CYBERSPEAK: A GUIDE
A cybersecurity glossary with tech terms in clear language
Your guide to understanding security speak
Attack vectors
Business email compromise (BEC) is a cybercrime where attackers use stolen or fake credentials to send convincing emails, tricking recipients into revealing sensitive info or transferring funds.
Learn more about What is business email compromise?What is cryptojacking? Discover what it is, its impact, and steps to protect your devices and networks from unauthorized cryptomining.
Learn more about What is cryptojacking?What is phishing in cybersecurity? Learn about these types of attacks and prevention strategies to protect your organization from phishing.
Learn more about What is phishing in cybersecurity?Ransomware protection involves methods and technologies to defend IT systems from ransomware—malicious software that encrypts data, blocking access until a ransom is paid.
Learn more about What is ransomware protection?Auto remediation
Learn how to auto remediate security threats with expert-guided automation. Discover Expel's approach to balancing speed and human oversight.
Learn more about Auto remediate: How does expert-guided automation transform threat response?Learn how visibility and context drive effective cybersecurity remediation strategies, from deny lists to device preferences.
Learn more about How do visibility and context shape effective cybersecurity remediation strategies?Learn the four pillars for establishing confidence in automated security tools: transparency, human oversight, testing, and granular control.
Learn more about How do you build trust in automated cybersecurity tools?Learn why the most effective auto remediation tools work through precision, not force - small actions that deliver huge security value.
Learn more about What are some auto remediation tools that create massive impact through seemingly small actions?What is auto remediation? Learn how this practice can automate critical actions against an attacker in the case of a cybersecurity incident.
Learn more about What is auto remediation? A high-level guideUnderstanding how automation in cybersecurity is transforming security operations through speed, volume management, and consistent accuracy.
Learn more about Why is cybersecurity automation critical to modern threat response?Cloud
Cloud detection and response (CDR) quickly detects, analyzes, investigates, and responds to threats, similar to managed detection and response (MDR) and extended detection and response (XDR) services.
Learn more about What is cloud detection and response?What is cloud security? Read an in-depth definition of cloud security and discover more resources to secure your environment.
Learn more about What is cloud security?Cybersecurity tools
Learn what is a data lake in cybersecurity, how it differs from SIEM systems, and the key benefits for security operations, including better threat detection, comprehensive data retention, and advanced analytics capabilities.
Learn more about What is a data lake?Get the answer to what is SIEM in cybersecurity, including types of SIEM systems, architecture, implementation strategies, and alternatives.
Learn more about What is SIEM in cybersecurity?Endpoint
What is EDR? Endpoint detection and response (EDR) collects endpoint data to establish normal patterns, monitor for compromises, and provide intel for containment and remediation.
Learn more about What is endpoint detection and response?Extended detection and response (XDR)
Learn how extended detection and response (XDR) unifies and automates security across multiple layers to combat modern cyber threats effectively.
Learn more about What is XDR?Frameworks and tools
Learn what is NIST in cybersecurity, its role in developing standards and frameworks, and how organizations use NIST guidelines to strengthen their security programs.
Learn more about What is NIST in cybersecurity?Learn what the MITRE ATT&CK framework is in cybersecurity and why it matters. Discover how to use MITRE ATT&CK coverage to protect your environments.
Learn more about What is the MITRE ATT&CK Framework?Identity
What is ITDR? Identity threat detection and response (ITDR) focuses on protecting user accounts from misuse and prevents identity-based attacks.
Learn more about What is identity threat detection and response (ITDR)?Kubernetes
Kubernetes adoption is growing, but security is a challenge. Learn how to address vulnerabilities, integrate security tools, and use automation to improve Kubernetes protection.
Learn more about What is Kubernetes security?Managed detection and response (MDR)
Learn how MDR enhances SIEM capabilities via API integration, which vendors are supported, and what to do if you don't have a SIEM yet.
Learn more about Can MDR work with my existing SIEM?Does MDR fixes security issues or just detects them? Discover MDR remediation capabilities and the difference between detection-only and full response services.
Learn more about Does MDR fix security issues or just detect them?How does AI work in managed detection and response services? Machine learning, behavioral analytics, and automation help analysts detect threats faster.
Learn more about How does AI work in managed detection and response?Learn how MDR services work with your security team. Discover collaboration methods, decision-making processes, and day-to-day workflows.
Learn more about How does an MDR service work with my security team?Learn how MDR improves security over time through continuous detection tuning, resilience recommendations, gap analysis, and security maturity progression.
Learn more about How does MDR help improve security over time?A discussion on the essential qualities that define effective MDR service providers in today's cybersecurity landscape.
Learn more about What “good” looks like for MDR service providersMDR solutions quickly detect, analyze, investigate, and respond to threats using EDR, network and cloud protection, and logs.
Learn more about What is an MDR solution?What is MDR? Define MDR, learn how it works, why organizations use MDR services for 24x7 threat detection and incident response, and MDR benefits.
Learn more about What is managed detection and response (MDR)?What is MDR in cybersecurity? Find out how managed detection and resposne enhances security operations with real-time threat detection.
Learn more about What is MDR in cybersecurity?MDR services reporting should include MDR metrics, real-time dashboards, incident reports, executive summaries, and visibility tools.
Learn more about What kind of reporting do you get from MDR services?Essential criteria for choosing an MDR provider including evaluation framework, key questions to ask, red flags, and reference checking tips.
