Confused by some of the most used terms in the antivirus world? Certainly there are some strange abbreviations or bits of jargon that can cause a head scratch. In this article, we'll highlight some of the most common criminals, giving you clear and concise definitions of these terms. Let's continue with the jargon breaking...
Antivirus
OK, so you probably don't need to explain this. Consider this an easy start for this lingo buster! It is software that you install on your computer or phone to prevent cyber attacks from stealing your data or infecting your hardware. This can range from basic basic virus prevention and malware detection software to all-in-one internet security suites that offer every defense you can imagine but cost a bit more.
Botnet
An army of hacked computers (each device known as a ``bot'') that can be controlled to act in unison for malicious purposes, such as spamming other PCs or participating in a DDoS attack (as defined below).
crypto-jacking
This is the name of the process of hacking your PC with malware and using your system resources to participate in mining cryptocurrencies (such as Bitcoin) for the eventual benefit of the author. This type of attack can slow down your PC considerably.
DDoS
Represents distributed denial of service and refers to the practice of bombarding a target network using multiple devices (sometimes via a large botnet), flooding the target so that it is overwhelmed. In this way, malicious actors can take down websites or services so that you cannot use them while the DDoS attack persists, and where DDoS protection becomes so useful.
False positive
When an antivirus application reports something malicious and it turns out that the file (or web page, or whatever) in question is indeed legitimate and not dangerous at all, this event is called a false positive or in other words, a false detection.
Heuristic
The process of detecting malware simply by behavior (as opposed to the antivirus engine that recognizes a threat based on existing definitions). By looking for software or processes that behave in a suspicious way, similar to known malware, an antivirus can detect and cancel a threat that it has never seen before (such as zero-day, see separate definition below).
![El malware puede registrar lo que escribes]()
(Image credit: Pixabay)
Keylogger
While these may be legitimate (albeit niche) programs, in the antivirus world, these are malicious programs that stealthily log your keystrokes or, in other words, spy on you and log everything. what you type, to discover sensitive details like your passwords.
Malware
A contraction of "malware" and "software," malware refers to any type of software specially designed to harm your device or compromise its security or data.
Impersonation
Phishing is when a user is tricked into clicking a link or attachment in a message (usually an email) to compromise them in some way, often with a malware infection. The message in question generally appears to come from a reputable authority or company, to try to trick the user into being more likely to believe it because the content appears genuine.
pwned
Slang for "possessed" (with its supposed origins in a typo), meaning that you have been the victim of an exploit or been compromised in some way. In other words, it's been "pwned", and it's such a common term online these days that a famous hacking contest, Pwn2Own, relies on "pwning" systems and software.
![El ransomware es uno de los tipos de malware más desagradables]()
(Image credit: Shutterstock)
Data hijacking
This is malware that stealthily encrypts your files, locks them effectively, and demands payment for the digital key to unlock them. Even if you pay the ransom, usually in Bitcoin online, there is no guarantee that the author will actually decrypt your data, so it is best to keep it safe with antivirus software that includes protection against ransomware.
Trojan
The Trojan's name simply refers to the practice of creating software that looks like a legitimate application, but is actually a malware carrier. When you run the application, it will get infected.
Virus
Antivirus apps themselves are named because they defend against viruses, which is one type of malware, but not the only one (and, of course, antivirus apps today protect you against a wide range of malware). Its author places a virus in a file, and when that file is executed, it infects the system (potentially doing all sorts of nasty things). It usually works stealthily, in the background, and is designed to spread to other files on your system; the author's hope is that if those files are transferred to another user, the virus will pass them through. He will also commit. And it will continue to spread, just like a real world virus.
VPN
Short for "virtual private network," VPNs consist of secure, encrypted tunnels through which all the data you receive and send travels online. The providers use their own servers in different countries, which means they can also serve a second function as a way to ``spoof'' your IP address. They are often included in larger Internet security suites.
![VPN significa red privada virtual]()
(Image credit: Shutterstock)
Pirate white hat
An ethical hacker who tries to compromise systems and find vulnerabilities in an attempt to notify developers of any security flaws, allowing them to be fixed before malicious hackers can exploit them for nefarious purposes. White hat hackers can sometimes be handsomely rewarded for discovering vulnerabilities that would otherwise wreak havoc on a company's reputation.
Worm
A worm spreads in the same way as a virus (as we explained in the definition above), but that's even more worrisome because it spreads automatically. In other words, the user does not need to click or run a file to get infected. Wannacry is a famous example of an extremely dangerous worm in action.
Zero days
A zero day (or 0 days) refers to a vulnerability that has just arrived on the scene. This is dangerous because its existence has only just been discovered and therefore has not been fixed. The fight to fend off the threat is then launched as quickly as possible, before the attackers concoct zero-day attacks (which an antivirus might have a hard time detecting, since the threat is new and never-before-seen - although it is hopefully a good antivirus will detect it simply based on its suspicious behavior). The best prices on the best antivirus software of the moment.