Wörterbuch in Klartext

Glossar

Jeder verwirrende Fachbegriff, einfach erklärt. Ganz ohne Vorwissen.

"Sign in with…" (OAuth)

Using your Google, Apple, or Facebook account to log into other apps without creating a new password.

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Account takeover

When a criminal gains control of one of your online accounts and locks you out or abuses it.

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Ad blocker (content blocker)

A browser tool that stops ads and the hidden trackers that come with them, making pages faster and more private.

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Adware

Unwanted software that floods your device with ads and often tracks your browsing to target them.

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Anonymisation

Stripping data of anything that identifies you, so it can be used without revealing who you are.

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Antivirus (security software)

Software that detects and blocks malware on your device.

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Backup

A saved copy of your data kept somewhere safe, so you don't lose it to theft, damage, or ransomware.

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Biometrics

Using your body — fingerprint, face, or voice — to unlock devices and confirm your identity.

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Botnet

A network of hacked devices remotely controlled by criminals to send spam or attack websites.

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Browser extension

A small add-on that gives your browser new abilities — and often broad access to what you see and type.

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Brute-force attack

Guessing a password by trying every possible combination, at machine speed.

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CAPTCHA

Those 'select all the traffic lights' puzzles that prove you're a human, not an automated program.

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Catfishing

Creating a fake online identity — usually with stolen photos — to deceive someone into a relationship.

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CCPA / CPRA

California's privacy law giving residents the right to know, delete, and opt out of the sale of their personal data.

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Cloud storage

Keeping your files on a provider's servers — like iCloud, Google Drive, or Dropbox — instead of only on your device.

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Cookie

A small file websites store in your browser. Some remember your login; 'third-party' ones track you across different sites for advertising.

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Credential stuffing

When attackers take passwords leaked from one site and try them on your other accounts — which works if you reuse passwords.

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Cyberbullying

Repeated harassment, humiliation, or threats carried out through phones, social media, or games.

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Dark web

A hidden part of the internet reachable only with special software, where stolen data is often traded.

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Data breach

When a company's systems are broken into and customer data — emails, passwords, card numbers — is stolen or exposed.

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Data broker

A company that collects and sells personal information about people, usually without any direct relationship with them.

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Data minimisation

The principle of collecting — and giving out — only the data actually needed for a task.

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Deepfake

AI-generated fake video, audio, or images that convincingly imitate a real person.

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Dictionary attack

Guessing passwords using lists of common words, names, dates, and previously leaked passwords.

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Digital footprint

The trail of data you leave online — both what you share deliberately and what's collected about you automatically.

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Doxxing

Publishing someone's private information — home address, workplace, phone — online to intimidate or harm them.

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Encryption

Scrambling information so only someone with the right key can read it. It protects data on your devices and as it travels online.

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End-to-end encryption

A way of scrambling messages so only you and the person you're talking to can read them — not the app company or anyone in between.

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Firewall

A digital barrier that controls which network traffic is allowed in and out of your device or network.

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GDPR

The European Union / UK data-protection law giving people strong rights over their personal data, such as access and deletion.

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Geolocation

Your device working out where you are — via GPS, Wi-Fi, and mobile networks — and sharing it with apps.

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Grooming (online)

An adult building trust with a child online in order to exploit or abuse them.

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HTTPS

The secure version of a web connection, shown by a padlock in your browser. It encrypts data between you and the website.

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Identity theft

When someone uses your personal details — name, ID numbers, bank details — to impersonate you, open accounts, or commit fraud in your name.

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Incognito / private mode

A browser mode that doesn't save your history or cookies on your own device — and nothing more.

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IP address

The number that identifies your connection on the internet, roughly revealing your city and provider.

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Keylogger

A tool that secretly records everything you type — including passwords and messages.

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Malware

Malicious software — viruses, spyware, ransomware — that harms your device or steals your data, often installed by a bad download or link.

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Metadata

Data about your data — for example, who you messaged and when, even if the message content itself is encrypted and private.

