The FREE Cybersecurity Glossary by Thor Pedersen!

Heuristic Filter: A program that identifies threats or unwanted content based on general rules and observations rather than specific threat signatures. Unlike traditional filters that rely on a database of known threats, heuristic filters evaluate content based on patterns, behaviors, or certain attributes, making them effective at identifying previously unknown threats or variants of existing threats. These are commonly used in antivirus programs, spam filters, and intrusion detection systems to provide an additional layer of protection.

Hexadecimal: A numerical system that uses 16 symbols (0-9 and A-F) to represent numbers. It is commonly used in computer programming to represent values in memory or to specify color values in web design. Examples include using hexadecimal to specify the RGB color value for a specific shade of blue (#0000FF) or using hexadecimal to represent the memory address of a specific data value in a computer program.

Hierarchical database: A type of database that organizes data into a tree-like structure, with each record in the database having a single parent record and potentially multiple child records. It is commonly used in applications that need to store and retrieve hierarchical data, such as an organizational chart or a family tree. Examples include storing employee data in a hierarchical database to easily track reporting relationships or using a hierarchical database to store and retrieve genealogical data.

High Availability: The design and implementation of systems and processes to ensure that a service remains available at a high level over a defined period. This often involves redundancy, failover, load balancing, and other mechanisms to minimize downtime in the event of an outage or failure. From a security perspective, high availability is important not only for maintaining business operations but also for sustaining security controls and processes. An HA design can help prevent service disruptions that could be exploited by attackers, or that could lead to other security vulnerabilities.

High-density equipment: High-density equipment refers to hardware designed to maximize computing power or service capacity within a limited physical space. These systems are ideal for environments where space is at a premium, but demand for computational resources is high. Data centers, for instance, use high-density racks to house servers and storage devices efficiently.

High granularity in data: The level of detail or precision in a data set. When data is highly granular, it has a high level of specificity, meaning that it is divided into many small, distinct units. This can be useful for analyzing data in detail, but it can also make it more difficult to process and manage. Examples of data with high granularity include detailed transaction records, sensor data, and social media posts.