Cybersecurity Legal Terms Dictionary

Want an official Cybersecurity Law Key Terms? Our dictionary below address rapid evolutions in AI threats, quantum risks, privacy-enhancing technologies, supply chain vulnerabilities, and regulatory convergence (e.g., NIST updates, FTC enforcement, EU AI Act influences). Terms are sorted alphabetically for easy reference. Use this to standardize language in policies, risk assessments, training, and compliance automation with tools like Captain Compliance if you’d like to get your client or company compliant with privacy laws we are here to help.

Access

The ability or the means necessary to read, write, modify, or communicate data/information or otherwise make use of any system resource.

Access control

The process of granting or denying specific requests to: 1) obtain and use information and related information processing services; and 2) enter specific physical facilities (e.g., federal buildings, military establishments, border-crossing entrances).

Advanced persistent threat

An adversary that possesses sophisticated levels of expertise and significant resources which allow it to create opportunities to achieve its objectives using multiple attack vectors (e.g., cyber, physical, and deception).

Authentication

Verifying the identity of a user, process, or device, usually as a prerequisite to allowing access to resources in an information system.

Backup

A copy of files from a computer’s hard drive stored in another location for safekeeping.

Behavioral Biometrics

Data derived from patterns in user behavior (e.g., typing rhythm, mouse movements, gait via wearables) used for authentication or fraud detection. Treated as sensitive biometric data under many state privacy laws (e.g., Illinois BIPA, California CCPA amendments).

Breach

The loss of confidentiality, integrity, or availability of data or an information system.

Breach notification

The requirement under various federal and state laws to notify affected individuals, regulators, and others when a breach of personal information occurs.

Cloud computing

A model for enabling ubiquitous, convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, servers, storage, applications, and services) that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service provider interaction.

Computer crime

Any violation of penal law that involves a knowledge-based perpetrator using a computer or network device as either a tool or target.

Computer security

The protection of information assets from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification, or destruction.

Computer trespass

Intentionally accessing a computer or computer system without authorization or exceeding authorized access.

Confidentiality

Preserving authorized restrictions on information access and disclosure, including means for protecting personal privacy and proprietary information.

Continuous Monitoring

Ongoing, automated observation of information systems and networks to detect anomalies, threats, or compliance deviations in real time. Required under frameworks like NIST SP 800-137 and increasingly referenced in SEC cybersecurity disclosure rules.

Controls

Measures or safeguards that are used to protect the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of information or information systems.

Critical infrastructure

Systems and assets, whether physical or virtual, so vital to the United States that the incapacity or destruction of such systems and assets would have a debilitating impact on security, national economic security, national public health or safety, or any combination of those matters.

Cyber-Physical System (CPS)

Integrated systems combining computational and physical processes (e.g., IoT medical devices, smart grids). Vulnerabilities here can lead to physical harm, triggering stricter incident reporting under critical infrastructure laws.

Cybercrime

Any criminal activity in which a computer or network is the target, tool, or both.

Cyber incident

An occurrence that jeopardizes, without lawful authority, the integrity, confidentiality, or availability of information or an information system; or constitutes a violation or imminent threat of violation of law, security policies, security procedures, or acceptable use policies.

Cyber operations

The employment of cyberspace capabilities where the primary purpose is to achieve military objectives or effects.

Cybersecurity event

An occurrence that compromises or imminently jeopardizes, without lawful authority, the integrity, confidentiality, or availability of information or an information system; or constitutes a violation or imminent threat of violation of law, security policies, security procedures, or acceptable use policies.

Cybersecurity risk

The potential for loss of confidentiality, integrity, or availability of data or an information system due to a threat exploiting a vulnerability.

Cybersecurity service providers

Entities that provide cybersecurity services such as managed detection and response, penetration testing, or vulnerability management.

Cybersecurity threat

Any circumstance or event with the potential to adversely impact organizational operations, organizational assets, individuals, other organizations, or the Nation through an information system via unauthorized access, destruction, disclosure, modification of information, and/or denial of service.

Cyber threat indicator

Information that is necessary to describe or identify: (1) malicious reconnaissance; (2) patterns of activity indicating a malicious cyber intrusion; (3) methods of exfiltrating information; (4) methods of denying access to users; (5) malicious code; or (6) any other attribute that can be used to identify or describe malicious cyber activity.

Damaging computers

Intentionally causing damage to a protected computer without authorization.

Data breach

The unauthorized acquisition of computerized data that compromises the security, confidentiality, or integrity of personal information maintained by the data collector.

Data minimization

The practice of collecting and retaining only the data necessary for a specific purpose, reducing risk and compliance burdens under privacy laws.

Data protection

The implementation of administrative, technical, or physical measures to guard against the anticipated threats or hazards to the security or integrity of confidential data.

Data Sovereignty

The principle that digital data is subject to the laws of the country where it is collected or stored. Critical for cross-border privacy compliance amid growing restrictions on data localization.

Decryption key

A piece of information used to recover plaintext from ciphertext.

Defensive measure

An action taken to protect an information system from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification, or destruction.

