Cybersecurity English - Free CISSP, ISO 27001 & NIST Terms

Q: What is cybersecurity English and why do security professionals need it?

Cybersecurity English is the specialized vocabulary used in information security operations, compliance frameworks and threat intelligence. Security professionals need it because global SOC teams, incident response reports, SIEM dashboards and compliance audits all operate in English. Misunderstanding terms like 'lateral movement,' 'privilege escalation' or 'indicators of compromise' can lead to delayed threat response and audit failures. Termify teaches this vocabulary free, sourced from ISO 27001, NIST and MITRE ATT&CK.

Q: Can Termify help me prepare for the CISSP certification exam?

Yes. Termify covers CISSP domain vocabulary across all eight domains including Security and Risk Management, Asset Security, Security Architecture, Communication and Network Security, Identity and Access Management, Security Assessment, Security Operations and Software Development Security. All terminology is aligned with the (ISC)2 CISSP Common Body of Knowledge (CBK) and available 100% free with native pronunciation and IPA transcriptions.

Q: Does Termify cover MITRE ATT&CK framework terminology?

Yes. Termify includes MITRE ATT&CK framework terminology covering all 14 tactics (Reconnaissance, Resource Development, Initial Access, Execution, Persistence, Privilege Escalation, Defense Evasion, Credential Access, Discovery, Lateral Movement, Collection, Command and Control, Exfiltration, Impact) and their associated techniques. This vocabulary is essential for SOC analysts writing detection rules and threat intelligence reports.

Q: Is Termify free for SOC analysts and cybersecurity teams?

Yes, Termify is 100% free for everyone including SOC analysts, security engineers, CISOs and entire cybersecurity teams. There are no subscriptions, no per-seat licensing and no hidden fees. Organizations can deploy Termify across their entire security operations center at zero cost. Career quizzes produce shareable PDF certificates that managers can use to verify team English proficiency.

Q: What cybersecurity topics does Termify cover?

Termify covers threat intelligence (threat vectors, IOCs, TTPs), SOC operations (SIEM, EDR, XDR, alert triage), incident response (containment, eradication, recovery, lessons learned), network security (firewalls, IDS/IPS, zero trust), offensive security (penetration testing, red team, blue team, purple team), compliance and governance (ISO 27001, NIST CSF, PCI DSS, SOC 2, GDPR), vulnerability management (CVE, CVSS, zero-day, exploit) and cloud security (CASB, CSPM, CWPP). All terminology is available 100% free.

Cybersecurity Module

What Is Cybersecurity English?

Cybersecurity English is the specialized professional vocabulary used across information security operations, risk management, compliance auditing and threat intelligence. Security professionals worldwide rely on precise English terminology when writing incident reports, configuring SIEM rules, communicating with global SOC teams and presenting findings to executive leadership.

Unlike general English, cybersecurity English draws its vocabulary from specific international frameworks and standards. Terms such as threat vector, lateral movement, indicators of compromise and privilege escalation have precise definitions within ISO 27001, NIST SP 800-53 and MITRE ATT&CK. Misunderstanding or mistranslating these terms in a non-native language can lead to delayed threat containment, failed compliance audits or miscommunication during critical incident response.

Termify's Cybersecurity module covers four core domains of security English that professionals encounter daily:

Threat Intelligence

Vocabulary for threat actor profiling, campaign tracking, IOC analysis and intelligence sharing using STIX/TAXII protocols. Covers terms from MITRE ATT&CK and NIST SP 800-150.

SOC Workflows

Terminology for alert triage, SIEM correlation, EDR/XDR analysis, playbook execution and escalation procedures used in 24/7 Security Operations Centers worldwide.

Incident Response

English vocabulary for the full IR lifecycle: preparation, identification, containment, eradication, recovery and lessons learned — aligned with NIST SP 800-61.

Compliance & Governance

Terms for ISO 27001 controls, NIST CSF categories, PCI DSS requirements, SOC 2 trust principles and GDPR data protection obligations used in audit reports.

