An individual who uses technical knowledge to gain unauthorized access to systems or manipulate technology in unintended ways. Hackers range from curious hobbyists to sophisticated criminals and state-sponsored threat actors.

A fixed-length alphanumeric string produced by applying a cryptographic algorithm to data. Hash values create unique digital fingerprints for files, enabling integrity verification by detecting any modifications to original content.

The process of converting data of any size into a fixed-length hash value using mathematical algorithms. Hashing verifies data integrity, stores passwords securely, and enables efficient data retrieval without reversing to original content.

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act regulating how healthcare organizations protect patient information in the United States. HIPAA mandates security controls, breach notification procedures, and penalties for unauthorized disclosure of protected health data.

A comprehensive security approach that protects the entire IT environment through integrated tools and unified policies rather than isolated point solutions. Holistic strategies reduce complexity, eliminate coverage gaps, and improve threat visibility.

An IT architecture combining on-premises infrastructure, private cloud resources, and public cloud services into a unified environment. Hybrid deployments require consistent security policies across all components while adapting controls to each platform's characteristics.