204 Cybersecurity Trivia Questions (Ranked from Easiest to Hardest)

Cybersecurity is the practice of protecting computers, servers, mobile devices, electronic systems, networks, and data from digital attacks, theft, and damage. As the world becomes increasingly dependent on technology and the internet, cybersecurity has become a critical issue for individuals, organizations, and governments. With the increasing number of cyber threats, there is a wide range of cybersecurity trivia questions that can be asked, whether you're a cybersecurity professional, a student, or simply someone who is interested in the subject.

Here are some examples of cybersecurity trivia questions you might come across: What is the name of a software program designed to prevent, detect, and remove computer viruses? What is the name of a type of cyber attack that uses social engineering tactics to trick people into giving away sensitive information? What is the name of a security measure that encrypts data before it is sent over the internet? How many types of cyber attacks are there? These questions cover a wide range of cybersecurity topics, from the types of threats and vulnerabilities to the technologies and practices used to protect against them.

In addition to the various technical aspects of cybersecurity, there are also many fun and interesting facts to learn about cybersecurity. For example, did you know that the software program designed to prevent, detect, and remove computer viruses is called antivirus software? Or that a type of cyber attack that uses social engineering tactics to trick people into giving away sensitive information is called phishing? These trivia questions will not only test your knowledge but also give you a glimpse into the many fascinating aspects of cybersecurity, the history of its development, the different types of cyber threats, and its impact on the society and economy.

204 Cybersecurity Trivia Questions Ranked From Easiest to Hardest (Updated for 2025)

1. As cybersecurity threats grow, many websites have evolved to include this increased security feature known as MFA or multi-what authentication?

Answer: Factor

2. A fraudulent email pretending to be from your bank and asking for your login information is a classic example of what kind of simple cyberattack, which is by far the most common cyberattack on the internet?

Answer: Phishing

3. In the context of password generation, for what does the acronym OTP stand? The term dynamic password is often used synonymously with OTP.

Answer: One-time password

4. Stored digital data is said to be “at” what if it’s inactive? As opposed to being “in motion” when moving in a network.

Answer: Rest

5. You're signing in to your bank app. Before you can get in, your bank asks to send you an OTP to your email or phone number to verify your identity. What does the acronym OTP stand for in this context?

Answer: One-time password

6. When a password is limited strictly to numeric characters, the secret is often referred to as a PIN. What does that acronym stand for?

Answer: Personal Identification Number

7. If you’re signing up for a new online account or forget your login info, you might get a randomly generated “disposable” code sent to your email. Since it can only be used once, the “single-serve” version is called a what-time password (OTP)?

Answer: One-time

8. What term is used for a testing environment in a computer system in which new or untested software or coding can be run securely? In a different context, this term refers to a children’s play area.

Answer: Sandbox

9. Verifying a user’s identity with a fingerprint or face scan is an example of what type of human-body-focused security measure?

Answer: Biometric

10. What “B” is a type of identity-based data whose examples include fingerprints, DNA, and handwritten text?

Answer: Biometric

11. What term follows “social” to describe a cybersecurity threat where nefarious actors trick others into revealing sensitive information? An example is when a scammer poses as tech support to gain access to someone's computer.

Answer: Engineering

12. Defense in what (DID) is a cybersecurity theory that emphasizes the importance of having more than one layer of protection so there's back-up if the first one fails (try not to get down on yourself about it...).

Answer: Depth

13. United States vs. Morris (1991) convicted a computer programmer named Robert Tappan Morris who had released what kind of “wriggly” malware?

Answer: Worm

14. Being what type of Ethical Hacker (CEH) means you’ve been trained to hack into your own system to test it for weaknesses and vulnerabilities?

Answer: Certified

15. What two-word term with the initials PT is a means of security evaluation where automated tools and manual exploitations are performed by security and attack experts?

Answer: Pen testing

16. It sounds like a row of safety plugs but SSL is actually an Internet encryption protocol. What is SSL an acronym for?

Answer: Secure Sockets Layer

17. On June 7, 2021, the Department of Justice announced that it had seized approximately $2.3 million worth of what cryptocurrency from the Darkside Colonial Pipeline hackers?

Answer: bitcoin

18. Although cartoon bears might like it, a hacker might not enjoy being tricked into hacking what sweet-sounding, eight-letter decoy computer system that's purposely made to attract attackers to gain insight into how to decrease cybersecurity threats?

Answer: Honeypot

19. In electronic warfare, signals what (known as SIGINT) is the process of intercepting signals to see if they contain any important security info.

