Continuous observation of user and system activities compared against established baselines and security policies. Behavior monitoring detects anomalies that signature-based tools miss, identifying insider threats and compromised accounts through deviation patterns.

A list of blocked entities such as IP addresses, domains, applications, or email addresses. Blacklists prevent known threats from accessing systems but require constant updates and cannot stop unknown threats.

Cybersecurity professionals who defend systems against simulated attacks during security exercises. Blue teams test detection capabilities, response procedures, and defensive controls to identify gaps before real attackers exploit them.

A compromised computer remotely controlled by an attacker to perform malicious tasks. Individual bots execute commands from a central server, often used for distributed denial-of-service attacks, spam campaigns, or credential theft.

The attacker controlling a botnet through command-and-control infrastructure. Bot masters direct compromised machines to launch coordinated attacks, distribute malware, or steal data while masking their identity through proxy networks.

A network of infected computers controlled as a coordinated group by a single attacker. Botnets provide scalable attack infrastructure for DDoS operations, cryptocurrency mining, spam distribution, and large-scale data theft.

An unintentional flaw or error in software code that causes unexpected behavior. Bugs range from minor display issues to critical security vulnerabilities that attackers exploit before developers issue patches.

Development practices that integrate security controls throughout the software lifecycle rather than adding them after deployment. This approach reduces vulnerabilities through secure coding standards, threat modeling, and regular security testing.

A targeted phishing attack where criminals impersonate executives to authorize fraudulent wire transfers. BEC exploits trusted relationships and bypasses technical controls, causing billions in annual losses through social engineering tactics.