Denial-of-service (“DoS”) attack

An attack that prevents or impairs the authorized use of information systems, networks, or data.

Digital Identity

A set of electronic credentials and attributes representing an individual or entity online. Increasingly regulated under emerging digital identity frameworks (e.g., U.S. federal efforts and EU eIDAS 2.0).

Duty

An obligation imposed by law or contract to act or refrain from acting in a certain way.

Encryption

The process of transforming plaintext into ciphertext using a cryptographic algorithm and key.

Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)

Security solution that continuously monitors endpoints (devices) to detect, investigate, and respond to threats. Often required in vendor due diligence and supply chain risk assessments.

Exceeds authorized access

To access a computer with authorization and to use such access to obtain or alter information in the computer that the accesser is not entitled to obtain or alter.

Extortion

The practice of obtaining something, especially money, through force or threats.

Forensic analysis

The practice of identifying, preserving, recovering, analyzing, and presenting digital evidence in a manner legally acceptable.

Homomorphic Encryption

Encryption that allows computations on ciphertext without decryption, preserving privacy during processing (e.g., in cloud analytics). Emerging as a privacy-enhancing technology in regulations like the EU AI Act.

Hostile acts exclusion

A clause in insurance policies excluding coverage for losses caused by hostile or warlike actions.

Identity management

The set of processes and technologies used to manage the lifecycle of digital identities.

Identity theft

The fraudulent acquisition and use of an individual’s personal information, usually for economic gain.

Incident response

The activities that address the aftermath of a security breach or cyberattack.

Information operations

The integrated employment of electronic warfare, computer network operations, psychological operations, military deception, and operations security.

Information security

The protection of information and information systems from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification, or destruction.

Information technology

Any equipment or interconnected system or subsystem of equipment that processes, stores, or transmits information.

Intrusion detection

The process of monitoring events occurring in a computer system or network and analyzing them for signs of possible incidents.

Malware

Malicious software designed to harm or exploit a computer system.

Monitoring

Continuously observing and analyzing system activities to detect anomalies or policy violations.

Multifactor authentication

Authentication using two or more distinct factors: something you know, have, or are.

Operational technology

Hardware and software that detects or causes changes through direct monitoring and/or control of industrial devices, assets, processes, and events.

PCI DSS

Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard – requirements for organizations that handle credit card information.

Personal information

Information that can be used to distinguish or trace an individual’s identity.

Personally identifiable information

Information that can be used to distinguish or trace an individual’s identity, either alone or when combined with other information.

Phishing

A technique for attempting to acquire sensitive data through deception, often via fraudulent emails or websites.

Privacy impact assessment

An analysis of how personally identifiable information is collected, used, shared, and maintained.

Proprietary information

Information that is not public and provides a competitive advantage.

Protected computer

A computer used in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce or communication.

Protected health information

Individually identifiable health information transmitted or maintained in any form by a HIPAA-covered entity.

Quantum-Resistant Cryptography

Algorithms designed to withstand attacks from quantum computers (e.g., post-quantum cryptography standards from NIST). Forward-looking requirement as quantum threats advance, impacting long-term data protection obligations.

Ransomware

Malware that encrypts data or locks systems, demanding payment for restoration.

Resilience

The ability to prepare for, respond to, and recover from cyberattacks or disruptions.

Risk assessment

The process of identifying, estimating, and prioritizing risks to organizational operations, assets, individuals, other organizations, and the Nation.

Scraping

Automated extracting of data from a website and copying it for manipulation, analysis or other reuse.

Security audit

Independent review and examination of a system’s records and activities to determine the adequacy of system controls and ensure compliance with established security policy.

Shadow AI

Unauthorized or unmanaged use of AI tools within an organization (e.g., employees using unapproved generative AI). Poses risks of data leakage and non-compliance with privacy policies or emerging AI governance rules.

Supply chain attack

An attack in which the adversary inserts a vulnerability into the product of an upstream provider prior to its installation, allowing compromise of downstream users.

Threat intelligence

Threat information that has been aggregated, transformed, analyzed, interpreted, or enriched to provide context for decision-making.

Trafficking (passwords)

To transfer, or otherwise dispose of, or obtain control of with intent to transfer or dispose of, any password or similar information through which a computer may be accessed without authorization.

Vulnerability

A weakness in an information system, system security procedures, internal controls, or implementation that could be exploited by a threat source.

Vulnerability disclosure

The process in which third parties discover vulnerabilities in products or systems and report them to developers or operators for remediation.

Zero Trust Architecture

Security model that assumes no implicit trust, requiring continuous verification of users, devices, and transactions. Mandated or strongly recommended in federal guidance (e.g., Executive Order 14028) and increasingly in enterprise privacy programs.

Zero-day

A previously unknown vulnerability, or an attack exploiting such a vulnerability, where the developer has zero days to patch and defenders have zero days to prepare.

This resource is for educational and compliance reference; consult official sources like NIST SP 800 series or legal counsel for binding interpretations. Captain Compliance can help map these terms to your data flows, automate risk flagging, and ensure consistent usage across policies and audits. Book a demo below for a free privacy audit to learn more about getting compliant and protecting your company.