Answer: Intelligence

20. Before Transport Security Layer (TSL) became the standard, Secure what Layer (SSL) was what kept your sensitive information safe as it was sent over the Internet.

Answer: Sockets

21. Banks get their own identification number, developed by the ABA, which you can easily spot on your checks and find in your online account. What is the term for the number, which you’ll need to send or receive money?

Answer: Routing number

22. An IT security company co-founded in 1993 by Gil Shwed and based in Israel is what Point Software Technologies? It’s also an announcement made in chess when the King is in initial danger.

Answer: Check Point Software Technologies

23. Which term related to designing houses can also describe the underlying cybersecurity structure, as well as the technology and policies that support it?

Answer: Architecture

24. In 2022, which government entity got told off for requiring American citizens to verify their identity with a facial recognition program (ID.me) before they could get their tax records?

Answer: Internal Revenue Service

25. It sounds like something a hacking hound would do, but which term describes watching for and catching data packets passing through a network’s traffic?

Answer: Sniffing

26. What “J” cybersecurity company based out of Denver, CO offers an automated server management tool? Its name is a compound word, which kind of sounds like it’s commanding a cumulonimbus to leap.

Answer: JumpCloud

27. "CoaLMine105" is easy to pull up with a new password manager Microsoft Edge released in a preview channel named for what frequently yellow type of bird?

Answer: Canary

28. Which term that’s borrowed from a busy emergency room full of patients in need of medical attention refers to automatically (e.g., by using technology) assigning priority to cybersecurity alerts?

Answer: Triage

29. Massimiliano Montoro developed a password cracking tool for Windows that was named after what biblical pair of brothers with a notable, fatal head-cracking in their story?

Answer: Cain and Abel

30. What professional social networking site announced a theft of 6.5 million usernames and passwords in 2012, and an even bigger hack of 117 million passwords in 2016?

Answer: LinkedIn

31. A crowdsourced security platform, founded in Australia by Casey Ellis and later moved to San Francisco, CA, is what crowd? It’s also a three-letter synonym for insect.

Answer: Bugcrowd

32. What company, founded in 2003 by Dean Drako in Campbell, CA, offers security on networks and clouds? Its name is the same as a dangerous fish chronicled in a 1977 song by the band Heart.

Answer: Barracuda

33. What “M” computer security company, founded by namesake John in 1987 before being acquired by Intel in 2011, is well known for its anti-virus software that is available to individual consumers?

Answer: McAfee

34. Deepwatch is a cybersecurity company that has offered threat management with real time monitoring since 2015. It is headquartered in what state that's home to Rocky Mountain National Park?

Answer: Colorado

35. What “M” cybersecurity Technologies company, based out of Commerce, CA, offers managed IT services across the country? Its name is also a plural of a measurement of 5,280 feet.

Answer: Miles Technologies

36. A cyberattack in which the attacker intercepts and alters data as it is transmitted between two parties is known as an MitM attack, what do the letters MitM stand for?

Answer: Man-in-the-middle

37. What type of security—OPSEC for short—helps make sure that the sensitive info in your system does not end up in ill-intentioned hands? (Hint: It’s also called procedural security.)

Answer: Operational

38. What term is used for the most basic level or core of an operating system, responsible for resource allocation, file management, and security? In a different context, this word can also mean the seed and hard husk of a cereal.

Answer: Kernel

39. Not to be confused with CSS, CVSS is an acronym for Common what Scoring System, an industry standard for getting a numerical score to show how secure (or not) a computer system is?

Answer: Vulnerability

40. CFAA, or the Computer what and Abuse Act of 1986, was one of the earliest bills aimed at computer-related crimes and cybersecurity in the U.S.?

Answer: Fraud

41. Also the name of a Paramount+ show about a dude who's good at finding stuff, what T-word is given to a small piece of software, embedded in a website, that records your activity on the site?

Answer: Tracker

42. What does the first "D" stand for in the common cybercrime known as a DDoS attack?

Answer: Distributed (Distributed Denial-of-Service)

43. KBA is an acronym for what-Based Identification? It’s a way for institutions like banks to verify an individual’s identity online (for example, by having them answer security questions).

Answer: Knowledge

44. Data Loss what (DLP) refers to security measures a company can take to protect sensitive or vulnerable data from being leaked (either by accident or on purpose) by users?

