Today is more of a “pop quiz.” I know, I know. We all love them. Trust me, though; this one is more informative than anything.
How well do you know your cybersecurity terms? That is right. Cybersecurity terms. No, it is important!
People throw around all types of terms, and most people have no idea what they mean. Or worse, they have the wrong idea of what they mean. Let’s take a look!
First off: The Dark Web
It is the hidden part of the internet. Below the surface of the actual internet we all know and use every day. The Dark Web requires special software just to access it. It was originally developed by the U.S. government for secure and anonymous communication. Now? It still has its place for good. Whistleblowers, journalists, and privacy junkies use it. However, it is also a prime playground for cybercriminals to conduct their illicit activities.
Your information can be bought and sold there. Scary? Yes. Protect yourself with Dark Web monitoring. Please, ask us how. We can help!
Next up: SPAM
Canned meat. No, really. Canned meat! It came from a Monty Python sketch where the word “Spam” was repeated so many times it became so annoying that it was just… unwanted. Ergo, SPAM: unwanted email.
The SPAM we all know now started out as just promo emails and ads flooding your inbox. Annoying, sure. But now? It has evolved into a serious cybersecurity threat. It has brought us phishing emails, fraud schemes designed to trick you into clicking links and handing over your passwords, and malware attachments. Not so funny anymore, right?
How about CAPTCHA
This one is a fun one. Proving you are human.
Have you ever had to check that little box to prove you are not a robot? How about “click on all the cars?” Yep. That is CAPTCHA. But what does it actually stand for? You in the back? Anyone?
“Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart.” Wow. That is a mouthful.
It was named after Alan Turing. (Go ahead and Google him. TL;DR: brilliant guy.) Basically, it is a challenge to figure out if you are a human or a bot. It keeps bots from spamming forms and flooding websites with junk.
Here is the catch, though. Not all CAPTCHAs are legit! There are fake ones out there specifically designed to get you to download malware. I will cover that one in a future post. Stay tuned.
Ok, last one! CC and BCC
Emails. I am sure you have seen “CC” at least once. But what does it actually stand for? Not “courtesy copy.” I actually heard that one recently!
It stands for Carbon Copy! Back in the day (and yes, this makes me feel old) when typewriters were the thing, carbon paper was used to make duplicate copies of whatever you were typing. In your emails, same idea. It keeps the CC’d person in the loop.
BCC works the same way, just with a “B” for Blind. It makes it private. No one else in the email chain can see that the person was included. Sneaky, but useful!
Well, I hope you picked up some valuable knowledge today. Thanks for playing!
As always, please feel free to reach out to us if you have any thoughts on this.
Stay Safe Out There!