Essential Vocabulary

20 Key Cybersecurity English Terms You Must Know

These terms appear in certification exams (CISSP, Security+, CEH), SOC daily operations and compliance audits. Termify teaches all of them free with native pronunciation and IPA transcriptions.

Threat & Attack Terminology

Threat Vector

A path or method used by a threat actor to gain unauthorized access to a target system. Common threat vectors include phishing emails, unpatched software vulnerabilities and compromised credentials.

Vulnerability

A weakness in a system, application or process that can be exploited by a threat actor. Vulnerabilities are cataloged using CVE identifiers and scored with CVSS.

Exploit

A piece of code, technique or sequence of commands that takes advantage of a vulnerability to cause unintended behavior, gain unauthorized access or execute arbitrary commands on a target system.

Zero-Day

A previously unknown vulnerability that has no available patch or fix at the time of discovery. Zero-day exploits are particularly dangerous because defenders have zero days to prepare a mitigation.

Ransomware

Malicious software that encrypts a victim's files or systems and demands a ransom payment for the decryption key. Notable examples include WannaCry, NotPetya and LockBit.

Phishing

A social engineering attack where a threat actor sends fraudulent communications disguised as a legitimate source to trick victims into revealing credentials, financial information or installing malware.

Lateral Movement

The technique where an attacker moves through a network after gaining initial access, pivoting from one compromised system to another to reach high-value targets or sensitive data.

Privilege Escalation

The act of exploiting a vulnerability or misconfiguration to gain elevated access rights beyond what was originally granted. Can be vertical (user to admin) or horizontal (user to another user).

Detection & Analysis Terminology

IOC (Indicators of Compromise)

Observable artifacts such as IP addresses, file hashes, domain names or registry keys that indicate a potential security breach. IOCs are shared between organizations via threat intelligence feeds.

TTPs (Tactics, Techniques & Procedures)

The behavioral patterns of threat actors as defined by MITRE ATT&CK. Tactics describe the adversary's goal, techniques describe how they achieve it and procedures describe the specific implementation.

SIEM

A platform that collects, correlates and analyzes log data from across an organization's infrastructure to detect security threats. SOC analysts use SIEM dashboards for real-time monitoring and alert investigation.

EDR / XDR

EDR monitors endpoint activity for suspicious behavior. XDR extends detection across endpoints, network, cloud and email in a unified platform, providing cross-layer correlation and automated response.

Defense, Compliance & Governance Terminology

Firewall

A network security device or software that monitors and controls incoming and outgoing network traffic based on predetermined security rules. Next-generation firewalls (NGFW) include deep packet inspection and application awareness.

IDS/IPS

IDS detects and alerts on suspicious network activity. IPS actively blocks detected threats. Both use signature-based and anomaly-based detection methods to identify malicious traffic patterns.

Penetration Testing

An authorized simulated cyberattack performed to evaluate the security of a system. Penetration testers (ethical hackers) attempt to exploit vulnerabilities using the same techniques as malicious actors to identify weaknesses before they are exploited.

Red Team / Blue Team

Red team simulates real-world attacks to test an organization's defenses. Blue team defends against these attacks in real time. Purple team integrates both functions to improve detection and response capabilities collaboratively.

GDPR

The European Union regulation on data protection and privacy. GDPR requires organizations to protect personal data, report breaches within 72 hours and obtain explicit consent for data processing. Non-compliance fines can reach 4% of annual global revenue.

PCI DSS

The information security standard for organizations that handle credit card data. PCI DSS v4.0 defines 12 core requirements across six control objectives for protecting cardholder data environments.

SOC 2

An auditing framework that evaluates how a service organization manages customer data based on five Trust Services Criteria: security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality and privacy.

Zero Trust

A security model based on the principle "never trust, always verify." Zero Trust requires strict identity verification for every person and device attempting to access resources, regardless of whether they are inside or outside the network perimeter.

