A cybersecurity glossary with tech terms in clear language

AI can be used across cybersecurity for threat detection, incident response, phishing prevention, vulnerability prioritization, and secOps automation.

AI threat detection uses machine learning and behavioral analytics to identify both known and novel attacks in real time.

AI-powered security tools span SIEM, EDR/XDR, SOAR, email security, identity, and MDR. Learn about each category, and how to evaluate AI security claims.

AI in cybersecurity delivers real benefits—speed, scale, and 24x7 detection—but also genuine limitations. Here's the honest review.

Agentic AI pursues goals autonomously in cybersecurity—investigating, deciding, and acting without human direction, but still requires oversight.

AI in cybersecurity uses machine learning and behavioral analytics to detect threats, automate tasks, and enhance analyst capabilities.

Machine learning in cybersecurity enables threat detection systems to learn from data and improve over time. Learn ML types and its limitations in security.

The future of AI in cybersecurity spans near-term detection improvements, agentic AI expansion, and eventual AI SOC capabilities.

AI won't replace cybersecurity professionals, but it'll change what they do. Learn which tasks AI will do, which require humans, and how roles are evolving.

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.

What is cryptojacking? Discover what it is, its impact, and steps to protect your devices and networks from unauthorized cryptomining.

What is phishing in cybersecurity? Learn about these types of attacks and prevention strategies to protect your organization from phishing.

Ransomware protection services involve methods and technologies to defend IT systems from ransomware—malicious software that encrypts data, blocking access until a ransom is paid.

Learn how to auto remediate security threats with expert-guided automation. Discover Expel's approach to balancing speed and human oversight.

Learn how visibility and context drive effective cybersecurity remediation strategies, from deny lists to device preferences.

Learn the four pillars for establishing confidence in automated security tools: transparency, human oversight, testing, and granular control.

Learn why the most effective auto remediation tools work through precision, not force - small actions that deliver huge security value.

What is auto remediation? Learn how this practice can automate critical actions against an attacker in the case of a cybersecurity incident.

Understanding how automation in cybersecurity is transforming security operations through speed, volume management, and consistent accuracy.

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.

What is cloud security? Read an in-depth definition of cloud security and discover more resources to secure your environment.

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.

Get the answer to what is SIEM in cybersecurity, including types of SIEM systems, architecture, implementation strategies, and alternatives.

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 how extended detection and response (XDR) unifies and automates security across multiple layers to combat modern cyber threats effectively.

NIST sets the gold standard for cybersecurity frameworks. Learn what NIST is and how it's used to manage risk and meet compliance requirements.

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.

What is ITDR? Identity threat detection and response (ITDR) focuses on protecting user accounts from misuse and prevents identity-based attacks.

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 how MDR enhances SIEM capabilities via API integration, which vendors are supported, and what to do if you don't have a SIEM yet.

Does MDR fixes security issues or just detects them? Discover MDR remediation capabilities and the difference between detection-only and full response services.

Learn how MDR services help satisfy compliance requirements for SOC 2, HIPAA, PCI DSS, ISO 27001, and GDPR. Discover what compliance controls MDR provides.

How does AI work in managed detection and response services? Machine learning, behavioral analytics, and automation help analysts detect threats faster.

Learn how MDR services work with your security team. Discover collaboration methods, decision-making processes, and day-to-day workflows.

Learn how MDR fits into enterprise security strategy and security architecture, how it complements tools, and its role in defense and zero trust frameworks.

Learn how MDR improves security over time through continuous detection tuning, resilience recommendations, gap analysis, and security maturity progression.

Learn how fast MDR providers respond to threats, typical detection and response time benchmarks, and how MDR compares to in-house SOC operations.

Learn about MDR implementation typical deployment phases, what's required from your team, and factors that accelerate or slow onboarding.

Learn how much managed detection and response costs, typical MDR pricing models, hidden fees to watch for, and how MDR compares to building in-house.

A discussion on the essential qualities that define effective MDR service providers in today's cybersecurity landscape.

