What are indicators of compromise (IoC)?
Indicators of compromise (IoC) are evidence left behind by an attacker or malicious software that can be used to identify a security incident. Indicators of compromise (IoCs) are information about…
What is an attack vector?
Attack vectors are how attackers can breach sensitive data or compromise an organization. What is an attack vector? An attack vector, or threat vector, is a way for attackers to…
Master Boot Record (MBR)
Typically, the Master Boot Record (MBR) is the first sector on a startup drive or other partitioned media. It contains a bootloader, an executable code that works as a loader…
What is Ryuk ransomware?
Ryuk is a type of ransomware that attackers have used to extort money from businesses since 2018. The parties who operate Ryuk pursue bigger targets and charge heftier ransoms than…
Blue screen of death
The Blue Screen of Death (BSoD), Blue screen error, Blue Screen, fatal error, or bugcheck, and officially known as a Stop error, is a critical error screen displayed by the…
Heuristics Definition
Heuristics came to public attention when Daniel Kahneman published his best-selling book “Thinking, Fast and Slow”. In it, Kahneman summarized the findings from his decades-long collaboration with his research partner…
Personally Identifiable Information (PII)
Personally Identifiable Information (PII) is the term used for data that can be traced back to one specific user. Examples of PII are names, social security numbers, biometrics, and other…
What Is Syntax?
Definition of syntax and why proper syntax is important In the computer world, the syntax of a command refers to the rules in which the command must be run for…
What is a zero-day exploit?
A zero-day exploit is an attack that takes advantage of a mostly unknown security vulnerability. What is a zero-day exploit? A zero-day exploit (also called a zero-day threat) is an…
DNS A record
The DNS A record points to the IP address for a given domain name. What is a DNS A record? The “A” stands for “address,” and this is the most…