Framework Vocabulary

MITRE ATT&CK Framework Terminology

The MITRE ATT&CK framework is the global standard for describing adversary behavior. SOC analysts, threat hunters and security engineers use ATT&CK terminology daily. Termify teaches all 14 tactic categories free.

MITRE ATT&CK (Adversarial Tactics, Techniques and Common Knowledge) is a globally accessible knowledge base of adversary tactics and techniques based on real-world observations. It is maintained by the MITRE Corporation and used by security teams in over 80 countries for threat detection, incident response planning and security assessment.

Understanding ATT&CK terminology in English is critical because SIEM detection rules, threat intelligence reports and vendor security advisories all reference ATT&CK tactic and technique IDs. The 14 tactics represent the adversary's goals during an attack, progressing from initial reconnaissance through to final impact:

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Tactics (14 Categories)
Tactic	Description	Example Technique
Reconnaissance	Gathering information to plan an attack	Active Scanning, OSINT
Initial Access	Gaining entry into the target network	Spearphishing, Exploit Public-Facing App
Execution	Running malicious code on a system	PowerShell, Command-Line Interface
Persistence	Maintaining access across system restarts	Registry Run Keys, Scheduled Tasks
Privilege Escalation	Gaining higher-level access permissions	Access Token Manipulation
Defense Evasion	Avoiding security detection mechanisms	Obfuscated Files, Process Injection
Lateral Movement	Moving through the network to reach targets	Remote Services, Pass the Hash
Collection	Gathering data of interest to the adversary	Data from Local System, Keylogging
Exfiltration	Stealing data from the compromised network	Exfiltration Over C2 Channel
Impact	Disrupting availability or destroying data	Data Encryption for Impact, Defacement

Termify teaches the English terminology for all 14 MITRE ATT&CK tactics and their most common techniques, enabling SOC analysts to write detection rules, communicate findings in English-language reports and collaborate with international security teams. This vocabulary is free for all users with native pronunciation and IPA transcriptions.

Career Roles

Who Needs Cybersecurity English?

Cybersecurity English proficiency is a career requirement for security professionals who work in international teams, write reports in English or pursue globally recognized certifications.

SOC Analysts (Tier 1, 2 & 3)

SOC analysts monitor SIEM dashboards, triage alerts, investigate incidents and write English-language reports for global stakeholders. Precise cybersecurity vocabulary is essential for accurate alert escalation and cross-team communication in 24/7 operations centers.

CISOs & Security Managers

Chief Information Security Officers present risk assessments, compliance status and security budgets to executive boards in English. Understanding governance terminology from ISO 27001, NIST CSF and SOC 2 enables clear communication with auditors and board members.

Security Engineers & Architects

Security engineers design and implement controls across network, cloud and endpoint environments. They read English-language vendor documentation, write security architecture documents and configure tools using English terminology from NIST and CIS benchmarks.

Penetration Testers & Red Team Operators

Ethical hackers write penetration test reports in English following PTES and OWASP methodologies. Their findings use standardized English terminology from MITRE ATT&CK and CVSS to communicate vulnerabilities to development and management teams.

Compliance Officers & Auditors

GRC professionals conduct ISO 27001 audits, PCI DSS assessments and GDPR readiness reviews. Audit reports, evidence requests and control documentation are written in English following international standards and regulatory frameworks.

Threat Intelligence Analysts

Threat intelligence analysts research adversary campaigns, write intelligence reports using STIX/TAXII formats and brief security leadership on emerging threats. All major threat intelligence platforms and feeds operate in English with MITRE ATT&CK mappings.

Certification Prep

Cybersecurity Certification Exam Preparation

Every major cybersecurity certification exam is conducted in English. Termify prepares you for the terminology-heavy sections of these globally recognized credentials — 100% free.

CISSP

The gold standard for senior security professionals. CISSP covers 8 domains of information security knowledge. Termify teaches the English vocabulary for all domains including Security and Risk Management, Security Architecture, Security Operations and Software Development Security.

