Plain-language dictionary
Glossary
Every confusing bit of jargon, explained simply. No prior knowledge assumed.
"Sign in with…" (OAuth)
Using your Google, Apple, or Facebook account to log into other apps without creating a new password.
Read articleAccount takeover
When a criminal gains control of one of your online accounts and locks you out or abuses it.
Read articleAd blocker (content blocker)
A browser tool that stops ads and the hidden trackers that come with them, making pages faster and more private.
Read articleAdware
Unwanted software that floods your device with ads and often tracks your browsing to target them.
Read articleAnonymisation
Stripping data of anything that identifies you, so it can be used without revealing who you are.
Read articleAntivirus (security software)
Software that detects and blocks malware on your device.
Read articleBackup
A saved copy of your data kept somewhere safe, so you don't lose it to theft, damage, or ransomware.
Read articleBiometrics
Using your body — fingerprint, face, or voice — to unlock devices and confirm your identity.
Read articleBotnet
A network of hacked devices remotely controlled by criminals to send spam or attack websites.
Read articleBrowser extension
A small add-on that gives your browser new abilities — and often broad access to what you see and type.
Read articleBrute-force attack
Guessing a password by trying every possible combination, at machine speed.
Read articleCAPTCHA
Those 'select all the traffic lights' puzzles that prove you're a human, not an automated program.
Read articleCatfishing
Creating a fake online identity — usually with stolen photos — to deceive someone into a relationship.
Read articleCCPA / CPRA
California's privacy law giving residents the right to know, delete, and opt out of the sale of their personal data.
Read articleCloud storage
Keeping your files on a provider's servers — like iCloud, Google Drive, or Dropbox — instead of only on your device.
Read articleCookie
A small file websites store in your browser. Some remember your login; 'third-party' ones track you across different sites for advertising.
Read articleCredential stuffing
When attackers take passwords leaked from one site and try them on your other accounts — which works if you reuse passwords.
Read articleCyberbullying
Repeated harassment, humiliation, or threats carried out through phones, social media, or games.
Read articleDark web
A hidden part of the internet reachable only with special software, where stolen data is often traded.
Read articleData breach
When a company's systems are broken into and customer data — emails, passwords, card numbers — is stolen or exposed.
Read articleData broker
A company that collects and sells personal information about people, usually without any direct relationship with them.
Read articleData minimisation
The principle of collecting — and giving out — only the data actually needed for a task.
Read articleDeepfake
AI-generated fake video, audio, or images that convincingly imitate a real person.
Read articleDictionary attack
Guessing passwords using lists of common words, names, dates, and previously leaked passwords.
Read articleDigital footprint
The trail of data you leave online — both what you share deliberately and what's collected about you automatically.
Read articleDoxxing
Publishing someone's private information — home address, workplace, phone — online to intimidate or harm them.
Read articleEncryption
Scrambling information so only someone with the right key can read it. It protects data on your devices and as it travels online.
Read articleEnd-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.
Read articleFirewall
A digital barrier that controls which network traffic is allowed in and out of your device or network.
Read articleGDPR
The European Union / UK data-protection law giving people strong rights over their personal data, such as access and deletion.
Read articleGeolocation
Your device working out where you are — via GPS, Wi-Fi, and mobile networks — and sharing it with apps.
Read articleGrooming (online)
An adult building trust with a child online in order to exploit or abuse them.
Read articleHTTPS
The secure version of a web connection, shown by a padlock in your browser. It encrypts data between you and the website.
Read articleIdentity theft
When someone uses your personal details — name, ID numbers, bank details — to impersonate you, open accounts, or commit fraud in your name.
Read articleIncognito / private mode
A browser mode that doesn't save your history or cookies on your own device — and nothing more.
Read articleIP address
The number that identifies your connection on the internet, roughly revealing your city and provider.
Read articleKeylogger
A tool that secretly records everything you type — including passwords and messages.
Read articleMalware
Malicious software — viruses, spyware, ransomware — that harms your device or steals your data, often installed by a bad download or link.
Read articleMetadata
Data about your data — for example, who you messaged and when, even if the message content itself is encrypted and private.
