---
title: "Security glossary: phishing, pentesting and other terms explained | Daniel Christensen"
canonical_url: "https://danielchristensen.no/en/glossary"
last_updated: "2026-09-02T13:50:00.471Z"
locale: en
meta:
  description: "What is phishing? What does an ethical hacker do? The key terms in digital security, explained briefly and clearly by someone who works with it daily."
  "og:description": "What is phishing? What does an ethical hacker do? The key terms in digital security, explained briefly and clearly by someone who works with it daily."
  "og:title": "Security glossary: phishing, pentesting and other terms explained"
---

Glossary

# Security glossary

The security industry loves abbreviations and jargon. Here are the terms you actually need, explained briefly and without scare tactics.

13 terms

- [<h2>BadUSB</h2>

  A USB stick that pretends to be a keyboard and types commands on your machine within seconds.Read the definition →](https://danielchristensen.no/en/glossary/badusb)
- [<h2>Burp Suite</h2>

  The tool most pentesters use against web applications: it lets you see and modify all traffic between the browser and the server.Read the definition →](https://danielchristensen.no/en/glossary/burp-suite)
- [<h2>CEO fraud</h2>

  Fraud where someone impersonates your boss and pressures you into paying an invoice or transferring money.Read the definition →](https://danielchristensen.no/en/glossary/direktorsvindel)
- [<h2>Ethical hacker</h2>

  A security professional who attacks systems with the owner’s permission, to find the holes before criminals do.Read the definition →](https://danielchristensen.no/en/glossary/etisk-hacker)
- [<h2>Kali Linux</h2>

  A Linux operating system built for security testing, with hundreds of hacking tools preinstalled.Read the definition →](https://danielchristensen.no/en/glossary/kali-linux)
- [<h2>Metasploit</h2>

  A framework of ready-made exploits, used to test whether known vulnerabilities can actually be exploited.Read the definition →](https://danielchristensen.no/en/glossary/metasploit)
- [<h2>Nmap</h2>

  The network scanner that maps which machines and services exist on a network. Often the first step of a pentest.Read the definition →](https://danielchristensen.no/en/glossary/nmap)
- [<h2>Password manager</h2>

  A program that creates and remembers unique, strong passwords for you, so you only need to remember one.Read the definition →](https://danielchristensen.no/en/glossary/passordbehandler)
- [<h2>Pentest (penetration test)</h2>

  A controlled, authorized attack on your own systems to uncover vulnerabilities, documented in a report.Read the definition →](https://danielchristensen.no/en/glossary/pentest)
- [<h2>Phishing</h2>

  Fake emails, texts or websites that trick you into giving up passwords, card numbers or access.Read the definition →](https://danielchristensen.no/en/glossary/phishing)
- [<h2>Ransomware</h2>

  Malware that encrypts your files and demands payment to unlock them. Hits companies hardest.Read the definition →](https://danielchristensen.no/en/glossary/losepengevirus)
- [<h2>Social engineering</h2>

  Attacks that exploit people instead of technology: trust, stress, helpfulness and authority.Read the definition →](https://danielchristensen.no/en/glossary/sosial-manipulering)
- [<h2>Two-factor authentication (2FA)</h2>

  An extra step at login, a code or approval in addition to your password. Stops most account takeovers.Read the definition →](https://danielchristensen.no/en/glossary/totrinnsverifisering)

Next step

## Want this explained live?

My talks take the terms from this list and show what they mean in practice, with real examples and demos the room remembers.

[See the talks →](https://danielchristensen.no/en/talks) [Try the password generator](https://danielchristensen.no/en/tools/password-generator)