Answer: Prevention

45. In April of 2022, the FDA released draft guidance on the safety of what medical objects, like insulin pumps and implantable defibrillators, due to concerns that these health-supporting machines could be vulnerable to hacking?

Answer: Devices

46. What color team are the operators who try to block a mock attack on their system?

Answer: Blue

47. The five-eyes global surveillance alliance features the U.S., Canada, the UK, Australia, and which other country with two words in its name?

Answer: New Zealand

48. What four-letter word is a Unix application that runs jobs for users and administrators at scheduled times of the day? It's an anagram of CORN.

Answer: Cron

49. Web design sustainability for the U.S. government is being researched via a project called the Community Power Accelerator, funded by which Carter-era cabinet department with a big ol' lightning bolt on their logo?

Answer: Energy

50. A seemingly aggressive method for guessing a password by using a high volume of character combination attempts: what kind of Force Attack?

Answer: Brute

51. Titan Rain was a series of attacks on U.S. computers that started in 2003. The hackers gained access to defense networks at places like Lockheed Martin and NASA. Which country did the attacks originate from?

Answer: China

52. Founded by Austrian activist, attorney, and author Max Schrems, the acronym in the non-profit organization NOYB European Center for Digital Rights stands for what phrase that seemingly advises others to mind their own and to not be nosy?

Answer: None Of Your Business

53. Doug Engelbart was the inventor of what computer accessory? The first one was made from wood.

Answer: Mouse

54. In 2015, over 25 gigabytes of user data was famously leaked by a group self-named "The Impact Team", exposing people seeking extramarital affairs on which two-word Canadian dating network? Both words are common girls' names.

Answer: Ashley Madison

55. An FTC rule that requires financial institutions to implement a written program designed to detect, prevent, and mitigate identity theft is called the what Flags rule? Name the color.

Answer: Red

56. You probably are more familiar with the discipline from watching “CSI,” but which scientific field can also be applied to computing—specifically, to investigate how technology is used in criminal activity?

Answer: Forensics

57. What is the 6-letter term for a group of computers that is networked together and used by hackers to steal information?

Answer: Botnet

58. What is the name of the Austin-based software business founded by brothers David and Donald Yonce considered to be in the middle of the December 2020 Federal government hack?

Answer: SolarWinds

59. Logging in with your username and password is what first step in network security, which involves verifying you are who you say you are, and you are allowed to access what you’re trying to access?

Answer: Authentication

60. What process beginning with “H” transforms data of any size to an alphanumeric string of fixed and predetermined length?

Answer: Hashing

61. One way to intercept internet or phone conversations through covert means takes its name from an actual physical interference with an important cable to overhear others. Today, the seven-letter term is still used in relation to listening to something that one should not hear (such as a password). What is this term?

Answer: Wiretap

62. The four principle wireless encryption standards available at most access points are WPA, WPA2, WPA3, and which less-secure fourth option?

Answer: WEP

63. Common what and Exposures (CVE) is a publicly available reference database of known security threats that is maintained by the United States' National Cybersecurity FFRDC?

Answer: Vulnerabilities

64. If a friendly horse offers you something online that turns out to be malware, that's a cyberattack named for a siege on what ancient city?

Answer: Troy

65. A cybersecurity company, founded in 2003 which operates Maize Analytics, is Secure what term for a web item that connects a web page to another web page?

Answer: SecureLink

66. If you want to make sense of ciphertext, you’ll need a key to decrypt it. What’s the name for the readable, simple language text it turns into?

Answer: Plaintext

67. A concept borrowed from ol’ Westerns, a “black hat” hacker has nefarious purposes (like stealing data to sell), while a “white hat” hacker is often doing their work on behalf of their employer (or at least, with their permission). Which third hacker with what color hat is sort of between the two—they don’t have permission to hack, but they also don’t exploit any vulnerabilities they find?

Answer: Grey

68. What identity theft protection company with two “L” words stuck together was acquired by Symantec in 2017 and now shares its name with Norton? Their logo is a yellow circle that has been filled in with a check mark.

Answer: LifeLock

69. A cybersecurity company that offers open source tools and education for the information security community is Red what? It’s also a bird that is metaphorically associated with coal mines.

Answer: Red Canary

70. What term beginning with D is the intentional online exposure of an individual’s identity, private information or personal details without their consent?

Answer: Doxing

71. The "man without a head" is the emblem of what Guy Fawkes-lovin' hacker group that reemerged in 2020?

Answer: Anonymous

72. Which D-term describes the field of forensics that would investigate cybercrime?

Answer: Digital

73. Back in the ‘60s when they were powering ARPANET, the Interface Message what (IMP) was one of the earliest examples of a gateway (what we call routers today)?

