TechCrunch Cyber Glossary: Key Security Terms and 2025 Threat Landscape

TechCrunch’s updated Cyber Glossary serves as a definitive reference for security professionals, clarifying terminology used in modern threat reporting. The 2025 edition, authored by Zack Whittaker, Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai, and Carly Page, provides context for critical concepts like APTs, zero-days, and ransomware while linking them to recent incidents such as Apple’s iOS exploits and the Hertz data breach¹.

Core Cybersecurity Terminology

The glossary defines seven foundational terms with direct relevance to operational security. Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs) are highlighted as state-sponsored campaigns, with examples referencing Chinese and Russian-linked groups. Zero-day vulnerabilities are contextualized through Apple’s April 2025 disclosure of iOS flaws actively exploited against targeted individuals². The ransomware entry notes the evolution of tactics, citing the Everest gang’s leaked data after their own infrastructure was compromised³.

Term	Definition	2025 Example
Spyware	Commercial/government surveillance tools	NSO Group’s Pegasus, Intellexa’s Predator
Threat Model	Risk assessment framework	Used in Hertz breach response

2025 Incident Analysis

Four major events demonstrate glossary terms in action. The UK’s public court debate over Apple backdoors illustrates policy tensions around encryption⁴. Genetic data platform openSNP’s shutdown reflects growing concerns about authoritarian access to sensitive biometric information⁵. These cases provide concrete scenarios for applying threat modeling and dark web monitoring techniques.

Operational Relevance

The glossary’s inclusion of MITM attacks and brute force countermeasures aligns with defensive best practices. For instance, the recommendation to implement HTTPS and rate-limiting directly addresses credential stuffing risks highlighted in recent breaches. The zero trust architecture entry mirrors enterprise adoption trends following the Hertz breach’s lateral movement implications.

“Modern ransomware no longer just encrypts—it exfiltrates data pre-encryption to maximize extortion leverage.” — TechCrunch Cyber Glossary, 2025 Edition¹

Remediation Guidance

For zero-days: Prioritize vendor patches and network segmentation
Against ransomware: Implement immutable backups and egress filtering
Mitigating APTs: Deploy endpoint detection with behavioral analysis

The glossary’s policy section notes emerging legal challenges, including Florida’s controversial encryption backdoor proposal⁶. Such developments underscore the need for security teams to monitor legislative changes impacting tooling and data sovereignty requirements.

Conclusion

TechCrunch’s glossary bridges terminology and real-world incidents, offering security teams a reference for both technical and strategic decision-making. The 2025 updates reflect the accelerating convergence of cyber threats, policy debates, and defensive methodologies.