Cyber Security Education & Glossary
Malware vs. Virus vs. Ransomware: Understanding the Differences
Last Updated: December 7, 2025Defining Malware (The Umbrella Term) Malware (Malicious Software) is the general term for any hostile, intrusive, or annoying software program code. Viruses, ransomware, worms, and spyware are all types of malware. Key Sub-Types of Malware Virus: Requires a host file or program to spread. It self-replicates when the infected file is executed. Ransomware: Encrypts the victim’s files and demands a ransom payment (usually cryptocurrency) for the decryption key. WAF prevents the server-side infection vectors. Backdoor: Code placed by an attacker to allow remote access to the server, bypassing standard authentication. CyberWAF removal experts focus heavily on finding and eliminating these. Trojan Horse: Software that appears legitimate but hides malicious functions. How CyberWAF Helps with Malware Cleanup If any of these threats breach your application security, the CyberWAF expert removal team handles: Identification: Pinpointing the exact malicious files and backdoors. Removal: Securely deleting the malware and restoring clean files from the backup. Hardening: Fixing the vulnerability that allowed the initial infection to occur.
The OWASP Top 10 Explained (and how WAF blocks them)
Last Updated: December 7, 2025What is the OWASP Top 10? The OWASP Top 10 is a standard awareness document for developers and security professionals, representing the most common security risks to web applications globally. Key Risks and WAF Mitigation OWASP Risk (Example) Description WAF Mitigation A03: Injection (SQLi/XSS) Attacker sends malicious data to be executed by the interpreter. The WAF uses context-aware rules to identify and block common SQL and Scripting commands in input fields. A01: Broken Access Control Users gain access to data or functionality they should not have. The WAF can enforce path and resource access controls, blocking requests to sensitive administrative files. A04: Insecure Design Flaws in the application logic itself. WAF uses rate limiting and behavioral analysis to block automated exploits targeting weak application logic.
What is a Zero-Day Exploit and How Does Virtual Patching Work?
Last Updated: December 7, 2025Defining the Zero-Day Threat The term “Zero-Day” refers to the “zero days” a developer has to fix a vulnerability once it is discovered and actively exploited in the wild. The Window of Exposure: This window, often lasting days or weeks, is when applications are most vulnerable, as they are unpatchable by traditional means. High Stakes: Zero-Day attacks are frequently used to target high-profile organizations because of their novelty and high success rate. The Power of Virtual Patching Virtual Patching is the defense mechanism used by the WAF: Interception: The WAF intercepts all traffic before it reaches the vulnerable application. Rule Implementation: Security analysts rapidly write and deploy new rules to the WAF that specifically identify the unique signature of the Zero-Day exploit. Protection: The rule blocks the malicious input, effectively “patching” the flaw at the perimeter until the application vendor releases a permanent code update.
Cyber Security Glossary: Key WAF & DDoS Terms
Last Updated: December 7, 2025WAF and Application Security Terms WAF (Web Application Firewall): A security solution that monitors and filters HTTP traffic between a web application and the Internet, specifically protecting Layer 7. Layer 7: The Application Layer of the OSI model, targeted by attacks like SQL Injection and XSS. Zero-Day Exploit: A security vulnerability known by attackers before the software vendor is aware of it or releases a patch. Virtual Patching: The application of a security rule by a WAF to prevent the exploitation of a known vulnerability without changing the application code itself. DDoS and Network Terms DDoS (Distributed Denial-of-Service): A malicious attempt to disrupt the normal traffic of a targeted server by overwhelming the target with a flood of Internet traffic from multiple compromised computer systems. Layer 7 DDoS: An attack focused on exhausting the resources of the target application (CPU, RAM, database) by sending small, frequent, and legitimate-looking requests. Volumetric Attack: A Layer 3/4 DDoS attack designed to overwhelm the network bandwidth of the target.