Answer: Protocol

74. The term in cybersecurity for the person who uses the actual computer device, and can therefore share some responsibility for not exposing their computer to the threats, is what kind of user? The word indicates that the user has the final say in what happens to their product.

Answer: End user

75. What is the two-word term for the type of cybersecurity breach in which a user is convinced to disclose secrets due to an exploitation of trust and reliance on cognitive biases? In short, this is a type of attack focused on human gatekeepers of information rather than the computer system itself.

Answer: Social engineering

76. Launched in 2006, Amazon's EC2 stands for what Compute Cloud?

Answer: Elastic

77. What A-word is given to a software application that automatically downloads or displays marketing banners or pop-ups when a user is online?

Answer: Adware

78. What drama thriller TV show stars Rami Malek as Elliot Alderson, a cybersecurity engineer and hacker with social anxiety disorder, clinical depression, and dissociative identity disorder?

Answer: Mr. Robot

79. According to a former Facebook employee, the company used to have a master password that could unlock any user's account. This password was a variation on the name of what martial artist and actor, perhaps because he definitely couldn't be considered "too weak"?

Answer: Chuck Norris

80. Which term borrowed from a wet weather event refers to a cyber attack that sends more traffic into a system than it can handle? It’s a more layperson-friendly term for a Denial of Service attack.

Answer: Flooding

81. In cybersecurity, what term beginning with “E” is a physical device connected to a computer network?

Answer: Endpoint

82. The NDIA systems avoided the blue screen of death during the recent global IT outage that's been placed at the doorstep of what C-word Texas cybersecurity firm?

Answer: CrowdStrike

83. In 2017 and 2018, "CryptoKitties" were sold for thousands of dollars at auction, attracting attention to this game built on what type of cryptographic technology?

Answer: Blockchain

84. Google’s reCAPTCHA protects websites from getting spammed by making users complete a visual task (like picking out all the bicycles in a photo). It’s an example of which famous test to tell humans from machines? (Hint: It was originally called “the imitation game”).

Answer: Turing

85. What broader theory of crime that posits “bigger” crime (like violent assaults) is more likely to take place in environments where “smaller” crimes (like vandalism) are already taking place can also be applied to digital spaces that you want to keep secure?

Answer: Broken Window theory

86. Rami Malek won an Emmy playing brilliant but unstable cybersecurity expert and vigilante hacker Elliot Alderson on what USA Network series that aired from 2015 to 2019?

Answer: Mr. Robot

87. The U.S. National Cyber Security Division opened for the first time in 2003 and is currently housed within what Federal Department? John Kelly, Kirstjen Nielsen, and Kevin McAleenan all served as Secretary of this Department during the Trump administration.

Answer: Department of Homeland Security

88. Which term is used to describe the “cargo” that malware brings with it when it infects a device?

Answer: Payload

89. In 1988, the Morris Worm was created (and released) just to see whether it could be pulled off. As it spread via the Internet, mayhem (and a criminal conviction) followed. It was the first major example of which “highly infectious” computer security threat?

Answer: Virus

90. In June 2022, which Maryland-based global hotel chain experienced its third major cybersecurity breach in four years, with guest credit card data and internal business info being among the data compromised by the hack (which was an attempt to extort money from the company)?

Answer: Marriott

91. Representing a system of access control to (ICT) resources based on whether an individual has one (or possibly does not have) one or more specific attributes, what does the “B” stand for in the acronym ABAC?

Answer: Based

92. What technology firm of the ‘90s did Lou Montulli work at when he invented cookies? You might have to navigate the recesses of your memory for the answer.

Answer: Netscape

93. The original Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986 was somewhat spurred on by what 1983 technothriller starring a young Matthew Broderick as a teen who breaks into a military security system and almost causes WWIII? The film was deemed “realistic” by the House Committee, hence their report.

Answer: WarGames

94. What term beginning with “F” is a method used to discover errors or potential vulnerabilities in software?

Answer: Fuzzing

95. According to its website, what cybersecurity company – whose motto is “Human error. Conquered.” – deems itself as the “world’s first and largest New-school security awareness training and simulated phishing platform”?

Answer: KnowBe4

96. Which scripting language/engine that’s great for automating tasks on Windows can also be used to manage cybersecurity?

