The FREE Cybersecurity Glossary by Thor Pedersen!

Armored Virus: A type of malicious software designed to make analysis, detection, and removal exceptionally difficult. The term "armored" comes from the virus's protective mechanisms that resist attempts to study or eliminate it. These mechanisms might involve complex and misleading code, encryption, or self-modifying behavior.

ARP spoofing/poisoning: A cyber-attack where a malicious actor sends fake ARP (Address Resolution Protocol) messages to a network, tricking other devices into sending data to the wrong MAC (Media Access Control) address. It is used to intercept and modify network traffic, steal sensitive information, or launch further attacks. Examples include redirecting traffic to a fake website, intercepting login credentials, or injecting malware into downloads.

ARP Table: The ARP Table, or Address Resolution Protocol Table, is a table stored in each device on a network, which maps IP addresses to MAC addresses. This table is essential for local network communication because while IP addresses are used for routing data over the network, MAC addresses are used for direct device-to-device communication within the network.

Artificial Intelligence: A field of computer science focused on creating systems or machines that display human-like intelligence and cognitive functions such as learning, reasoning, problem-solving, perception, and language understanding. AI technologies include machine learning, natural language processing, robotics, and computer vision. In the context of IT and Cybersecurity, AI can be used to automate complex tasks, enhance decision-making, and improve security systems by identifying and responding to threats more efficiently than traditional methods. AI-powered cybersecurity solutions can adapt and evolve to detect new types of attacks, making them a critical component in modern security infrastructures.

ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange): A character encoding standard that uses a 7-bit binary number to represent letters, digits, symbols, and control characters. ASCII is foundational in computing, enabling the representation of text in computers, communication systems, and many basic data formats. While it plays a critical role in text-based protocols and data storage, more complex encoding systems and protocols are typically used in areas such as data forensics and network traffic analysis.

ASP (Application Service Provider): A service provider that hosts and delivers software applications over the internet, enabling clients to use software without having to install or manage it on local systems. ASPs support various business applications, offering an alternative to on-premise solutions, which can help reduce IT overhead and facilitate remote access to software functionality.