GLOSSARY:
Cybersecurity Terms and Definitions
adware
Adware delivers advertisements to your computer, or
other content that’s pushing you to buy goods or services.
applications
All the things (tools) that help you do stuff on your
computer, smartphone or mobile device. Can also be
called software or programs.
apps
Websites leave things called cookies on your computer
so they can remember stuff about you (like your name,
password, or preferences) for your next visit.
copyright
A legal protection for people who express ideas and
information in various forms—writing, music, movies and
still images.
crawler
A short word for applications.
back-up
To ‘back-up’ data means to make a copy of your data—all
your files including your music, photos, movie clips, text
files, and games.
block
When you block a person it means they can’t be your
friend, contact you, or be on your contacts list.
blog
A blog (from web log) is where people can add their
comments or ideas about a subject. Some blogs are like
personal diaries. A blog can have text, images and links to
other blogs. Anyone can create a blog.
botnet
A jargon term for a collection of zombie computers—a
string of compromised computers attached to the
internet that can be used to send out spam or launch a
‘denial of service’ attack.
broadband
A type of internet connection that is faster than dial up.
cache
A place on your computer that remembers what you do
so you can get to it faster next time.
CD
A disc where you can store data from your computer. CD
stands for compact disc.
CD-ROM
Looks like a CD. Usually games or software come on a
CD-ROM. CD-ROM stands for compact disc read-only
memory.
computer
A machine that stores lots of stuff (data) and lets you do
a lot of things (using software and applications).
contacts list
cookie
Web crawlers or web spiders are automated programs
that browse the web to collect information (like your
email addresses) or to track the sites you have visited.
Creative Commons
A system that allows authors, artists, scientists, musicians
and others to mark their work with the freedoms they
want it to carry—a way of licensing the use of work.
cyberbullying
Using digital technology and the internet to bully.
cybercrime
Using digital technology and the internet to commit
crime.
cybersafety
Keeping yourself and others safe when using digital
technology and the internet.
cybersecurity
Keeping yourself, your computer and other devices, and
all your data safe when you use the internet.
data
All the bits of information on your computer, including
your photos, music, movies, and work.
device
A thing you need to do an activity like play music or take
photos. Also things you add to your computer, like a
printer, keyboard, or modem. So a mobile device can be a
mobile phone, a smartphone, a PDA (like a Blackberry) or
an iPhone.
digital certificate
A digital certificate is the way for you to find out the true
identity of a site, and to know if a site is legitimate.
digital footprint
Everything you ever post online, because content stays on
the web forever.
A list of people’s names and email addresses, and usually
people using the same site or application as you.
© Commonwealth of Australia 2011
Department of Broadband, Communication and the Digital Economy
downloads
Anything you take from the internet and put on your
computer… including a picture or image, music clip, game,
application or document.
DVD
A type of disc that holds lots of stuff (data) from and for
your computer, not just movies! DVD stands for digital
versatile disc.
email
GPS
A system that gives you location information. Stands for
global positioning system.
hacker
Someone who gets access to a computer or computer
system without permission.
hacking
When a person gets into your computer or your online
accounts without your permission.
Electronic mail; using a computer or mobile device,
emailing is a way to send texts and other data to and from
people all over the world.
hotspot
encryption
https
A security process that puts files into a secret code for
transmitting. It’s extremely unlikely that encrypted data
will be intercepted by a third party.
If an address bar begins ‘https’, the connection between
your computer and the site will be encrypted. The most
widely used security protocol is SSL (Secure Socket Layer).
e-security
ID
The area covered by one or more wi-fi access points.
See cybersecurity; keeping yourself, your computer and
other devices, and all your data safe when you use the
internet.
Your identity—your real name, user name and passwords,
and other personal details.
files
Where a person uses someone else’s identity or a faked
identity to commit a crime.
Where you store stuff (chunks of information or data) on
your computer.
file-sharing
Allowing other users to share files from your computer
over the internet.
filtering
A way to sort out the stuff you do want on your computer,
and the stuff you don’t want. Email filtering helps to sort
emails you might want (sent by people you know) from
spam (junk emails or emails from people you don’t know).
Content filtering (such as a web filter) will block access to
certain websites.
firewall
A barrier to stop people hacking into (getting into) your
computer from the web; a barrier to control data coming
to and leaving your computer.
flash drive
A thing you use to save and store stuff (data). Sometimes
called a USB.
friend sites
Websites like Facebook and MySpace. Also called social
networking sites.
identity crime
ID theft
Where your personal details get used by someone else
without your permission.
ID fraud
Where a person uses someone else’s personal details
(without their permission) to make money or gain some
sort of benefit.
internet
How computers from all around the world share
information (data), like texts, music, movies, emails,
games, activities and lots more.
junk emails
Usually called spam, these are bad emails from people you
don’t know who promise things that aren’t for real. Mostly
they are just to trick you. If you do as they say (by clicking,
or opening attachments) they can put a nasty onto your
computer, like a virus or spyware.
keylogger
A Trojan or software that records every computer
keystroke to capture personal details, including passwords.
malware
gaming
Playing a game, including a video game, online game,
massively multiplayer game, or role-playing game.
Malware is any malicious or bad software - for example, a
computer virus, spyware, Trojan horse, worm. Malware can
come from a bad link, bad attachment or dodgy download.
geotagging
mashup
A process that tags photos or clips as you create them
with location information from a GPS.
