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) glossary, which you can find here.

Anti-virus: software designed to detect, stop and remove malicious software and viruses.

Breach: when your data, systems or networks are accessed or changed in a non-authorised way.

Cloud: where you can store and access your resources (including data and software) via the internet, instead of locally on physical devices.

Cyber attack: an attempt to access, damage or disrupt your computer systems, networks or devices maliciously.

Cyber incident: where the security of your system or service has been breached.

Cyber security: the protection of your devices, services and networks (and the information they contain) from theft or damage.

Firewall: hardware or software which