Learn what happens in the first 90 days of MDR service including onboarding, detection tuning, optimization, partnership development, and time to value.

MDR solutions quickly detect, analyze, investigate, and respond to threats using EDR, network and cloud protection, and logs.

What is MDR in cybersecurity? Discover managed detection and response, how it works, and why organizations rely on MDR for 24x7 threat detection, incident response, and key security benefits.

What is MDR in cybersecurity? Find out how managed detection and resposne enhances security operations with real-time threat detection.

MDR services reporting should include MDR metrics, real-time dashboards, incident reports, executive summaries, and visibility tools.

Essential criteria for choosing an MDR provider including evaluation framework, key questions to ask, red flags, and reference checking tips.

MDR monitors technologies including endpoints, cloud workloads, Kubernetes containers, SIEM logs and more for comprehensive threat detection.

Learn what ROI organizations achieve from MDR services, how to measure effectiveness, typical payback periods, and how to prove MDR business value.

Understand the key differences between MDR and traditional SOC operations, and learn when to choose MDR vs. building an in-house SOC.

This article covers when to consider managed detection and response (MDR), assessing your readiness for MDR, and more.

Companies choose MDR over building in-house SOCs for faster deployment, lower costs, immediate expertise access, and 24x7 coverage.

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 what managed network detection and response (MNDR) is and how it protects your network infrastructure.

Learn what is SecOps in cybersecurity, how it integrates security with IT operations, and identify key SecOps solutions.

MDR and managed SIEM are complementary services. Managed SIEM keeps your detection foundation healthy, and MDR adds services on top of it.

Learn how the SIEM monitoring process works, where it typically breaks down, and how managed services keep it running around the clock.

SIEM health monitoring catches silent failures. Learn key health metrics, data quality dimensions, and how managed SIEM keeps your platform reliable.

Learn the difference between SIEM platform vendors, managed SIEM service providers, and MDR providers with bring-your-own-SIEM capability.

SIEM costs are driven by data volume, but significant savings are possible through log filtering and data tiering.

Co-managed SIEM gives you control of your platform while an external provider handles rule tuning, health monitoring, and detection engineering.

Learn how managed SIEM works, which service models exist, and how MDR extends managed SIEM with expert detection and response.

Learn the difference between SIEMaaS deployment and managed SIEM services, and how MDR providers can work with any SIEM platform.

SIEM detection engineering is the ongoing practice of developing and maintaining the correlation rules that determine what your SIEM catches.

Prioritize managed SIEM services based on team size and maturity—from log optimization and rule tuning to detection engineering and cost optimization.

Learn how SIEM supports threat detection, investigation, and compliance, and how managed SIEM and MDR extend its capabilities.

Discover how AI and automation improve SOC operations through intelligent threat detection, automated triage, expert-guided response, machine learning applications, human-AI collaboration, and more.

SOC performance metrics can mislead. This article shows why surface-level analysis—like evaluating solely on MTTR—risks wrong assessments.

Learn how to improve your SOC's mean time to respond (MTTR) through automation, workflow optimization, and playbook development.

Learn warning signs of an overwhelmed SOC like alert fatigue to analyst turnover. Discover how to measure effectiveness and when to seek help.

Learn how SOC teams handle incident response effectively through structured phases of detection, containment, eradication, and recovery.

Build a culture of continuous improvement in SOC operations through maturity assessments, optimization, analyst development, and process refinement.

Measuring SOC performance efficiency is a journey, not a destination. Learn how to measure your SOC using a "crawl, walk, run" approach.

Learn how to integrate security tools like SIEM, EDR, and XDR into your SOC effectively. Discover tool consolidation strategies, and create unified visibility across your SOC.

Learn how to maximize SIEM ROI in SOC operations through strategic optimization, correlation rule tuning, and effective data management.

Reduce false positives in SOC operations with detection engineering, rule tuning, baseline establishment, and threat intelligence.

Effective SOC management avoids treating data as the end-all, as metrics alone provide incomplete stories. Learn how to verify data accuracy.

