Glossary

Definitions for the terms that come up most around here, in one place. Each links to the full explainer if you want to go deeper.

• Passkey
• VPN
• MFA (multi-factor authentication)
• Phishing
• Ransomware
• EXIF and geotagging
• ACR (automatic content recognition)
• Deepfake
• Telematics
• Encryption
• Backup

Passkey

A way to sign in to an account without a password. Your phone or computer proves it's you with your fingerprint, face, or PIN, so there's nothing for a scammer to steal or trick out of you. Read the full explainer.

VPN

A virtual private network routes your internet traffic through another company's server, hiding your activity from your internet provider and the network you're on. It's useful on public Wi-Fi, but it doesn't make you anonymous, and the VPN company can see what your provider used to. Read the full explainer.

MFA (multi-factor authentication)

A second check when you log in, on top of your password: a code, a tap on your phone, or a passkey. Sometimes called two-factor. It's the single best thing you can turn on to keep an account from being taken over. Read the full explainer.

Phishing

A fake message (email, text, or call) built to trick you into handing over a password, a code, or money, usually by pretending to be a company or person you trust and pushing you to act fast. Read the full explainer.

Ransomware

Malicious software that locks up your files and demands payment to unlock them. Modern ransomware is run like a business, with different criminal groups handling the break-in, the software, and the payment. Read the full explainer.

EXIF and geotagging

EXIF is the hidden data your phone attaches to a photo: the date, the camera settings, and often the exact GPS location where it was taken. Sharing a photo can share where you were, unless that data is stripped out first. Read the full explainer.

ACR (automatic content recognition)

A feature built into most smart TVs that identifies what's on your screen, frame by frame, and reports it back to the manufacturer to build an advertising profile. It runs whether the show came from an app, a cable box, or a game console. Read the full explainer.

Deepfake

A video, image, or voice clip generated by AI to look or sound like a real person saying or doing something they never did. Increasingly used in scams that impersonate a boss, a relative, or a celebrity. Read the full explainer.

Telematics

The driving data your car collects: speed, braking, cornering, mileage, and location. Several automakers have sold it to data brokers who pass it to insurers, sometimes without the driver knowing. Read the full explainer.

Encryption

Scrambling a message so only the intended recipient can read it. End-to-end encryption means not even the company carrying the message can see its contents. Read the full explainer.

Backup

A second copy of your files kept somewhere separate, so a lost, stolen, broken, or ransomware-hit device doesn't take your data with it. The copy only counts if it's recent and you've confirmed it actually restores. Read the full explainer.