Having trouble coming to terms with cybersecurity? IAPP has published a list of cybersecurity law key terms and an infographic to boot!

Efficiently addressing issues in this rapidly and continuously evolving field requires a shared language. To begin to standardize how we communicate about cybersecurity, IAPP staff developed 65 cybersecurity law key terms (listed here) with valuable input from several top experts in cybersecurity law.

As IAPP notes, “While many nations and regions are developing complex and sophisticated bodies of law for cybersecurity, this initial list of key terms is limited to U.S. federal and state laws. This document is intended as a first step, as it was impossible to develop a single common resource covering all the ongoing efforts in countries around the world. The IAPP will strive to internationalize and further develop this resource in the future.”

They also note: “Although there are some shared terms and definitions, these key terms are separate from the IAPP’s Glossary of Privacy Terms, and Key Terms for AI Governance.” Now, you have links to those too! 😊

The list of terms includes everything from “Advanced persistent threat” to “Breach notification” to “Critical infrastructure” to “Defensive measure” and more – all the way to “Threat intelligence” to “Vulnerability disclosure” and (finally) “Zero-day”.

The page of cybersecurity law key terms also links to a “Cybersecurity Law Basics” infographic (available here), which provides some basic concepts regarding cybersecurity law (duh!), but also lists ten “Laws and regulations that impact cybersecurity”, including some you probably know (GDPR) and some you may not know (e.g., India’s Information Technology Act). Now, you will! 😉

BTW, IAPP used to be known by its original full name – The International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) – but rebranded to simply IAPP in September 2024. News to me. Hope that makes them “IAPP-y”! 🤣

So, what do you think? Are you familiar with all the cybersecurity law key terms? Please share any comments you might have or if you’d like to know more about a particular topic.

Image created using Microsoft Designer, using the term “technologically oriented robot lawyer reviewing a computer screen with analytics on it”.

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