Glossary
Cyber glossary — plain words for scams and digital evidence
Short definitions, practical examples, and links between terms, scam patterns, and security checks.
phishing
Phishing is when someone pretends to be your bank or a company to steal data or money by email, SMS or phone.
Open termsmishing
Smishing is phishing by SMS or messages: the link feels urgent, but it leads to a fake page.
Open termvishing
Vishing is phishing by phone: someone pretends to be a bank, police officer or support agent.
Open termotp
OTP means one-time code: the temporary number you receive to confirm a login or payment.
Open term2fa
2FA means double check: besides the password, you need a second proof such as a phone code.
Open termmfa
MFA is multi-step verification: it combines password, phone, app or fingerprint to protect the account.
Open termiban
IBAN is the full bank account number. If it changes on an invoice, verify it before paying.
Open termspid
SPID is the digital identity used in Italy for public services. Treat it like an identity document.
Open termbec
BEC is a business email scam: the criminal imitates a boss or supplier and asks for payment.
Open termransomware
Ransomware is criminal software that locks files or computers and asks for money to unlock them.
Open termmalware
Malware is harmful software: it can spy, steal data or damage a device.
Open termtrojan
A trojan looks like a normal file, but hides dangerous functions inside the computer.
Open termkeylogger
A keylogger records what you type, such as passwords or card numbers.
Open termspoofing
Spoofing means faking the visible identity: email sender, phone number or website can look real.
Open termtyposquatting
Typosquatting is a website name almost like the real one, often with one changed letter.
Open termcsam
CSAM means illegal child-abuse material. Do not share it; contact the proper authorities.
Open termsextortion
Sextortion is blackmail using intimate threats or private images, real or fake, to get money.
Open termpig butchering
Pig butchering is a slow scam: someone builds trust and then pushes fake investments.
Open termrug pull
A rug pull is when crypto project creators disappear with investors' money.
Open termairdrop
A crypto airdrop promises free tokens. If it asks for a seed phrase or odd signatures, it is dangerous.
Open termseed phrase
A seed phrase is the recovery key for a crypto wallet. Anyone who sees it can take the funds.
Open termwallet crypto
A crypto wallet is the app or device that controls cryptocurrency. It protects keys, not bank money.
Open termnft
An NFT is a digital certificate linked to an online item or image. Its value can change a lot.
Open termdapp
A DApp is a crypto app that asks your wallet to sign actions. Understand what it authorizes before signing.
Open termkyc
KYC is customer identity checking, such as document and address verification.
Open termaml
AML means checks against money laundering. They help understand where funds come from.
Open termfadp
FADP is the Swiss law that protects personal data.
Open termgdpr
GDPR is the European law that protects personal data.
Open termnlpd
nLPD is the updated Swiss federal data protection law.
Open termspf
SPF is an email check that says which servers may send mail for a domain.
Open termdkim
DKIM is a technical email signature. It helps show whether the message was altered.
Open termdmarc
DMARC tells mail servers what to do when SPF or DKIM fail, reducing fake emails.
Open termdeepfake
A deepfake is audio, video or an image made or changed with AI to look real.
Open termai generato
AI-generated means created by an artificial intelligence system, not directly by a person.
Open termwatermark
A watermark is a visible or hidden mark that shows a content's origin or owner.
Open termsynthid
SynthID is a Google method for marking some AI-created content.
Open termc2pa
C2PA is a standard that can show who created or changed a file and with which tools.
Open termmetadata
Metadata is hidden or technical information about a file, such as date, author, app or device.
Open termexif
EXIF is photo metadata, often showing camera model, date and sometimes location.
Open termchargeback
A chargeback is a card payment dispute to try to get money back.
Open termsepa
SEPA is the European area for standardized bank transfers and direct debits.
Open termhashing
Hashing creates a digital fingerprint of a file. If the file changes, the fingerprint changes.
Open termsandbox
A sandbox is an isolated place to open or test suspicious files without risking the main computer.
Open termmitm
MITM is an attack where someone sits between two sides to read or change data.
Open termddos
DDoS is an attack that sends too much traffic to a site or service until it becomes unreachable.
Open termdos
DoS is an attack that tries to make a service unavailable, usually by overloading it.
Open term