Here's Your All-Purpose Hacking Glossary!

The hacking glossary is full of words, some quite obvious while others, well let's just say you'll have to be neck-deep into it to know what it means. We are always there to help. We have compiled here a handy glossary of terms that are making quite the buzz around hack-ville. We will bring you more in the days to come!


1.Anonymous

Loosely associated international network of activist and hacktivist entities. A website nominally associated with the group describes it as "an internet gathering" with "a very loose and decentraliSed command structure that operates on ideas rather than directives".

2.AntiSec

Movement opposed to the computer security industry against full disclosure of information relating to but not limited to: software vulnerabilities, exploits, exploitation techniques, hacking tools, attacking public outlets and distribution points of that information.

3.Back door

Method of bypassing normal authentication, securing illegal remote access to a computer, obtaining access to plaintext, and so on, while attempting to remain undetected.

4.Black hat

Form the stereotypical, illegal hacking groups often portrayed in popular culture, and are "the epitome of all that the public fears in a computer criminal".

5.Brute force attack

Cryptanalytic attack that can, in theory, be used against any encrypted data and consists of systematically checking all possible keys or passwords until the correct one is found.

6.Clone phishing

Attempt to acquire sensitive information such as usernames, passwords, and credit card by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication. An example of social engineering techniques, it is used to deceive users and exploits the poor usability of current web security technologies.

7.Compiler

Computer program (or set of programs) that transforms source code written in a programming language (the source language) into another computer language (the target language, often having a binary form known as object code).

8.DDoS

Attempt to make a machine resource unavailable to its intended users. Although the means to carry out, motives for, and targets of a DoS attack may vary, it generally consists of efforts to temporarily or indefinitely interrupt or suspend services of a host connected to the Internet. 

9.Doxing

Doxing or document tracing is the Internet-based practice of researching and publishing personally identifiable information about an individual. Closely related to cyber-vigilantism, hacktivism, and cyber-bullying.

10.Firewall

Software or hardware-based network security system that controls the incoming and outgoing network traffic based on applied rule set. A firewall establishes a barrier between a trusted, secure internal network and another network that is not assumed to be secure and trusted.

11.Grey hat

Skilled hacker whose activities fall somewhere between white and black hat hackers in a variety of practices. 

12.Hacktivism

Use of computers and computer networks to promote political ends, chiefly free speech, human rights, and information ethics carried out under the premise that proper use of technology can produce results similar to those of conventional acts of protest, activism, and civil disobedience.

13.IRC

System that facilitates transfer of messages in the form of text. The chat process works on a client/server model of networking. IRC clients are computer programs that a user can install on their system. These clients are able to communicate with chat servers to transfer messages to other clients

14.Keystroke logging

Keylogging or keyboard capturing is the action of recording (or logging) the keys struck on a keyboard, typically in a covert manner so that the person using the keyboard is unaware that their actions are being monitored.

15.Logic bomb

Piece of code intentionally inserted into a software system that will set off a malicious function when specified conditions are met. 

16.LulzSec

Black hat computer hacker group that claimed responsibility for several high profile attacks, including the compromise of user accounts from Sony Pictures in 2011. The group also claimed responsibility for taking the CIA website offline. Its known for its high profile targets and the sarcastic messages it posts in the aftermath of its attacks.

17.Malware

Any software used to disrupt computer operation, gather sensitive information, or gain access to private computer systems.

18.NSA

US intelligence agency responsible for global monitoring, collection, decoding, translation and analysis of information and data for foreign intelligence and counterintelligence purposes.

19.Payload

Cargo of a data transmission that is part of the transmitted data which is the fundamental purpose of the transmission, to the exclusion of information sent with it solely to facilitate delivery.

20.Packet sniffer

Computer program or a piece of computer hardware that can intercept and log traffic passing over a digital network or part of a network.

21.Remote access

Connection to a data-processing system from a remote location, for example through a virtual private network.

22.Script kiddie

Unskilled individual who uses scripts/programs developed by others to attack computer systems and networks, and deface websites. It is generally assumed that script kiddies are juveniles who lack the ability to write sophisticated hacking programs or exploits on their own, and that their objective is to try to impress their friends or gain credit in computer-enthusiast communities.

23.SEA

Collection of computer hackers who support the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Using denial of service attacks, defacement, and other methods, it mainly targets political opposition groups and western websites, including news organisations and human rights groups. 

24.Social engineering

Psychological manipulation of people into performing actions or divulging confidential information.

25.Trojan horse

Non-self-replicating type of malware program containing malicious code that, when executed, carries out actions determined by the nature of the Trojan, typically causing loss or theft of data, and possible system harm.

26.Vulnerability

Weakness which allows an attacker to reduce a system's information assurance. Vulnerability is the intersection of three elements: a system susceptibility or flaw, attacker access to the flaw, and attacker capability to exploit the flaw.

27.White hat

An ethical computer hacker, or a computer security expert, who specialises in penetration testing and in other testing methodologies to ensure the security of an organisation's information systems.

28.Zero day exploit

An attack that exploits a previously unknown vulnerability in a computer application, one that developers have not had time to address and patch.