Security Beginner

What is Encryption?

The process of converting readable data into an unreadable format using algorithms, reversible only with the correct key.

Encryption protects data confidentiality. Symmetric encryption (AES, ChaCha20) uses one key for both encryption and decryption — fast but requires secure key exchange. Asymmetric encryption (RSA, ECC) uses a public/private key pair — slower but enables secure key exchange.

Data should be encrypted at rest (stored data) and in transit (network traffic via TLS). Never implement custom encryption — use established libraries and algorithms.

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Penetration Testing

An authorized simulated cyberattack on a system to evaluate its security defenses and identify vulnerabilities.

Certificate Pinning

A security technique that associates a host with its expected TLS certificate or public key, preventing man-in-the-middle attacks with fraudulent certificates.

SIEM (Security Information and Event Management)

A platform that collects, correlates, and analyzes security events from across an organization to detect threats and incidents.

DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service)

An attack that floods a target server or network with traffic from multiple sources to overwhelm it and deny service to legitimate users.

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A strategy and set of tools that detect and prevent unauthorized transmission of sensitive data outside an organization.

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