crypto concepts hardening
AES
NIST block cipher. 128-bit blocks, keys of 128, 192, or 256 bits. The algorithm is solved. Mode and key handling are the work.
Knowledge
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30 entries
crypto concepts hardening
AES-GCM
AES in Galois/Counter Mode. Confidentiality plus an integrity tag. This is the AES you actually want.
concepts acsc-glossary
Advanced persistent threat (APT)
A campaign with a pattern, not a single file. Often patient, often aimed, sometimes state-linked. The persistence is the point.
concepts hardening acsc-glossary
Attack surface
Everything a hostile party can reach: apps, IT, OT, services. Bigger surface, more raffle tickets.
network dns concepts
Authoritative vs recursive DNS
One holds the zone. The other hunts for an answer and caches it. Mixing them up is how outages get misread.
concepts acsc-glossary
Availability
Authorised users can actually use the system when the work needs it. Uptime theatre without backups is a bet.
concepts acsc-glossary
CIA triad
Confidentiality, integrity, availability. Lose one and the system is already failing, even if the dashboard is green.
network concepts
CIDR
Classless Inter-Domain Routing. Addresses plus a prefix length. 203.0.113.0/24, not class C.
concepts vulnerability
CVE vs CVSS
CVE names a vulnerability. CVSS scores a model of severity. Neither tells you if you are exposed or if it is being used.
crypto concepts network
ChaCha20-Poly1305
The other modern AEAD. A stream cipher plus a tag. First-class in TLS 1.3, especially where AES hardware is missing.
concepts acsc-glossary
Confidentiality
The right eyes only. Encryption, access control, and not leaving copies in the wrong tray.
network concepts
DHCP
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol. Addresses and options handed out on the LAN so you do not type them.
network dns concepts
DNS
The internet's name system. Stub asks recursive; recursive walks to authoritative. Analysts live in the query log.
hardening concepts acsc-glossary
Defence in depth
Stacked controls so one failure is not game over. Redundancy, not twelve dashboards of the same alert.
cloud concepts acsc-glossary
Encryption
Turn readable data into ciphertext with an algorithm and a key. The keys are the asset. A key taped to the data is theatre.
network hardening concepts
HTTP Strict Transport Security
A header that tells the browser: this host is HTTPS only, for a while. Preload is a one-way door.
crypto concepts privacy cloud
Homomorphic encryption
Compute on ciphertext and get an encrypted result. The processor never sees the plaintext. Specialised, not a swap for AES.
concepts acsc-glossary
Integrity
The record is what authorised people made it. Quiet alteration is still a breach.
malware concepts acsc-glossary
Malware
Software that is there to harm you: steal, lock, spy, or hitch a ride. Virus, worm, Trojan, ransomware — different delivery, same job.
network concepts
Network address translation
NAT. Rewrite addresses, and usually ports, at a boundary. Many inside, one outside. Not a firewall policy by itself.
identity concepts acsc-glossary
Phishing
A bulk lure: fake message, urgency, a credential or a hostile file. Training helps. Phishing-resistant MFA and mail authentication help more.
identity concepts acsc-glossary
Social engineering
Manipulate a person, skip the software flaw. Phishing, vishing, BEC, and the helpdesk reset are all this family.
concepts acsc-glossary
Spam
Unsolicited bulk messages, usually ads. Not all spam is phishing. Plenty of phishing rides in the same tray.
network dns concepts
TTL
Time to live. How long a resolver may cache this answer. Seconds, not a promise the world forgets on cue.
detection concepts
Threat intelligence
Context that changes a decision. IoCs expire. TTPs last. A feed you never action is a newsletter.
network concepts crypto acsc-glossary
Transport Layer Security (TLS)
The S in HTTPS. Stops eavesdropping, tampering, and forgery on the wire. TLS 1.3 is the current protocol.
network concepts
VLAN
Virtual LAN. A broadcast domain with a tag. Segmentation only if the rest of the design agrees.
vulnerability concepts acsc-glossary
Vulnerability
A weakness in requirements, design, build, or operations that can be tripped or abused and break the security policy.
malware concepts acsc-glossary
Watering hole
Poison a site your targets already visit. The prey comes to the water. Patching and isolation still apply.
network identity concepts
Zero trust
Never trust, always verify. A VPN badge is not a day pass. Identity, device, path, and data each get asked again.
Definitions informed by ASD's ACSC glossary. cyber.gov.au glossary