Read articleMFA fatigue (prompt bombing)
An attack that floods you with login-approval notifications hoping you eventually tap 'Approve' just to stop them.
Read articleOne-time code (OTP)
A short code — by text or app — that works once and expires quickly, used to confirm it's really you.
Read articleParental controls
Built-in family tools that limit screen time, filter content, and require approval for purchases and apps.
Read articlePasskey
A modern, phishing-resistant replacement for passwords that uses your device — often with your fingerprint or face — to prove it's really you.
Read articlePassphrase
A password made of several random words strung together — long, hard to crack, and easy to remember.
Read articlePassword manager
A secure app that creates and stores a unique strong password for every account, so you only remember one master password.
Read articlePersonal hotspot
Sharing your phone's mobile data connection so your laptop or other devices can use the internet through it.
Read articlePharming
Redirecting you from a legitimate website address to a fake copy without you noticing.
Read articlePhishing
A scam message pretending to be someone you trust, designed to trick you into revealing passwords, paying money, or clicking a harmful link.
Read articlePrivacy policy
The document where a service explains what data it collects about you, why, and who it shares it with.
Read articlePublic Wi-Fi
Free wireless networks in cafés, hotels, and airports — shared with strangers, but safer than they used to be.
Read articleQuishing (QR code phishing)
Phishing that hides the malicious link inside a QR code — on a poster, a parking meter, or an email.
Read articleRansomware
Malware that locks your files and demands payment to unlock them. Regular backups are the best defence.
Read articleRight to be forgotten
Your legal right, in many places, to have personal data deleted or de-listed from search results.
Read articleRootkit
Malware that hides deep in a device's system to avoid detection while keeping control for an attacker.
Read articleRouter (Wi-Fi box)
The box that connects your home to the internet and creates your Wi-Fi network.
Read articleScareware
Fake alarms — 'Your computer is infected!' — designed to scare you into paying for useless or harmful software.
Read articleScreen lock
The PIN, pattern, fingerprint, or face check that stops anyone else from opening your device.
Read articleSecurity certificate (SSL/TLS)
The credential behind the browser padlock that enables an encrypted connection to a website.
Read articleSecurity patch (update)
A software update that fixes known security holes before criminals can exploit them.
Read articleSextortion
A scam where someone threatens to share intimate images unless paid. Victims should not pay, should save evidence, and should seek help.
Read articleSIM 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.
Read articleSingle sign-on (SSO)
Logging into many services with one account — like using your work or school login everywhere.
Read articleSmishing
Phishing carried out by SMS text message rather than email.
Read articleSocial engineering
Manipulating people — rather than hacking machines — into giving up information or access, using trust, fear, or urgency.
Read articleSpam
Unwanted bulk messages — mostly advertising, but often the delivery vehicle for scams and malware.
Read articleSpoofing
Faking a sender's identity — a phone number, email address, or website — so a scam appears to come from someone you trust.
Read articleSpyware
Malware that secretly watches what you do — keystrokes, messages, location — and reports it to someone else.
Read articleTerms of service
The contract you accept when using a service — covering your rights, their rights, and what happens to your content.
Read articleTor Browser
A free browser that anonymises your web activity by routing it through multiple relays. Used by people who need strong privacy.
Read articleTracker
Hidden code on websites and in apps that records what you do and reports it back to advertising or analytics companies.
Read articleTrojan (Trojan horse)
Malware disguised as a legitimate program — a game, an invoice, an 'update' — that attacks once you run it.
Read articleTwo-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.
Read articleTyposquatting
Registering misspelled versions of popular websites (like 'gogle.com') to catch people who mistype.
Read articleURL (web address)
The address of a page on the web — and the single most useful thing to check before trusting a site.
Read articleVishing (voice phishing)
Phishing by phone call — a scammer poses as your bank, the police, or tech support to extract money or codes.
Read articleVPN (Virtual Private Network)
A tool that encrypts your internet connection and hides your browsing from the local network and your internet provider.
Read articleZero-day
A security hole that attackers discover before the software maker does — so no fix exists yet.
Read article