Dark Web

Also known as the darknet, the dark web is a part of the deep web that requires special means of access, including special software or other configurations for anonymous entry. It has long been considered a place for nefarious activity and possesses many legal barriers for law enforcement agencies.

Dark Web Forum

Online discussion boards hosted on the dark web anonymously that often attract discussions and exchanges associated with illegal and sensitive behavior.

data access governance (DAG)

An auditing, compliance, and governance framework for unstructured data and critical applications that provides comprehensive data collection, analysis, categorization and remediation workflows, and reporting.

Data Breach

This is a type of attack where cybercriminals bypass existing security controls to target and exploit a user's trust to gain access to their network with the goal of stealing sensitive data.

data classification (DC)

This industry term refers to securing sensitive data against accidental and inadvertent loss. Fortra’s Titus and Boldon James product lines deliver data classification solutions.    

data exfiltration

The unauthorized removal of data from a dataset. Fortra’s Clearswift product line delivers Data Loss Prevention solutions. See also DLP.

Data Leak

This is generally an accidental leak of sensitive data, including personally identifiable information (PII - see glossary under "P") like credit card numbers, etc., that can happen when transmitting in outbound emails or when sharing files outside of an organization.

data loss prevention (DLP)

A set of tools and processes used to ensure sensitive data is not lost, misused, or accessed by unauthorized users. Fortra’s Clearswift and Digital Guardian product lines deliver Data Loss Prevention solutions.

Data Science

The organized study that extracts significant insights using an amalgam of principles from mathematics, statistics, artificial intelligence, and computer engineering in order to analyze large amounts of data, such as email header data and metadata.

data security posture management (DSPM)

Technology that continuously monitors and analyzes sensitive data across cloud and hybrid environments to identify risks, enforce security policies, and ensure proper governance.

decryption

The process of taking encoded or encrypted text or other data and converting it back into text that a human or the computer can read and understand.

Deep Web

Parts of the internet not indexed by everyday search engines. This may include password-protected, encrypted, and other protected sites; along with the dark web. Examples of deep web content include medical records, academic databases, financial records, etc.

defensive security

Defensive security encompasses the strategies, tools, and practices used to protect an organization's systems and data by implementing preventative controls and actively monitoring for threats.

Deposit Fraud

The process by which a threat actor makes a fraudulent deposit into a victim’s bank account — often using fake, tampered, or stolen checks via mobile deposit — to facilitate social engineering attacks and/or account takeover.

DevOps

A change in IT culture, focusing on rapid IT service delivery through the adoption of Agile, lean practices in the context of a system-oriented approach.

digital rights management (DRM)

A broad term that describes how organizations control the publication and use of digital assets. Fortra’s Vera provides a digital rights management solution.

digital risk protection (DRP)

An operational process that combines intelligence, detection, and response to mitigate attacks across the external digital risk landscape.

distributed denial of service (DDoS)

A common form of cyberattack that disrupts the normal functioning of a website, often targeting government, retail, financial, or media organizations.

DMCA Takedown

A threat takedown, supported by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), that protects copyrighted digital content, and enabling right holders to request the removal of infringing content from websites and social media platforms.

document management (DM)

The process of electronically capturing, managing, and distributing documents and forms on-premises or in the cloud. Fortra’s Document Management product line helps organizations go paperless with document solutions that automate key business processes.

Domain Impersonation

Various techniques used by threat actors that impersonate an organization's domains, through the use of look-alike domains or email spoofing, with the aim of getting into user inboxes to manipulate them into giving away access or sensitive information.

Domain Name System (DNS) Server

This serves as the contact directory of the Internet by translating the characters (or URL) a user types by converting a domain name into an IP address so the website can be located.

Domain Takedown

The process of directly collaborating with domain registrars, hosting providers, or legal channels to suspend or deactivate malicious, infringing, or fraudulent websites so they can no longer pose a risk.

domain-based message authentication, reporting, and conformance (DMARC)

An email authentication protocol used to prevent spoofing. 

domainkeys identified mail (DKIM)

A technique that uses a domain name to digitally “sign” emails, so recipients are confident in the sender and know the message hasn’t been altered in transit.

dynamic application security testing (DAST)

A procedure that actively investigates running applications with penetration tests to detect possible security vulnerabilities.