Taking two or more bits of video and / or audio, then
editing them together to make something new.
mobile
A mobile phone but also a PDA or a Blackberry.
© Commonwealth of Australia 2011
Department of Broadband, Communication and the Digital Economy
online
When your computer or mobile device is connected to the
internet.
P2P
P2P stands for peer-to-peer—file-sharing programs. P2P is
a way of joining computers together, all over the world.
padlock
A browser padlock is a symbol to show that a website has
a digital certificate.
password
A secret code made up by a user to protect their account,
data or device.
PDA
report
This means to tell someone about something that you
think might be bad, or wrong, or dangerous. If anything
bad or wrong happens when you are online, report it to
your parents, carer or teacher. If it’s something very bad,
they will know who else to report it to.
scam
A dishonest trick designed to fool you into giving someone
your money, passwords, personal details or other
valuables. The scammers may do this with a promise or
offer of something that isn’t real.
scan
A way to check things (like downloads) to see if they are
safe for your computer.
Stands for personal digital assistant. A device you can hold
in your hand that’s like a computer and a phone. You can
use a PDA to get on to the internet.
secure
personal
security
What people know about you from what they can see
online.
pharming
A way of harvesting your personal information, where a
hacker puts a code on your computer that redirects you
to a fake site (like a fake bank site) when you think you are
logging onto your real bank site.
phishing
A hoax email designed to trick you into giving personal
information or to ‘log in’. It may look like it comes from a
bank or legitimate organisation.
piracy
The act of copying work (like songs, movies or TV shows)
that is protected by copyright.
plagiarise
Taking someone’s work and representing it as your own.
popup
Something that pops out of nowhere over a webpage
(usually a small window). It might be a banner with ads, or
a special offer. Many popups will try to trick you, to make
you click on a site.
post
Posting online means putting content online: photos,
videos, blog entries, comments etc.
privacy policy
A statement that tells you what will happen with your
personal information.
private
Stuff about you (like information) that is nobody else’s
business. Everyone has private stuff.
remix
Taking a soundtrack, video clip, image or graphic, and
mixing it with other content to make new work.
© Commonwealth of Australia 2011
When you and your computer are safe from nasty things
that can harm or damage.
Ways to keep yourself and your computer safe.
security updates
New stuff that can make your computer and all your data
even safer, and for dealing with new nasties online.
settings
The way you choose to make something work, like your
computer, web browser, instant messaging, or friend sites.
sexting
Making sexual images photos or clips or texts of yourself
or your friends and sending them to others by mobile
phone, email, a social networking site, or posting them on
the web.
smartphone
A small device that can be used both as a mobile phone
and a computer, like an iPhone.
social engineering
Tricking a person into revealing sensitive information like
a password or credit card details. Sometimes also called
‘grooming’.
social networking
Online social networking means using the internet to keep
in touch with friends and contacts, make new friends and
contacts, and share information and content. Facebook
and MySpace are social networking sites. Also called friend
sites.
software
Software allows you to do things on your computer. Also
called a program or application.
spam
Like the internet’s junk mail. It’s an email or SMS, often
from someone you don’t know. Usually spam tries to sell
you something, or trick you into doing something. It may
also ask for your personal details or money either in the
Department of Broadband, Communication and the Digital Economy
email or on a website which the email directs you to.
spider
Web spiders or web crawlers are automated programs
that browse the web to collect information (like your
email addresses) or to track the sites you have visited.
spyware
A nasty that you can be tricked into putting on your
computer (by clicking a bad link). Spyware secretly learns
stuff about you from your computer and gives it to
someone you don’t know online.
USB
A device you can use for saving stuff (data) from your
computer, or moving data between different computers.
Sometimes called a flash drive. USB stands for universal
serial bus.
virus
A program designed to infect and corrupt a computer. If
a virus infects your computer it may start to delete files,
or stop the operating system from running.
vlog
A video blog.
SSID
Stands for Service Set Identifier. The SSID is the name
given to identify a wi-fi network. The SSID is broadcast by
the wireless router and can be detected by other wireless
enabled devices that are within range.
wardriving
SSL
web
Stands for Secure Socket Layer, the most widely used
security protocol on the internet, used for online banking
and shopping sites. The address of a secured webpage will
begin ‘https’, instead of the usual ‘http’.
survey
A person in a car with a portable computer or PDA,
driving around looking for unsecured wi-fi or wireless
networks.
Computers from all around the world that use the
internet to share information (data), like texts, music,
movies, emails, games, activities and lots more.
web browser
Finding out things about other people by getting them to
answer questions.
A program that enables you to find, view and interact
with web content—programs like Internet Explorer,
Firefox, Safari or Chrome.
terms and conditions
wi-fi
Rules you agree to when you sign up for a website. If you
break these rules, your account may be shut down.
thumbnail
A smaller picture of things like photos, or webpages.
Trojan
A type of virus that can open your computer to being
controlled by hackers.
A wi-fi enabled device (like a laptop or PDA) will connect
to the internet when it’s within range of a wireless
network connected to the internet.
wireless network
A way to get onto the internet without using cables or
wires.
Find out more at www.staysmartonline.gov.au
© Commonwealth of Australia 2011 Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial 3.0 Australia licence