The FREE Cybersecurity Glossary by Thor Pedersen!

Data Flow Diagrams (DFDs): Graphical representations that illustrate the flow of data through an information system. DFDs can map out the inputs, processes, storage, and outputs of data in a system. They are useful tools for visualizing system interactions, identifying potential bottlenecks or vulnerabilities, and for planning and improving system design.

Datagram: A self-contained, independent entity of data carrying sufficient information to be routed from the source to the destination computer without reliance on earlier exchanges between these source and destination machines and the transporting network. This means that each piece of data can take a different path to reach its intended destination, which can be useful for handling network congestion and ensuring data transmission even if parts of the network are compromised.

Data Hiding: A software development technique specifically applied to object-oriented programming, where the internal object details (data members) are hidden from external users. Data hiding helps maintain object integrity by preventing users from setting object data into an invalid or inconsistent state, enhancing system security, and reducing the likelihood of unauthorized data manipulation.

Data in Motion: Data that is actively moving through networks, either across the Internet or through private networks. It's during this active transfer process that data is often considered most vulnerable to unauthorized interception or alteration, which necessitates the use of secure transport protocols and encryption measures to ensure its safe delivery.

Data Integrity: A key principle in data security that ensures data is accurate, consistent, and reliable over its entire lifecycle. It involves maintaining the consistency, accuracy, and trustworthiness of data from the moment it is created until the point it is deleted. Measures to ensure data integrity include error checking and validation, backup, security access controls, and the implementation of specific rules and protocols.

Data in Use: Refers to data that is currently being processed or manipulated by a computer application or user. Unlike data at rest or data in transit, it's in an active state, making it potentially more vulnerable to unauthorized access or attacks, like memory scraping. Security measures for data in use include encryption and access controls. Encrypting data in active use, also known as runtime encryption, involves protecting data being processed in a computer's memory. Techniques include Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs) that create secure areas in a processor, Homomorphic Encryption that allows computations on encrypted data, and Secure Enclaves like Intel SGX, which safeguard data even if the system is compromised.