Learn how a managed SOC fits into your security strategy, including tool optimization and integration and how it advances security program maturity.

This article explores SOC quality measurement and how teams balance speed with accuracy featuring insights from SOC ops leaders at Expel.

Learn how long managed SOC implementation takes including readiness phases, maturity milestones, common blockers, and a comparison to building in-house.

Learn what it costs to build and operate a 24x7 SOC, including staffing requirements, technology budgets, hidden expenses, and cost comparisons between SOC types.

A step-by-step guide to reducing alert fatigue with detection tuning, automation, process improvements, timelines, and metrics for sustainable SOC operations.

A look at essential cybersecurity metrics examples for measuring automation impact on team productivity, burnout, and operational efficiency.

This article explores SOC capacity planning and how operational performance is shaped, featuring insights from SOC ops leaders at Expel.

Discover the 10 biggest challenges facing SOC teams today, from alert fatigue and analyst burnout to talent shortage and tool sprawl.

Learn about the three types of security operations centers. Compare models, staffing approaches, and costs to choose the right SOC structure.

This article on SOC culture features insights from a video interview with Ben Brigida and Ray Pugh, SOC operations leaders at Expel.

Learn what causes alert fatigue in SecOps, like misconfigured tools, poor prioritization, and how to reduce false positives and improve alert quality.

This article explores the alert lifecycle and common bottlenecks in SOC operations, featuring insights from SOC operations leaders at Expel.

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 what security operations center (SOC) services are and how these 24x7 cybersecurity hubs protect organizations from threats through continuous monitoring and rapid incident response.

What is SOCaaS? SOC-as-a-Service providers offer 24x7 cloud-based SOC capabilities, including monitoring, alert triage, incident response, and threat remediation on a subscription basis.

Learn the difference between hunting and monitoring in SOC operations, how to start a threat hunting program, essential techniques, required skills, and how to build hypothesis-driven hunts using MITRE ATT&CK.

Ongoing value and support from a managed SOC partnership includes detection improvement, clear communication, threat adaptation, and more.

What technologies are essential for an effective SOC? Explore SIEM platforms and EDR tools to XDR, threat intelligence, and cloud security.

Understand the ROI for managed SOC services, including benefits, what it costs to go without, and how managed SOC compares to building in-house.

Discover clear signals on when to outsource SOC operations like talent and 24x7 coverage gaps, budget constraints, and rapid growth.

Explore our SaaS security platform guide to protect cloud-based applications from threats. Discover security SaaS strategies and protection measures.

Threat hunting runs alongside 24x7 MDR monitoring to find threats automated detection misses. Learn how MDR hunting works and what to look for.

Measuring threat hunting effectiveness means tracking threats discovered, dwell time reduction, and detection improvements, not just hunt frequency.

Starting threat hunting requires log visibility, baseline knowledge, and investigation skills. Learn the prerequisites and common mistakes to avoid.

Learn when to use threat hunting frameworks like MITRE ATT&CK, TaHiTI, and the pyramid of pain provide methodologies for systematic threat discovery.

Threat hunting techniques include hypothesis-driven investigation, IOC hunting, TTP-based hunting, and more. Learn when to use each.

Threat hunting tools include SIEM platforms, EDR/XDR, network detection tools, and more. Learn which tools to prioritize and how they work together.

Automated threat hunting uses scheduled queries and machine learning to run hunts continuously at scale. Learn what to automate and what to leave to humans.

The threat hunting process moves from hypothesis to investigation to response and feeds findings back into better detections.

Learn the proactive cybersecurity approach of threat hunting and catch threats before they become incidents. IOC sweeps vs. hypothesis-driven.

SIEM platforms are the foundation of most threat hunting programs. Learn to use SIEM query languages, build effective hunting queries, and maximize data.

Cyber threat intelligence gathers and analyzes data on cyber threats to help organizations prevent attacks by understanding threat actors and vulnerabilities.

Learn what vulnerability management is and why it matters for your organization's security posture. A clear explanation of key concepts and practices.