IT and cybersecurity glossary

3-2-1 backup rule

immutable backup

The 3-2-1 rule recommends keeping three copies of your data, on two different types of media, with one copy off site; an immutable backup cannot…

Application allowlisting

application whitelisting

Application allowlisting only allows software approved in advance to run, which blocks most malicious programs.

Business continuity plan

BCP

A business continuity plan aims to keep the business running during an incident, without interruption or in a degraded mode, whereas a disaster…

CEO fraud

payment fraud, business email compromise

CEO fraud involves posing as a company director, a supplier or a client in order to obtain an urgent bank transfer or a change of bank details.

Conditional Access

Conditional Access is a Microsoft Entra ID feature that allows or blocks a sign-in based on conditions: user, device, location, risk level.

Disaster recovery plan

DRP

A disaster recovery plan is the set of procedures used to restart the information system after a major incident (fire, ransomware, serious…

Disk encryption

BitLocker

Disk encryption makes the data on a computer unreadable without the decryption key, which protects it if the machine is lost or stolen.

DKIM

DomainKeys Identified Mail

DKIM is an email signing mechanism that allows the recipient to check that a message really comes from the stated domain and has not been altered.

DMARC

Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting and Conformance

DMARC is a policy published in DNS that tells recipients what to do with emails that fail SPF and DKIM checks: accept them, quarantine them or…

EDR

Endpoint Detection and Response

EDR is protection for computers and servers that detects malicious behaviour and makes it possible to respond, for example by isolating a…

Firewall

A firewall filters communications between networks according to rules, allowing only the traffic that is needed and blocking the rest.

GDPR

General Data Protection Regulation

The GDPR is the European regulation that governs the collection and processing of personal data and requires that data to be kept secure.

Hardening

Hardening means reducing the attack surface of a system by disabling unnecessary or risky features and applying a strict security configuration.

IT monitoring

IT monitoring is the continuous surveillance of equipment (computers, servers, network) to detect anomalies and fix them before they cause an outage.

Managed IT services

IT outsourcing, “infogérance” in French

Managed IT services means entrusting all or part of the management of your IT to a specialist provider, who takes care of monitoring, maintenance,…

MFA

multi-factor authentication, two-factor authentication

MFA (multi-factor authentication) requires a second proof of identity on top of the password, such as approval in a mobile app or a security key.

Microsoft CSP

Cloud Solution Provider

Microsoft's CSP programme allows a partner to resell Microsoft 365 and Azure licences, invoice them and provide first-line support.

MSP

Managed Service Provider

An MSP (Managed Service Provider) is a company that manages its clients' IT remotely and proactively, usually on a subscription basis.

MSSP

Managed Security Service Provider

An MSSP is a provider that specialises in managing its clients' cybersecurity: threat monitoring, detection and incident response.

NIS2

Directive (EU) 2022/2555

NIS2 is a European directive that strengthens the cybersecurity obligations of many companies and public bodies, classed as essential or important…

Patch management

Patch management is the process of regularly applying security patches to operating systems and software.

Phishing

Phishing is a scam technique in which a message imitating a trusted sender is used to trick the victim into clicking, entering their credentials…

Ransomware

Ransomware is malicious software that encrypts an organisation's files and demands a ransom to release them; it often comes with data theft.

RMM

Remote Monitoring and Management

An RMM is remote monitoring and management software that allows a provider to monitor, update and troubleshoot its clients' computers and servers.

SOC

Security Operations Centre

A SOC is a team, in-house or outsourced, that continuously monitors security alerts and responds to incidents.

SPF

Sender Policy Framework

SPF is a DNS record that lists the servers authorised to send email on behalf of a domain.

VLAN

virtual local area network

A VLAN divides a physical network into several isolated logical networks, for example to separate workstations, telephony, guests and connected…

VPN

virtual private network

A VPN creates an encrypted tunnel across the internet to connect a remote user or another site to the company network.

XDR

Extended Detection and Response

XDR extends the EDR approach to other sources (email, identities, cloud, network) to correlate signals and detect attacks across the whole…

Zero Trust

Zero Trust is a security model that trusts no user or device by default, even inside the network, and verifies every access.