Learn more about What should I look for when choosing an MDR provider?MDR monitors technologies including endpoints, cloud workloads, Kubernetes containers, SIEM logs and more for comprehensive threat detection.
Learn more about What technologies does MDR monitor?Understand the key differences between MDR and traditional SOC operations, and learn when to choose MDR vs. building an in-house SOC.
Learn more about What’s the difference between MDR and a traditional SOC?This article covers when to consider managed detection and response (MDR), assessing your readiness for MDR, and more.
Learn more about When should an organization consider managed detection and response?Companies choose MDR over building in-house SOCs for faster deployment, lower costs, immediate expertise access, and 24x7 coverage.
Learn more about Why are companies choosing MDR over building in-house SOCs?Managed security services
What are managed security services? Managed security services (MSS) are outsourced services provided by third-party companies to manage and protect an organization's cybersecurity operations.
Learn more about What are managed security services?Network security
Learn what managed network detection and response (MNDR) is and how it protects your network infrastructure.
Learn more about What is managed network detection and response?SecOps
Learn what is SecOps in cybersecurity, how it integrates security with IT operations, and identify key SecOps solutions.
Learn more about What is SecOps?Security operations center (SOC)
SOC performance metrics can mislead. This article shows why surface-level analysis—like evaluating solely on MTTR—risks wrong assessments.
Learn more about How can SOC performance metrics be misleading?Learn warning signs of an overwhelmed SOC like alert fatigue to analyst turnover. Discover how to measure effectiveness and when to seek help.
Learn more about How do I know if my SOC is overwhelmed?Measuring SOC performance efficiency is a journey, not a destination. Learn how to measure your SOC using a "crawl, walk, run" approach.
Learn more about How do you increase SOC performance efficiency?Reduce false positives in SOC operations with detection engineering, rule tuning, baseline establishment, and threat intelligence.
Learn more about How do you reduce false positives in SOC operations?Effective SOC management avoids treating data as the end-all, as metrics alone provide incomplete stories. Learn how to verify data accuracy.
Learn more about How does effective SOC management ensure data accuracy?This article explores SOC quality measurement and how teams balance speed with accuracy featuring insights from SOC ops leaders at Expel.
Learn more about How does SOC quality management balance speed and accuracy?Learn what it costs to build and operate a 24x7 SOC, including staffing requirements, technology budgets, hidden expenses, and cost comparisons between SOC types.
Learn more about How much does it cost to build and operate a 24×7 SOC?A step-by-step guide to reducing alert fatigue with detection tuning, automation, process improvements, timelines, and metrics for sustainable SOC operations.
Learn more about How to implement alert fatigue solutionsA look at essential cybersecurity metrics examples for measuring automation impact on team productivity, burnout, and operational efficiency.
Learn more about What are some cybersecurity metrics examples for measuring automation impact and SOC performance?This article explores SOC capacity planning and how operational performance is shaped, featuring insights from SOC ops leaders at Expel.
Learn more about What are some leading indicators that predict SOC performance?Discover the 10 biggest challenges facing SOC teams today, from alert fatigue and analyst burnout to talent shortage and tool sprawl.
Learn more about What are the biggest challenges facing SOC teams today?Learn about the three types of security operations centers. Compare models, staffing approaches, and costs to choose the right SOC structure.
Learn more about What are the different types of security operations centers?This article on SOC culture features insights from a video interview with Ben Brigida and Ray Pugh, SOC operations leaders at Expel.
Learn more about What are the keys to developing a strong SOC culture?Learn what causes alert fatigue in SecOps, like misconfigured tools, poor prioritization, and how to reduce false positives and improve alert quality.
Learn more about What causes alert fatigue in security operations?This article explores the alert lifecycle and common bottlenecks in SOC operations, featuring insights from SOC operations leaders at Expel.
Learn more about What does the SOC alert lifecycle look like?What is a cyber fusion center (CFC) is? Learn how it differs from a SOC and the benefits for modern threat detection and response operations.
Learn more about What is a cyber fusion center (CFC)?Learn what a security operations center (SOC) is and how these 24x7 cybersecurity hubs protect organizations from threats through continuous monitoring and rapid incident response.
Learn more about What is a security operations center (SOC)?SOC-as-a-Service (SOCaaS) offers 24x7 cloud-based SOC capabilities, including monitoring, alert triage, incident response, and threat remediation on a subscription basis.
Learn more about What is SOC-as-a-service (SOCaaS)?What technologies are essential for an effective SOC? Explore SIEM platforms and EDR tools to XDR, threat intelligence, and cloud security.
Learn more about What technologies are essential for an effective SOC?Discover clear signals on when to outsource SOC operations like talent and 24x7 coverage gaps, budget constraints, and rapid growth.
Learn more about When should an organization consider outsourcing SOC operations?Software-as-a-service (SaaS)
Learn about critical security measures for cloud-based applications, common threats, and essential protection strategies for your organization's SaaS environment.
Learn more about What is SaaS security?Threat intelligence
Cyber threat intelligence gathers and analyzes data on cyber threats to help organizations prevent attacks by understanding threat actors and vulnerabilities.
Learn more about What is cyber threat intelligence?Threat hunting is a proactive approach to finding hidden or unresolved threats in a network, using digital forensics and incident response.
Learn more about What is threat hunting in cybersecurity?Vulnerability management
Learn what vulnerability management is and why it matters for your organization's security posture. A clear explanation of key concepts and practices.
Learn more about What is vulnerability management?