Advanced Persistent Threat (APT)
A prolonged and targeted cyberattack where an intruder gains access to a network and remains undetected for an extended period. APTs typically target high-value organizations for espionage or data theft.
Cybersecurity Glossary
Essential security terminology explained in plain language. Your reference guide to understanding cyber threats and defenses.
A
AES-256 Encryption
Advanced Encryption Standard with a 256-bit key length — the strongest form of AES encryption. Used by governments and military organizations worldwide to protect classified information. Citadel Frame uses AES-256-GCM for its Secure File Vault.
Antivirus (AV)
Software designed to detect, prevent, and remove malware from computers. Traditional AV relies primarily on signature-based detection, while modern solutions like Citadel Frame combine multiple detection methods including behavioral analysis and AI.
Attack Surface
The total number of points (attack vectors) where an unauthorized user can try to enter or extract data from a system. Citadel Frame's System Hardening Advisor helps minimize your attack surface.
B
Behavioral Analysis
A security technique that monitors program behavior rather than relying on known malware signatures. Citadel Frame's Ransomware Shield uses behavioral analysis to detect encryption activity in real-time.
Breach Monitoring
The continuous surveillance of dark-web marketplaces, paste sites, and breach databases for compromised credentials. Citadel Frame provides automated breach monitoring with real-time alerts and remediation playbooks.
Brute Force Attack
An attack method that tries every possible combination of passwords or encryption keys until the correct one is found. Citadel Frame detects and blocks brute force attempts through its network monitoring and firewall analysis.
C
CIS Benchmarks
Security configuration guidelines published by the Center for Internet Security (CIS). These benchmarks provide prescriptive guidance for establishing secure configurations. Citadel Frame's compliance engine includes CIS Controls v8 profiles.
Command and Control (C2)
Infrastructure used by attackers to maintain communication with compromised systems. Citadel Frame's DNS Firewall blocks known C2 domains before they can establish connections.
Compliance
Adherence to regulatory requirements, industry standards, and organizational security policies. Citadel Frame's Compliance Engine supports ISO 27001, NIST CSF, CIS Controls, and POPIA.
Credential Stuffing
An automated attack that uses stolen username/password pairs from one breach to attempt access on other services. Breach monitoring helps identify exposed credentials before they can be exploited.
CVE (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures)
A standardized identifier system for publicly known cybersecurity vulnerabilities. Each CVE ID uniquely identifies a specific vulnerability, enabling consistent communication across security tools and organizations.
D
Dark Web
The portion of the internet that requires special software (like Tor) to access. Often used for illicit activities including trading stolen credentials, which is why dark-web monitoring is essential for breach detection.
Data Exfiltration
The unauthorized transfer of data from a computer or network. Citadel Frame's Network Connection Monitor detects anomalous outbound traffic patterns that may indicate data exfiltration.
DNS (Domain Name System)
The internet's phone book — translates human-readable domain names into IP addresses. Citadel Frame's DNS Firewall intercepts DNS queries to block access to malicious domains.
DNS Firewall
A security control that blocks access to malicious domains at the DNS resolution level. By preventing DNS resolution of known-bad domains, attacks are stopped before a connection is ever established.
E
Endpoint Protection
Security solutions that protect individual devices (endpoints) such as laptops, desktops, and servers. Citadel Frame is an endpoint protection platform (EPP) designed for Windows desktop systems.
Entropy Analysis
A mathematical measure of randomness in data. Ransomware typically produces high-entropy (highly random) encrypted files. Citadel Frame monitors file entropy in real-time to detect encryption activity.
F
Firewall
A network security device or software that monitors and filters incoming and outgoing network traffic. Citadel Frame analyzes your Windows Firewall configuration and identifies misconfigurations.
G
GeoIP
The practice of determining the geographic location of an IP address. Citadel Frame's Network Monitor uses GeoIP to show where your network connections are going on a world map.
H
Honeypot
A decoy system or file designed to attract and detect attackers. Citadel Frame's Ransomware Shield plants honeypot files in key directories to detect ransomware activity instantly.
I
Incident Response
The organized approach to addressing and managing the aftermath of a security breach or cyberattack. Citadel Frame's forensic case management helps document and track incidents from detection to resolution.
ISO 27001
An international standard for information security management systems (ISMS). ISO 27001:2022 is the latest version. Citadel Frame's Compliance Engine provides automated ISO 27001 compliance checking and reporting.
L
Lateral Movement
The techniques attackers use to move through a network after initial compromise, searching for valuable data and assets. Network monitoring helps detect unusual lateral movement patterns.
M
Malware
Malicious software designed to damage, disrupt, or gain unauthorized access to computer systems. Types include viruses, worms, trojans, ransomware, spyware, and adware.
N
NIST Cybersecurity Framework
A set of guidelines published by the National Institute of Standards and Technology for managing cybersecurity risk. Citadel Frame's Compliance Engine includes full NIST CSF 2.0 profiles.
P
Penetration Testing
An authorized simulated cyberattack performed to evaluate system security. Citadel Frame's scanning capabilities help identify the same vulnerabilities that penetration testers look for.
Persistence
The techniques malware uses to survive system restarts and maintain access. Citadel Frame's startup audits examine Run keys, scheduled tasks, services, and shell extensions for unauthorized persistence.
Phishing
A social engineering attack that tricks users into revealing sensitive information or clicking malicious links. DNS Firewalls block known phishing domains before users can reach them.
POPIA
The Protection of Personal Information Act — South Africa's data protection legislation similar to GDPR. Citadel Frame's Compliance Engine includes POPIA compliance profiles.
R
Ransomware
Malware that encrypts a victim's files and demands payment for the decryption key. Citadel Frame's Ransomware Shield uses behavioral analysis, honeypot traps, and entropy monitoring to detect and stop ransomware in real-time.
Registry Audit
An examination of the Windows Registry for security-sensitive configurations, unauthorized modifications, and malicious entries. Citadel Frame performs comprehensive registry audits as part of its scanning process.
S
SIEM (Security Information and Event Management)
A solution that aggregates and analyzes security data from across an organization. Citadel Frame provides SIEM-like capabilities for individual endpoints at a fraction of the cost.
Social Engineering
Psychological manipulation techniques used to trick people into making security mistakes. Security awareness combined with technical controls like DNS filtering provides the best defense.
Steganography
The practice of hiding data within other files such as images or documents. Citadel Frame's Download Inspection can detect steganographic payloads hidden in files entering your system.
System Hardening
The process of securing a system by reducing its attack surface through configuration changes, disabling unnecessary services, and applying security patches. Citadel Frame automates this with one-click remediation.
T
Threat Intelligence
Evidence-based knowledge about existing or emerging threats to systems. Citadel Frame's AI-powered intelligence layer transforms raw security data into actionable threat intelligence.
Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)
A security method requiring two different forms of identification to access an account. Citadel Frame's website supports authentication through Microsoft and Google identity providers.
V
Vulnerability
A weakness in a system that can be exploited by a threat actor. Citadel Frame's scanning identifies vulnerabilities across your firewall, network, software, and system configuration.
Z
Zero Trust
A security model that assumes no user or system should be trusted by default, even if they are inside the network perimeter. Citadel Frame's granular application control and network monitoring align with zero-trust principles.
Zero-Day
A previously unknown vulnerability that has no available patch. AI-powered behavioral analysis helps detect zero-day exploits by identifying anomalous behavior rather than relying on known signatures.
Protect Against These Threats
Citadel Frame defends against every threat listed above. Download free and take command of your security.