Answer: PowerShell

97. Norton AntiVirus is an anti-malware and anti-virus software package that has been developed and distributed by what company since 1991? This parent company has a portmanteau'd name and was first publicly traded in 1989.

Answer: Symantec

98. A global ransomware attack on Windows computers that occurred in May 2017 came from a virus with what "tearful" name?

Answer: WannaCry

99. Since CAPTCHAs are actually technically computers checking that a human is really human, they’re sometimes called a reverse what kind of test? As opposed to the classic version “imitation game,” in which humans judge computers.

Answer: Turing

100. “PoW” is a way to track new crypto creation on the blockchain and (hopefully) deter spammers and malicious attacks. What does PoW stand for?

Answer: Proof-of-Work

101. In 1999, the National Security Agency banned what popular toy from its premises over concerns that the toy might be able to record and repeat classified information? Roger Shiffman, owner of Tiger Electronics, later stated that the toy "has absolutely no ability to do any recording whatsoever."

Answer: Furby

102. What “H” cybersecurity company based in Miami, FL, offers cybersecurity services and related training to corporations? It sounds like a college for people who want to use computers to get access to unauthorized data.

Answer: HackerU

103. With the first name Peter, which programmer released a series of computer utilities in 1982, which included Unerase, a utility to find deleted files? His name is well known in anti-virus software.

Answer: Norton

104. Known for apps like Words With Friends and Draw Something, what game company suffered a password breach of more than 170 million accounts in September 2019?

Answer: Zynga

105. What type of virus is described as malware that disguises itself as a normal program, which shares its name with a notable horse that invaded the ancient city of Troy during a famous 12th century B.C. war?

Answer: Trojan

106. The code that identifies your computer when it communicates over a network is the IP what “A” word that also refers to the particulars of a place where someone lives?

Answer: IP Address

107. Employing a what kind of trust strategy means that every user has to be authenticated no matter what. Whether someone is an authorized user in your organization or someone from outside of it, they have to be verified every time.

Answer: Zero

108. Which security symbol usually associated with keys appears in the search bar to show that the connection between the web browser and website is encrypted?

Answer: Padlock

109. Sort of like a guard keeping watch and alerting you to a threat, what kind of detection system (IDS) is a device or software that monitors for any suspicious activity?

Answer: Intrusion

110. What four letter word is the name of the Malware that appeared in October 2001 and spread by getting to everyone in a user’s Outlook address book?

Answer: Klez

111. What type of password checking strategy is when a system checks its own passwords to see how “crackable” they are and notifies users of any that are vulnerable?

Answer: Reactive

112. What cybersecurity term meshes the words “software” and “malicious” together to describe bad programs that are used to infect a system?

Answer: Malware

113. What two-word term is given to the principle of proactively implementing a spectrum of security measures to strengthen a network or system to make it more robust against attack?

Answer: Active Defense

114. What two-word term refers to the hidden shares that happen through private channels that can’t be tracked by web analytics?

Answer: Dark Social

115. What type of attack facilitates the passing of info along a channel that shouldn’t be able to permit the transfer?

Answer: Covert channel

116. Just like a couple of busybodies who can’t help but overhear a conversation, what term refers to attackers listening to computers talking across a network that’s probably not very secure?

Answer: Eavesdropping

117. The U.S. government established it as a standard, but since the early 2000s, what encryption algorithm can be used by anyone and actually formed the basis for AES?

Answer: Rijndael

118. What sort of fraud beginning with C involves deceptive activities that mimic legitimacy, making detection challenging? It typically exploits stolen or obtained data to deceive online retailers.

Answer: Clean Fraud

119. What term beginning with “C” is a value that is computed by a function that is dependent on the contents of a data object and is stored or transmitted together with the object, for the purpose of detecting changes in the data?

Answer: Checksum

120. In January 2023, what email marketing company wasn’t monkeying around when it announced (yet another) security hack that targeted about 130 accounts, including WooCommerce?

Answer: Mailchimp

121. What is the name of the software framework developed and maintained by Microsoft that was first built in the late 1990s and continues to primarily run on Windows machines with the C# language? Fun fact: It’s a key piece of the Water Cooler Trivia stack!

Answer: .NET

122. In July, what cybersecurity company distributed a faulty update to its Falcon Sensor security software that caused widespread problems across almost 10 million Microsoft Windows computers running the software?

Answer: CrowdStrike

123. According to the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Careers and Studies, what "A" word means "an individual, group, organization, or government that conducts or has the intent to conduct detrimental activities?"