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MFA fatigue (prompt bombing)

An attack that floods you with login-approval notifications hoping you eventually tap 'Approve' just to stop them.

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One-time code (OTP)

A short code — by text or app — that works once and expires quickly, used to confirm it's really you.

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Parental controls

Built-in family tools that limit screen time, filter content, and require approval for purchases and apps.

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Passkey

A modern, phishing-resistant replacement for passwords that uses your device — often with your fingerprint or face — to prove it's really you.

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Passphrase

A password made of several random words strung together — long, hard to crack, and easy to remember.

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Password manager

A secure app that creates and stores a unique strong password for every account, so you only remember one master password.

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Personal hotspot

Sharing your phone's mobile data connection so your laptop or other devices can use the internet through it.

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Pharming

Redirecting you from a legitimate website address to a fake copy without you noticing.

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Phishing

A scam message pretending to be someone you trust, designed to trick you into revealing passwords, paying money, or clicking a harmful link.

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Privacy policy

The document where a service explains what data it collects about you, why, and who it shares it with.

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Public Wi-Fi

Free wireless networks in cafés, hotels, and airports — shared with strangers, but safer than they used to be.

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Quishing (QR code phishing)

Phishing that hides the malicious link inside a QR code — on a poster, a parking meter, or an email.

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Ransomware

Malware that locks your files and demands payment to unlock them. Regular backups are the best defence.

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Right to be forgotten

Your legal right, in many places, to have personal data deleted or de-listed from search results.

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Rootkit

Malware that hides deep in a device's system to avoid detection while keeping control for an attacker.

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Router (Wi-Fi box)

The box that connects your home to the internet and creates your Wi-Fi network.

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Scareware

Fake alarms — 'Your computer is infected!' — designed to scare you into paying for useless or harmful software.

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Screen lock

The PIN, pattern, fingerprint, or face check that stops anyone else from opening your device.

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Security certificate (SSL/TLS)

The credential behind the browser padlock that enables an encrypted connection to a website.

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Security patch (update)

A software update that fixes known security holes before criminals can exploit them.

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Sextortion

A scam where someone threatens to share intimate images unless paid. Victims should not pay, should save evidence, and should seek help.

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SIM swapping

A scam where a criminal tricks your phone company into moving your number to their SIM, so they receive your calls and security codes.

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Single sign-on (SSO)

Logging into many services with one account — like using your work or school login everywhere.

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Smishing

Phishing carried out by SMS text message rather than email.

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Social engineering

Manipulating people — rather than hacking machines — into giving up information or access, using trust, fear, or urgency.

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Spam

Unwanted bulk messages — mostly advertising, but often the delivery vehicle for scams and malware.

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Spoofing

Faking a sender's identity — a phone number, email address, or website — so a scam appears to come from someone you trust.

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Spyware

Malware that secretly watches what you do — keystrokes, messages, location — and reports it to someone else.

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Terms of service

The contract you accept when using a service — covering your rights, their rights, and what happens to your content.

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Tor Browser

A free browser that anonymises your web activity by routing it through multiple relays. Used by people who need strong privacy.

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Tracker

Hidden code on websites and in apps that records what you do and reports it back to advertising or analytics companies.

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Trojan (Trojan horse)

Malware disguised as a legitimate program — a game, an invoice, an 'update' — that attacks once you run it.

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Two-factor authentication (2FA)

A second step when logging in — usually a code from your phone — so a stolen password alone can't get someone into your account.

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Typosquatting

Registering misspelled versions of popular websites (like 'gogle.com') to catch people who mistype.

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URL (web address)

The address of a page on the web — and the single most useful thing to check before trusting a site.

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Vishing (voice phishing)

Phishing by phone call — a scammer poses as your bank, the police, or tech support to extract money or codes.

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VPN (Virtual Private Network)

A tool that encrypts your internet connection and hides your browsing from the local network and your internet provider.

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Zero-day

A security hole that attackers discover before the software maker does — so no fix exists yet.

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