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Publication delayed
Technical difficulties processing more than 40 thousand embedded hyperlinks in the eBook have unfortunately caused the publication timescale to slide a little: the Cybersecurity Hyperglossary will now start shipping on February 17th 2026 . Publishers pre-orders will officially commence on January 26th although Amazon is already offering pre-sales . We're truly sorry about the delay and grateful for your continued patience. Without those hyperlinks forming an extensive mesh o
Dec 7, 20251 min read


Werds
Particular words and phrases are shared by multiple cybersecurity-related terms, such as: * control - preventive, detective or corrective control ... and there are others * risk - input, processing and output risk ... and more besides * test - system, application and integration test etc. * aaS - SaaS, IaaS, PaaS, NaaS and so on *-in-the-* - MiTM, MiTE, MiTB, AiTM, or in the wild/loop/air ... *Tech - biotech, FinTech and other tech neologisms *ware - malware, ransomware, mi
Dec 4, 20251 min read


Inconsistent ISO definitions of 'risk treatment' - deep dive
Today while reviewing a C ommittee D raft update of ISO/IEC 27003:2017 , I tripped over a terminological issue in the midst of a complex yet critical section of the standard concerning ISO/IEC 27001 clause 6.1 'Actions to address risks and opportunities'. Clause 6.1 is a major cause of confusion among organisations implementing 27001, among certification auditors assessing conformity with the standard and, it seems, among the committee responsible for these standards. In sh
Dec 3, 20255 min read


Loose lips sink … cybersecurity
Frustrating, isn’t it, when a meeting gets derailed because someone has a ‘curious’ interpretation of the spoken word? Or when a support request or incident report is so vague that you can’t actually pin it down? Everyday miscommunications mislead people, waste time and create unnecessary risk. For a field as critical as ours, ambiguity is a luxury we can no longer afford . I am delighted to announce the forthcoming release of the Cybersecurity Hyperglossary in just a mon
Nov 26, 20252 min read


On becoming a profession
Over the weekend, I've been quietly contemplating the meaning and implications of cybersecurity becoming a 'profession' rather than a hobby, specialism, tradecraft or whatever. What is 'a profession' anyway? What does it really mean to be 'professional'? We use the terms informally in reference to formality, competence, maturity and so on, but I wonder about the more formal linguistic interpretation ... so out comes my favourite Collins English dictionary, millennium/4th ed
Nov 24, 20252 min read


AI/LLM signatures
This morning I've been reading, thinking and writing about the things that reveal the true origins of a substantial proportion of the stuff posted on social media lately. It is clear to me that they are entirely or largely AI/LLM-generated, churned-out by the robots. Some pieces are frankly terrible, as if the posters have simply dashed off their prompts and regurgitated the robots' raw, crude output without a care for the readers. I've seen factual errors, manipulative ph
Nov 18, 20254 min read


Harvesting the croutons
Confused by ambiguous cybersecurity terms? Puzzled by differing interpretations of ‘risk’ or ‘threat’ that miss the mark? You are not alone! The foundation of any mature profession is a shared language. Lawyers don't incessantly debate the definition of a 'tort,' and medics aren't confused by 'contusions.' Cybersecurity deserves that same precision and acuracy. That’s why I’m delighted to announce the upcoming release of the Cybersecurity Hyperglossary . My new book is more
Nov 15, 20251 min read


Enhance Your Cybersecurity Vocabulary
In the world of cybersecurity, staying informed is essential to staying secure. As the cybersecurity landscape continues to evolve...
Apr 8, 20251 min read


Demystifying Cybersecurity Jargon
In the fast-paced and ever-evolving world of cybersecurity, the use of complex jargon can often feel overwhelming and daunting to...
Apr 8, 20252 min read


Ultimate Guide to Cybersecurity Terminology
In the ever-evolving landscape of cybersecurity, staying up-to-date with the latest terminology and jargon is crucial for professionals in the field. Whether you are an information risk management expert or a cybersecurity enthusiast, having a solid grasp of cybersecurity terminology is essential for understanding the complexities here. The Cybersecurity Hyperglossary is a valuable means of demystifying the language of cybersecurity. It provides simple, clear definitions of
Apr 8, 20251 min read
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