WordPress Security Definitions
Comprehensive glossary of WordPress security terms, concepts, and definitions to help you understand and protect your site.
Firewall
10 termsNetwork security fundamentals including the OSI model, WAF, TCP/IP, HTTP, ICMP, DoS attacks, IP spoofing, and routing concepts.
Bots
8 termsBot-related definitions covering botnets, web crawlers, data scraping, click fraud, spam bots, and bot traffic management.
Security
15 termsCore security concepts including ransomware, social engineering, data breaches, zero-day exploits, DNS hijacking, and API security.
WordPress
10 termsWordPress-specific terminology covering plugins, themes, hooks, wp-config, REST API, and the WordPress ecosystem.
Infrastructure
10 termsNetwork and server infrastructure terms including SSL/TLS, DNS, CDN, WAF, firewalls, and the OSI model.
Threats
10 termsCyber threat definitions covering malware, phishing, botnets, DDoS attacks, ransomware, and social engineering.
What is a bot attack?
A bot attack is a cyberattack carried out by automated software programs that target websites, applications, and APIs to exploit vulnerabilities, steal data, or disrupt services at scale.
What is a denial-of-service (DoS) attack?
A denial-of-service (DoS) attack is a cyberattack that aims to make a computer, server, or network resource unavailable to legitimate users by overwhelming it with a flood of malicious traffic or exploiting vulnerabilities.
What is a KRACK attack?
A KRACK (Key Reinstallation Attack) is a vulnerability in the WPA2 WiFi security protocol that allows attackers to intercept and decrypt wireless network traffic by manipulating the four-way handshake process.
What is a Ping of Death (PoD) attack?
A Ping of Death (PoD) attack is a denial-of-service attack in which an attacker sends a malformed or oversized ICMP ping packet that exceeds the maximum allowed IP packet size, causing the target system to crash or freeze.
What is a supply chain attack?
A supply chain attack targets the less-secure elements in a software or hardware supply chain to compromise a final product or service, often by injecting malicious code into trusted components or updates.
What is a Supply Chain Attack?
A supply chain attack targets the less-secure elements in a software or hardware supply chain to compromise a final product or service, often by injecting malicious code into trusted components, libraries, or software updates.
What is DNS hijacking?
DNS hijacking is an attack in which DNS queries are redirected to malicious servers, causing users to be sent to fraudulent websites without their knowledge.
What is IP spoofing?
IP spoofing is a technique where an attacker forges the source IP address in packet headers to disguise their identity, impersonate another system, or bypass network security controls.
What is swatting?
Swatting is a dangerous form of harassment in which an attacker makes a false emergency report to law enforcement, typically claiming a violent situation, to trigger an armed police response at a victim's location.