8 Domains (ISC)2 Management + Technical

CompTIA Security+ (SY0-701)

The entry-level cybersecurity certification recognized worldwide. Security+ covers general security concepts, threats and vulnerabilities, security architecture, security operations and security program management. Termify aligns its vocabulary with the SY0-701 exam objectives.

5 Domains CompTIA Entry Level

CEH

The EC-Council certification for ethical hackers and penetration testers. CEH covers footprinting, scanning, enumeration, system hacking, malware analysis, sniffing, social engineering, DoS attacks, session hijacking and web application hacking. All exam questions use technical English from MITRE ATT&CK and OWASP.

20 Modules EC-Council Offensive Security

ISO 27001 Lead Auditor

The certification for professionals conducting ISO/IEC 27001 Information Security Management System (ISMS) audits. Requires mastery of English terminology for risk assessment, control objectives, statement of applicability (SoA) and audit evidence documentation following ISO 19011 guidelines.

ISMS Controls ISO/IEC Audit & Compliance

Dialogue Practice

Real-World Cybersecurity English Scenarios

Termify includes real-world dialogue scenarios that simulate actual conversations in security operations centers, incident response teams and executive threat briefings.

Scenario 1: SOC Alert Triage

SOC Analyst (Tier 1) escalating a suspicious alert to SOC Lead (Tier 2)

SOC Analyst (Tier 1):

"I have a high-severity alert from the SIEM. We are seeing anomalous outbound traffic from endpoint WS-0847 to a known command and control IP address. The EDR agent shows a suspicious PowerShell process spawned by a Word macro. I am classifying this as a potential initial access event."

SOC Lead (Tier 2):

"Acknowledged. Isolate the endpoint immediately using the EDR console. Check for lateral movement indicators — look for any authentication events from WS-0847 to other systems. Pull the IOCs including the C2 IP, file hash and process tree. I will open an incident ticket and escalate to the IR team if persistence mechanisms are confirmed."

Scenario 2: Incident Response Team Coordination

Incident Response Lead coordinating containment with the Security Engineering team

IR Lead:

"We have confirmed a ransomware incident affecting the finance subnet. The threat actor achieved privilege escalation through a misconfigured service account and moved laterally to three file servers. We are now in the containment phase. I need the network team to segment the affected VLAN and the identity team to reset all service account credentials."

Security Engineer:

"VLAN segmentation is complete. I have also blocked the exfiltration destination IPs on the firewall and pushed updated IDS signatures. The EDR policy has been switched to aggressive mode across all endpoints in the finance zone. Should I initiate the eradication playbook for the affected servers?"

Scenario 3: Executive Threat Briefing

CISO presenting a threat landscape update to the executive board

CISO:

"This quarter we observed a 34% increase in phishing attempts targeting our employees. Our SOC identified and contained two confirmed incidents before data exfiltration occurred. Our NIST CSF maturity score improved from 2.8 to 3.4 across the Detect and Respond functions. The penetration test conducted by our red team found three critical vulnerabilities — all remediated within our 72-hour SLA. I recommend increasing the zero trust architecture budget by 15% to cover cloud workload protection."

Why Termify

Why Learn Cybersecurity English with Termify?

Termify is the only 100% free app that teaches cybersecurity English vocabulary sourced directly from ISO 27001, NIST and MITRE ATT&CK frameworks.

100% Free Forever

No subscriptions, no per-seat licensing, no hidden fees. All cybersecurity terminology, native pronunciation, IPA transcriptions and career quizzes are completely free for individual users and entire security teams.

Official Source Alignment

Every term is sourced from authoritative frameworks: ISO/IEC 27001, NIST SP 800-53, NIST Cybersecurity Framework, MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Matrix and (ISC)2 CISSP Common Body of Knowledge.

Native Pronunciation & IPA

Hear every cybersecurity term pronounced by native English speakers with International Phonetic Alphabet transcriptions. Critical for non-native speakers who need to use terms like "reconnaissance" or "exfiltration" in meetings and presentations.