Answer: Adversary

124. Security as what (SaC) defines the security processes that DevOps agree on and use in their work?

Answer: Code

125. Which type of “bomb” is a bit of code put into software that is set up to trigger a malicious function if certain conditions are met? For example, some computer worms were infamously designed to attack on certain dates, like Friday the 13th.

Answer: Logic

126. Command-and-what providers (C2C) are internet providers that give hackers a way to host servers and other services anonymously for cyberattacks and other nefarious tasks?

Answer: Control

127. Put into effect in 2018, the European Union's GDPR is considered one of the world's toughest privacy laws. GDPR stands for "General Data [BLANK] Regulation." What word goes in the blank?

Answer: Protection

128. The first documented case of cyber espionage occurred between September 1986 and June 1987 and was committed by hackers from what Western European nation? The hackers, led by Markus Hess, sold information gathered from American military bases, universities, and defense contractors to the Soviet Union.

Answer: Germany

129. What is the term in network security for an attack where a person or program allows themselves to be identified as someone else by falsifying data? It is no laughing matter, but when the word is used in film, it can be.

Answer: Spoof

130. What colorful apparel is also a two-word term for a computer security expert who engages in “ethical hacking” to help expose and fix security flaws within a company’s information system?

Answer: White hat

131. What is the name of the computer worm, which was first uncovered in 2010, that was used in a cyberattack to ruin nearly 20% of Iran's nuclear centrifuges, setting their program back years?

Answer: Stuxnet

132. In May 2021, the FBI declared that what ransomware group was responsible for the cyberattacks that forced the shutdown of the Colonial Pipeline petroleum networks?

Answer: Darkside

133. A dual use what includes both a digital signature for verification and encryption?

Answer: Certificate

134. Founded by Jay Chaudhry in 2007 and based in San Jose California, which cloud security company has the NASDAQ code ZS?

Answer: ZScaler

135. Your computer is switching to a different what when you receive an HTTP code 101?

Answer: Protocol

136. Which term that you might use to describe an oil tanker disaster can also describe a data breach?

Answer: Spill

137. In the Marx Brothers classic “Horse Feathers,” what's the password Groucho gives to gain admission to Chico's speakeasy? This word was later used as the title of a 2001 film about computer hackers.

Answer: Swordfish

138. What term beginning with “D” is for the process for reducing the magnetism of a magnetic storage device to zero by applying a reverse magnetic force?

Answer: Degaussing

139. Used by websites to test and confirm that users are human and not a bot, the acronym CAPTCHA is short for “Completely Automated Public” what test to tell Computers and Humans Apart.”

Answer: Turing

140. What “F” cybersecurity company, which offers firewalls and anti-virus protection among other services, was founded in 2000 in Sunnyvale, CA by Ken Xie? Their logo is the letter “O” formed by red blocks.

Answer: Fortinet

141. What kind of “poisoning” technique involves hackers inserting malicious links into websites that are engineered to rank high on Google, thereby tricking people into clicking them when they search for something?

Answer: SEO

142. Hop to it! What two-word, alliterative E-word term is a hidden functionality within an application that is activated when an undocumented set of commands and keystrokes are entered?

Answer: Easter Egg

143. What sort of cable reverses the pairs of cables at the other end and can be used to connect devices directly together?

Answer: Crossover Cable

144. In the context of business card acquisition, what does the acronym SME, which might apply to a local mom-and-pop shop, stand for?

Answer: Small and Medium Enterprises

145. What “D” term refers to a group of computers, printers and devices that are interconnected and governed as a whole? The word can also be used to describe a specified area of knowledge.

Answer: Domain

146. A cybersecurity company founded in 2021 by Shaun Gordon, which uses the Priori Platform to immediately deal with security issues, is what Quest? The “B” word also means an act of failing to observe a law or agreement.

Answer: BreachQuest

147. “OAuth” is short for which type of authorization where you can use your login credentials for one app to grant a third-party app limited access or permissions without having to give it your password?

Answer: Open

148. What colorful term is given to a security mechanism prohibiting the execution of any program that is not on a pre-approved list of software?

Answer: Whitelist

149. Starting with "C," what kind of "jacking" involves a hacker tricking another user into installing a seemingly harmless yet malicious program onto their computer and using the device's computing power to mine virtual currency?

Answer: Cryptojacking

150. Operation what kind of Sentinel was an FBI-led fraud investigation in the 1990s that examined a telemarketing scheme that targeted older adults in the U.S.? One of the victims, an older widow, lost her life savings ($240,000) to more than 50 scammers.

