Cyber Insurance Glossary

Understanding the world of cyber insurance can feel daunting, especially with the growing array of technical terms related to cyber risks and protection. Whether you're exploring coverage options or managing existing policies, grasping the terminology is key to making informed choices. This Cyber Insurance glossary simplifies complex concepts, providing clear definitions to help you confidently address the challenges of protecting your business in the digital age.

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A

Advanced Persistent Threat (APT): A long-term, targeted attack where attackers infiltrate a network and remain undetected to gather sensitive information.
Antivirus Software: A tool designed to identify and eliminate malicious software like viruses, worms, and Trojans.
Authentication: The process of confirming a user's identity, such as with passwords or biometric scans.

B

Botnet: A group of devices infected with malware, controlled remotely to perform malicious activities like sending spam or launching attacks.
Brute Force Attack: A hacking method where all possible password combinations are tried to gain access to a system.
Business Email Compromise (BEC): A cyber fraud where attackers use fake emails to deceive employees into transferring money or data.
Business Interruption Loss: Revenue loss caused by downtime following a cyber event, often covered by insurance.

C

Cloud Security: Practices and tools designed to protect cloud-based systems and data from unauthorised access.
Credential Stuffing: Cybercriminals use stolen login details to access accounts on multiple platforms.
Cyber Extortion: Threats to compromise or release sensitive data unless a ransom is paid.
Cyber Hygiene: Maintaining good security habits to minimise vulnerabilities, such as updating software and using strong passwords.
Cyber Insurance: A policy providing financial coverage for losses due to cyber incidents like breaches or ransomware attacks.
Cyber Attacks: Malicious attempts to compromise systems, steal data, or disrupt operations through methods like phishing, ransomware, or DDoS.
Cybersecurity: The practice of protecting systems, networks, and data from cyber threats using tools like firewalls, encryption, and threat detection.

D

Data Breach: The unauthorised release or theft of private or confidential information.
Denial of Service (DoS) Attack: An attack that floods a system with requests, making it unavailable to users.
Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) Attack: A large-scale DoS attack from multiple devices simultaneously.
Dark Web: A hidden part of the internet often used for illegal activities and data trade.
Domain Spoofing: Impersonating a legitimate domain to deceive recipients into trusting a fake email.
Data Security: Safeguarding digital information from unauthorized access, theft, or corruption through encryption, access controls, and secure backups.

E

Encryption: Transforming data into unreadable code to prevent unauthorised access.
Endpoint Security: Protecting devices connected to a network, such as laptops and mobile phones, against cyber threats.
Exfiltration: The act of stealing data from a network without authorisation.
Email Encryption: Securing email contents to ensure only authorized recipients can read them.
Email Spoofing: Forging the "From" field in an email to make it appear as if it came from a trusted source.
Email Gateway: A security system that filters and scans incoming and outgoing emails for threats.

F

Firewall: A system that monitors and controls network traffic to block malicious access.
First-Party Coverage: Insurance that covers the policyholder's direct losses, such as data restoration or extortion costs.
False Positive: A legitimate email incorrectly marked as spam or malicious.

G

GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation): A European Union law regulating data protection and privacy for individuals.
Gray Hat Hacker: A hacker who exploits vulnerabilities without permission but often reports them instead of causing harm.

H

Hacktivism: Using hacking to promote social or political causes.
Honey Pot: A fake system set up to attract cyber attackers and study their behaviour.
Hybrid Cloud Security: Security measures designed to protect data and applications across both private and public cloud environments.

I

Incident Response Plan (IRP): A documented guide for managing and recovering from cyber incidents.
Insider Threat: Risks caused by employees or contractors misusing their access to sensitive systems.
Internet of Things (IoT): A network of internet-connected devices, such as smart appliances, that requires robust security.

J

Jailbreaking: Removing software restrictions from a device's operating system, making it vulnerable to threats.

K

Keylogger: A malicious program that tracks and records every keystroke to steal sensitive data like passwords.

L

Least Privilege: A principle ensuring users only have access to the systems or data necessary for their tasks.
Log Management: Collecting and analysing system logs to detect and prevent cyber threats.

M

Malware: Malicious software, such as viruses or spyware, designed to damage or steal data.
Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) Attack: An attack where the hacker intercepts communication between two parties.
Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Using multiple forms of verification, like passwords and biometrics, to secure access.
Malicious Attachments: Files attached to emails containing malware or viruses.

N

Network Segmentation: Dividing a network into smaller sections to reduce the risk of cyber threats spreading.
Next-Generation Firewall (NGFW): An advanced firewall that includes intrusion detection and deep packet inspection.

O

Open Port: A network entry point that allows communication, which can be exploited if left unsecured.
Operational Technology (OT): Systems used to control industrial processes that need special security measures.

P

Patch Management: The regular updating of software to fix vulnerabilities and improve security.
Phishing: A scam where attackers trick individuals into sharing personal or financial information.
Privilege Escalation: Gaining higher-level access than originally authorised within a system.

Q

Quarantine: Isolating a suspected threat or infected system to prevent further damage.