Career Quizzes & Certificates

Test your cybersecurity vocabulary knowledge with quizzes designed to simulate CISSP, Security+ and CEH exam question styles. Earn shareable PDF certificates to demonstrate your professional English proficiency to employers.

Real-World SOC Dialogues

Practice with dialogue scenarios that replicate actual conversations in Security Operations Centers, incident response war rooms and CISO executive briefings. Learn how terminology is used in context, not just in isolation.

23 Interface Languages

Study cybersecurity English with definitions and explanations in your native language. Available in Turkish, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Arabic, Japanese, Korean, Chinese and 13 more languages.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions About Cybersecurity English

Common questions about learning cybersecurity terminology in English with Termify.

What is cybersecurity English and why do security professionals need it?

Cybersecurity English is the specialized professional vocabulary used in information security operations, compliance frameworks and threat intelligence. Security professionals need it because global SOC teams, incident response reports, SIEM dashboards and compliance audits all operate in English. Misunderstanding terms like "lateral movement," "privilege escalation" or "indicators of compromise" can lead to delayed threat response and audit failures. Termify teaches this vocabulary free, sourced from ISO 27001, NIST and MITRE ATT&CK.

Can Termify help me prepare for the CISSP certification exam?

Yes. Termify covers CISSP domain vocabulary across all eight domains including Security and Risk Management, Asset Security, Security Architecture, Communication and Network Security, Identity and Access Management, Security Assessment, Security Operations and Software Development Security. All terminology is aligned with the (ISC)2 CISSP Common Body of Knowledge (CBK) and available 100% free with native pronunciation and IPA transcriptions.

Does Termify cover MITRE ATT&CK framework terminology?

Yes. Termify includes MITRE ATT&CK framework terminology covering all 14 tactics (Reconnaissance, Resource Development, Initial Access, Execution, Persistence, Privilege Escalation, Defense Evasion, Credential Access, Discovery, Lateral Movement, Collection, Command and Control, Exfiltration, Impact) and their associated techniques. This vocabulary is essential for SOC analysts writing detection rules and threat intelligence reports.

Is Termify free for SOC analysts and cybersecurity teams?

Yes, Termify is 100% free for everyone including SOC analysts, security engineers, CISOs and entire cybersecurity teams. There are no subscriptions, no per-seat licensing and no hidden fees. Organizations can deploy Termify across their entire security operations center at zero cost. Career quizzes produce shareable PDF certificates that managers can use to verify team English proficiency.

Which cybersecurity certification exams does Termify help prepare for?

Termify helps prepare for major cybersecurity certification exams including CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional), CompTIA Security+ (SY0-701), CEH (Certified Ethical Hacker), ISO 27001 Lead Auditor, CISM (Certified Information Security Manager) and OSCP (Offensive Security Certified Professional). The English terminology in these exams is sourced from ISO 27001, NIST SP 800-53 and MITRE ATT&CK frameworks, all of which Termify covers free.

How does Termify compare to other cybersecurity English learning resources?

Termify is the only 100% free app that combines cybersecurity terminology from ISO 27001, NIST and MITRE ATT&CK in one place. Unlike generic English apps like Duolingo or Babbel that cover only conversational language, Termify teaches domain-specific vocabulary that SOC analysts, penetration testers and CISOs actually use daily. It includes native pronunciation, IPA transcriptions, real-world SOC dialogue scenarios and career quizzes with PDF certificates — all at no cost.

What cybersecurity topics does Termify cover?

Termify covers threat intelligence (threat vectors, IOCs, TTPs), SOC operations (SIEM, EDR, XDR, alert triage), incident response (containment, eradication, recovery, lessons learned), network security (firewalls, IDS/IPS, zero trust), offensive security (penetration testing, red team, blue team, purple team), compliance and governance (ISO 27001, NIST CSF, PCI DSS, SOC 2, GDPR), vulnerability management (CVE, CVSS, zero-day, exploit) and cloud security (CASB, CSPM, CWPP). All terminology is available 100% free.

Cybersecurity English — Free ISO 27001, NIST & MITRE ATT&CK Terminology