Answer: Senior

151. Which cybersecurity framework states that a network is always at risk from outside and inside threats, that every user should be verified every time, and that users should only have as much access as they need?

Answer: ZeroTrust

152. Formally approved by the U.S. Department of Defense, what is the name of the information security certification known by a five-letter initialism with ~148,000 qualified holders? The organization overseeing this certification was formed in mid-1989 as a non-profit.

Answer: CISSP

153. What two-word term, with the initials AG, is a network security measure employed on one or more computers to ensure that the network is physically isolated from any other network?

Answer: Air Gap

154. Which kind of interface is slow because it transmits digital information bit by bit over a wire?

Answer: Serial

155. What term refers to the removal of information from a document to ensure that information remains private or secret from a wide audience?

Answer: Redaction

156. What R term is an administrative decision to change the security measures afforded to information based on a reassessment of the potential impact of its unauthorised disclosure?

Answer: Reclassification

157. Turn to the side and tell me: what P-term is any form of automated processing of personal data that consists of the use of personal data to evaluate certain personal aspects relating to a natural person?

Answer: Profiling

158. What F-term is given to a hostile, strongly worded message that may contain obscene language?

Answer: Flame

159. What is the name of the security company founded in 2006 by two Harvard Business School students who couldn't find a security company designed to help renters? The couple was interested in the field after multiple friends in Cambridge had experienced break-ins. By 2014, the company had raised more than $50 million in venture capital.

Answer: Simplisafe

160. FIDO isn’t just a name for a loyal pup who would protect you. It’s also an acronym for strong authentication standards for passwords called what Identity Online?

Answer: Fast

161. The cybersecurity startup Island received $11 million in funding from what Bosack and Lerner-founded San Jose tech giant that pioneered the LAN?

Answer: Cisco Systems

162. What portmanteau term is given to a hacker whose motivation is political, religious or ideological, as opposed to criminal?

Answer: Hacktivist

163. According to an analysis by the UK's National Cyber Security Centre that investigated passwords belonging to hacked accounts worldwide, what is the most common six-letter "word" that is used for passwords that don't require numbers or punctuation?

Answer: Qwerty

164. An exploit payload is sometimes called by what other name that makes it sound like something a beach-bum hacker would spot on the sand?

Answer: Shellcode

165. What “S” company, founded in 2001 by Eric Basu, offers security programs and risk management to the U.S. government?

Answer: Sentek Global

166. Created in 1982 by high school prankster Rich Skrenta, the first computer virus known to have spread “in the wild” was named what Cloner? A North American mammal’s name fills in the blank.

Answer: Elk

167. In June 2017, a widespread cyberattack began in Ukraine, quickly spreading to Germany and from there, around the world. What encrypting malware that demands Bitcoin payments was implicated in the attack? The name is a throwback to James Bond's "Goldeneye."

Answer: Petya

168. Headquartered (somewhat ironically?) in Santa Clara, California, what is the name of the American cybersecurity company that serves 85 of the Fortune 100 and is the home to both the Unit 42 threat research team and the Ignite cybersecurity conference?

Answer: Palo Alto Networks

169. When the full extent of the 2020 SolarWinds-focused cyberattack on the U.S. federal government was starting to be understood, Microsoft's president described the attack as the "largest and most sophisticated the world has ever seen." The malware responsible for the attack was named for what astronomical-sounding explosion?

Answer: Sunburst

170. What term is given to a malicious technique by which a victim is tricked into clicking on a URL, button or other screen object other than that intended by or perceived by the user?

Answer: Clickjacking

171. The illegal practice of collecting email accounts from information in the public domain or by using software to search for email addresses stored locally on a computer is called account…what?

Answer: Harvesting

172. What term beginning with C is the unintelligible and seemingly random form of data that is produced by the cryptographic function of encryption?

Answer: Ciphertext

173. What term beginning with F is an automated software testing method that injects invalid, malformed, or unexpected inputs into a system to reveal software defects and vulnerabilities?

Answer: Fuzzer

174. What P-word is the process of separating an individual’s browsing data from one website to another, as a countermeasure against the trackers embedded in third-party ads?

Answer: Partitioning

175. What “S” startup company, which started in London and Tel Aviv, offers security across all aspects of cloud computing? The four letter company has a cartoon Doberman as its logo.

Answer: Snyk

176. What is the two-word ursine name of the Russian cyber espionage group, also known as APT28, thought to be operating since the 2000s?

