Cyber insurance terms you need to know.

Antivirus Software

Antivirus software is a program that protects your computer from harmful programs like viruses and spyware.

Brute Force Attack

A brute force attack is when hackers try every possible password until they find the right one to break into a system.

Business Email Compromise (BEC)

BEC is a scam where hackers trick employees or individuals into sending money or sensitive information by pretending to be someone trustworthy in an email.

Computer Virus

A computer virus is a harmful program that spreads by attaching itself to other programs or files.

Cyber bullying

Cyber bullying is using the internet, social media or phones to harass, threaten or embarrass someone over and over.

Data Breach

A data breach happens when unauthorized people access, change or delete your data due to weak security.

DDoS Attack

A DDoS attack is when many computers send too much traffic to a system or website, making it slow or unavailable.

Funds Transfer Fraud

This is when unauthorized transactions are made to move money from one account to another through deceitful methods.

Hacking

Hacking is breaking into a computer system without permission to steal, change or use the data improperly.

Keylogging

Keylogging is recording the keys pressed on a keyboard to capture sensitive information like passwords.

Malware

Malware is harmful software designed to damage, disrupt, or steal data from a computer.

Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) Attack

A type of cyber attack where the attacker secretly grabs and sends messages between two parties.

Personally Identifiable Information (PII)

PII is any information that can identify a specific person, like their name or address.

Phishing

Phishing is a scam where attackers trick people into giving sensitive information by pretending to be a trustworthy source.

Ransomware

Ransomware is malware that locks your computer or encrypts your data until you pay a ransom.

Recovery

Recovery is restoring data and systems to normal after a disruption like a cyber attack.

Rootkit

A rootkit is stealthy malware that gives attackers control of a computer without being detected.

Scareware

Scareware is malware that tricks you into thinking your computer has a serious problem so you’ll buy unnecessary or harmful software.

Session Hijacking

Misusing a valid computer session to gain unapproved access to information or services.

Smishing

Phishing conducted via SMS (text messages).

Social Engineering

Social engineering is tricking people into breaking security rules to gain access to information or systems.

Spear-Phishing

Spear-phishing is a targeted phishing attack aimed at specific individuals or organizations, making it appear more legitimate.

Spoofing

Pretending to be someone or something else to trick a system or user.

Spyware

Spyware is malware that secretly gathers information about a user’s activities and sends it to someone else.

Threat Actor

A threat actor is anyone who poses a risk to cybersecurity, including hackers, cybercriminals and insider threats.

Trojan Horse

Malicious software disguised as correct software.

Virus

A virus is malware that replicates itself and spreads to other computers, causing harm.

Vishing

Vishing is a scam where attackers use phone calls to trick people into giving sensitive information.

Vulnerability

A vulnerability is a weakness in a system that attackers can exploit to gain unauthorized access.

Whaling

Whaling is a phishing attack targeting high-profile individuals like CEOs to steal sensitive information or money.

Worm

A worm is malware that spreads itself across networks without needing a host program.

Zero-Day Attack

A zero-day attack is a cyber attack that exploits a previously unknown vulnerability before it can be fixed.