R

Ransomware: Malware that locks or encrypts files, demanding payment for their release.
Risk Assessment: Evaluating a system to identify potential vulnerabilities and prioritise their mitigation.
Ransom: A sum of money demanded by cybercriminals in exchange for stopping a cyberattack or restoring access to encrypted data, typically used in ransomware attacks.

S

Social Engineering: Manipulating individuals into divulging confidential information.
SQL Injection: An attack where malicious SQL commands are used to access or manipulate a database.
Spyware: Malware designed to secretly gather information from a system.
Spear Phishing: A targeted phishing attack aimed at specific individuals or organisations.

T

Third-Party Coverage: Insurance that covers legal claims or damages affecting third parties due to the policyholder's cyber incident.
Threat Actor: An individual or group responsible for initiating cyber attacks.
Typosquatting: Using domains with slight misspellings of legitimate addresses to trick users into responding to fake emails.

U

Unauthorised Access: Accessing systems or data without proper authorisation.
User Awareness Training: Education programs to help individuals recognise and prevent cyber risks.

V

Virtual Private Network (VPN): A secure network connection that encrypts data and masks the user's location.
Vulnerability: A weakness in a system or software that can be exploited by attackers.
Vishing: A phishing variant using voice or phone calls in combination with email scams.
Vendor Email Compromise (VEC): Targeting vendors’ emails to manipulate billing or transaction details.

W

Whaling: A phishing attack that targets high-profile individuals like executives.
Worm: Self-replicating malware that spreads across networks without user intervention.
Web Application Firewalls (WAF): A security tool that monitors and filters incoming and outgoing traffic to protect web applications from attacks like SQL injection and cross-site scripting.
Website Security: The protection of a website and its data from cyber threats like hacking, malware, and DDoS attacks using tools like firewalls, SSL certificates, and regular updates.

X

XML Injection: An attack that targets XML-based systems by injecting malicious code.

Y

Yield Farming Exploit: Attacks that exploit vulnerabilities in decentralised finance systems to steal assets.

Z

Zero-Day Exploit: An attack that targets software vulnerabilities before they are publicly known or fixed.
Zombie Device: An infected device controlled by hackers, often used in botnet attacks.

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Policybazaar for Business - Cyber Insurance - Customer Reviews

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4.5

out of 5

Based on 47 reviews

12 users

34 users

1 users

0 users

0 users

4.3 October 11, 2022

Aarti Singh

Knowledegable Team

The representatives at PolicyBazaar were knowledgeable, patient and genuinely committed to helping me find the best insurance policy for my requirements. They took the time to answer all my questions and provide valuable guidance, ensuring that I had a thorough understanding of the coverage details and terms. THANKS.

Agra

4.3 October 06, 2022

Amit

Quick And Hassle Free

After seeing a rise in cyber attacks in many of the companies, i decided to purchase a cyber insurance policy for my start up. I went on the Policy Bazaar website and learned about the coverage in detail and purchased it from their website only. It was quick and hassle-free purchase.

Nashik

4.5 October 04, 2022

Pinku

Paperless Process

We bought the contractual liability insurance from policybazaar and received the best overall package. The process was paperless as we applied for insurance online and the support was amazing.

Surat

4.5 October 03, 2022

Aashish

Extensive Coverage

We thoroughly checked all the benefits and features and decided to buy a contractual liability policy from Policybazaar. It provides all the necessary features to safeguard our business against any loss.

Ahemdabad

4.5 October 02, 2022

Nishant

Easy To Buy

It was easy to buy insurance from Policybazaar and customer support was also amazing to clear all the doubts. Contractual liability insurance is essential for my business and I could not get a better deal than this.

Udaipur

4.5 October 01, 2022

Puneet

Easy Plan Comparision

An ideal Contractual Liability Insurance policy purchased to protect our business that we ecounter in our everyday operations. Policybazaar offers a platform to compare multiple plans.

Assam

4.5 September 30, 2022

Govind

No Broker And Paper Work

Great experience at Policybazaar. We did not know that buying Contractual Liability Insurance could be that easy. Also there is no broker and paperwork.

Jharkhand

4.8 September 29, 2022

Rinku

Perfect Insurance Coverage

I purchased Contractual Liability Insurance from Policybazaar and the coverage they provided is perfect to keep my hardware business safe various unforeseen instances.

New Delhi

4.5 March 18, 2022

Ishan

Cloud Storage Cover

I wanted to purchase a cyber insurance policy could provide coverage for the data stored in cloud network. I went on the Policybazaar website and look up for plans that would provide me with this coverage. I compared different plans and in a matter of minutes i found the right cyber insurance plan that would fit my requirement.

Ajmer

4.5 March 17, 2022

Anurag

Good User Interface

I was looking for a cyber insurance policy online. After looking for the insurance plan online I landed on the Policybazaar website. Trust me, the user interface of the website is so good that i was able to locate the cyber insurance plan and purchase it in not more than 10 minutes. Thanks Policybazaar.

Delhi

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