Answer: Fancy Bear

177. What was the spooky name of the first computer worm, created in 1971, that could be defeated by the first antivirus software (aptly named Reaper)?

Answer: Creeper

178. What term is given to a built-in failsafe mechanism in the VPN app that’s designed to prevent your actual IP address from being exposed to your ISP?

Answer: Kill Switch

179. What kind of malware places itself deep inside a computer’s code, allowing for the hacker to have remote control?

Answer: rootkit

180. What “I” Labs, based out of Bristol, UK, offers cybersecurity training to help companies deal with cyber threats? Its name is a word that can be used to describe a three-dimensional image that surrounds a user.

Answer: Immersive Labs

181. What pair of keys—private and public—work together to do different, but complementary, cybersecurity tasks like encrypting and decrypting?

Answer: Asymmetric

182. An ACE is when a hacker spots a flaw that gives them an easy in, gains control, and can then run whatever code they want. What does ACE stand for?

Answer: Arbitrary Code Execution

183. What virus, which spread widely in 1999, is said to have been named by its creator, programmer David Lee Smith, after an exotic dancer in Florida?

Answer: Melissa

184. What term beginning with ‘G’ describes a software project that is developed from scratch rather than built from an existing program?

Answer: Greenfield

185. Wazuh is a free, open source software for threat detection and integrity monitoring. Its logo resembles a coyote, and is made out of what color?

Answer: Blue

186. Passwords have commonly been involved in military use for centuries. In the opening of the Battle of Normandy, U.S. paratroopers would use the password "flash," which was required to be answered by what related "counterpassword?"

Answer: Thunder

187. Which cybersecurity company founded by a team of former NSA employees in 2015 is based in Maryland and calls itself “the managed security platform for the 99%?”

Answer: Huntress

188. A user that should not have access to a network gaining access to it is a “leaky” example of what kind of gap or problem in a system that makes a cybersecurity threat more likely to succeed?

Answer: Vulnerability

189. What university initially maintained the text file named HOSTS.TXT that mapped host names to the numerical addresses of computers on the ARPANET?

Answer: Stanford

190. A cybersecurity company, founded in 2006 in Suzhou, China, that offers edge and application protection, is what Networks? The “H” compound word sounds like a rock on a moderate incline.

Answer: Hillstone Networks

191. What is the term for a fake warning about a virus or other piece of malicious code? It usually takes the form of an e-mail or other message warning the reader of a dangerous new virus and suggesting that the reader pass the message on.

Answer: Hoax

192. What does the security abbreviation EBK stand for?

Answer: Essential Body of Knowledge

193. Also called a “jump box” or “jump server,” what kind of host is used to manage remote access to a private network from an external one (e.g., for authorized users connecting through the Internet)?

Answer: Bastion

194. What two-word term is an identity verification method that ask a user to take a photo of themselves that can then be used to confirm that they are a real person and/or compare against other photos to confirm it's the same person?

Answer: Selfie Check

195. In iOS and Safari, how many characters long are their generated passwords, made letters, numbers, hyphens and special characters?

Answer: 20

196. What is the term for an administrative decision to change the security measures afforded to information based on a reassessment of the potential impact of its unauthorised disclosure?

Answer: Reclassification

197. Windows’ user what control (UAC) is an important safety feature that can help prevent unauthorized changes from being made? For example, while it’s annoying to have to give your permission every time you want to download a new application, that’s a preventive measure against suspicious downloads that could contain malware.

Answer: Account

198. What two word term is given to malicious or misleading data from a remote name server is saved by another name server?

Answer: Cache Poisoning

199. What “C” cybersecurity company based out of Israel offers cybersecurity protection for the computer systems inside of cars? In 2021, the company was acquired by LG.

Answer: Cybellum

200. What term is given to a way of harvesting personal information, where a hacker puts a malicious code on your computer that redirects you to a fake site?

Answer: Pharming

201. What sort of tracking involves inserting an intermediary link between you and the website you want to visit, allowing a tracker to know you and/or your interests, and thus use this data to sell more targeted ads.

Answer: Bounce Tracking

202. What two-word alliterative term is given to a protection method used by botnets consisting of a continuous and fast change of the DNS records for a domain name through different IP?

Answer: Fast flux

203. What U.S.-based, global cybersecurity company based out of Burlington, MA has a name that sounds like a subtle difference?

Answer: Nuance Global Security

204. What five-letter F-term is slang for a complete package of individuals' identifying information?

Answer: Fullz

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