Security terms.
Plain language.

An AI application that can use tools to carry out tasks, rather than only return text. What it can do depends on the tools and access it has.

At workA coding assistant edits a project file and runs a test.

A value an application sends to a service to identify itself or obtain access. Treat a key that grants access like a password, and check what it permits.

At workAn automation uses a client’s key to read contacts from their CRM.

A specific action or type of information an app is allowed to access. Installing an app and granting it access are separate decisions.

At workA calendar tool can read your events but does not need your email.

The places an attacker could try to enter or misuse your systems. Accounts, installed tools, exposed services and their permissions can all be part of it.

At workA forgotten test app still has access to a shared client folder.

Checking that someone or something is who it claims to be. Signing in proves identity; it does not decide every action that identity may take.

At workYou sign in with a passkey before opening your work account.

Deciding what an identified person or app may do. Being signed in does not automatically give permission to read, change or delete everything.

At workA freelancer can edit one project folder, but cannot manage company accounts.

A separate copy of information that can be used to recover after loss or damage. A backup is only useful if you can restore what you need.

At workYou restore a client’s project after its working folder is accidentally deleted.

A small program that adds functions to your browser. Its permissions determine which websites or browser data it can interact with.

At workA writing extension may be able to read text on the client portal you use.

A published set of recommended security settings for a particular technology. It gives teams a common reference for checking and improving configuration.

At workA Mac check compares its screen-lock settings with a published recommendation.

An account used to access a service hosted by another provider. Its security depends on sign-in protection, permissions and the apps connected to it.

At workYour Google Workspace account gives you access to company Drive files.

Meeting specified rules or requirements. A security measure can help meet a requirement, but one tool or report does not prove every obligation is covered.

At workA client asks for device protection, staff training and a written access policy.

The settings that determine how a device or application works. A tool can be installed correctly and still have settings that expose more than you intend.

At workA Mac is set to ask for a password when its screen wakes.

Information used to prove an identity or obtain access, such as a password, token or certificate. Different credentials can grant different levels of access.

At workA contractor’s personal login and a shared automation key are separate credentials.

A common identifier for a publicly disclosed security vulnerability. The identifier helps you find the same issue across vendor notices and security tools.

At workAn update notice lists a CVE so you can check which software versions are affected.

Protecting digital systems, information and the work that depends on them. It includes devices, accounts and people’s decisions, as well as responding when something goes wrong.

At workKeeping project files safe means protecting both the laptop and the account that shares them.

A record of the devices your organisation knows about. Knowing a device exists is different from knowing it is currently connected, assessed or protected.

At workYour list includes a freelancer’s Mac, but its last report was two weeks ago.

Encoding data stored on a drive so it needs the correct key to be read. It helps protect a lost device’s files; it does not stop every action after someone signs in.

At workA lost Mac’s stored project files remain encrypted while it is locked.

Endpoint detection and response: software that observes activity on computers to help identify and respond to suspicious behaviour. Its detection and response abilities vary by product.

At workA security tool flags an unusual process and gives you a way to investigate it.

A device at the edge of a network where someone works or a service runs. In a small team’s security questionnaire, it often means the work computers.

At workThe Mac a designer uses for client work is an endpoint.

Information that supports a specific statement. Useful security evidence says what was checked, when it was checked and what was outside the check.

At workA dated record shows that encryption was enabled on the three named Macs.

The macOS feature that protects access to encrypted data on the startup disk. Access depends on an authorised user’s credentials or a recovery method.

At workA departing teammate hands over the agreed recovery information before returning the Mac.

A control that allows or blocks network connections according to rules. It can limit unwanted connections, but it is not a replacement for updates or account protection.

At workYour Mac’s firewall can restrict incoming connections to an app.

Changing settings to reduce unnecessary access and make a system harder to misuse. It can include disabling unused services and tightening security settings.

At workYou disable sharing you do not use and require a password after the screen locks.

An event that compromises, or threatens to compromise, the security of systems or information. An alert is a reason to investigate; it is not automatically a confirmed incident.

At workSomeone uses a stolen work account to download client files.

The organised steps taken to understand, contain and recover from a security incident. A plan should make clear who acts and who needs to be told.

At workYou pause an affected account, preserve the logs and contact the person responsible.

Replacing an access key and retiring the old one. The applications using it must be updated too; creating a new key alone may leave the old key usable.

At workAfter a contractor leaves, you replace their automation key and revoke the old one.

Giving a person or tool only the access needed for its task. Access should be limited in scope and removed when it is no longer needed.

At workA reporting tool gets read access to campaign data, not permission to change billing.

A record of events reported by a system. Logs can help reconstruct what happened, but they only contain the events that system captured and retained.

At workAn activity log records when a tool tried to run a command.

Software designed to harm systems, steal information or perform other unwanted actions. It may arrive disguised as a useful application or document.

At workA fake download installs a program that steals saved account information.

Model Context Protocol: a shared way for AI applications to connect to tools and information. The connection itself does not prove a tool was used or that the connection is safe.

At workA coding assistant connects to a tool that can search your project documentation.

A program that makes tools, information or prompts available to an AI application through MCP. It can run on your computer or at a remote address.

At workTwo assistants are configured to use the same server for a project’s files.

Multi-factor authentication: signing in with more than one type of proof, such as a password and a security key. Two passwords are still the same type of factor.

At workA stolen password alone is not enough to sign in when a second factor is required.

Apple’s automated check of submitted Mac software for known malicious content and certain signing issues. It is not an endorsement of every product claim or an independent security audit.

At workA notarized app can still need permissions and careful review before your team uses it.

A standard for granting an application limited access to a service without handing it your account password. The approved permissions still need to be reviewed.

At workYou allow a scheduling app to read your calendar, then later remove that access.

The steps taken when someone leaves a company or project. They include removing relevant access, recovering devices and transferring ownership of shared work.

At workA freelancer finishes; you review their account, shared folders and automation keys.

The setup that lets a new teammate work with the right devices, accounts and access. It is also the moment to explain the security habits the team expects.

At workBefore Monday, a new designer gets an account, a checked Mac and access to one client project.

A sign-in credential that uses a cryptographic key pair instead of a shared password. It is bound to the intended service, which helps resist phishing.

At workYou approve sign-in with your device’s fingerprint check instead of typing a password.

A tool that stores and helps create passwords so each account can have its own strong password. Protect the manager’s own account carefully.

At workYour team shares an approved service login through a vault instead of a chat message.

A software change that fixes a problem, sometimes a security weakness. Not every update is a security patch, and installing an update is different from changing settings.

At workA browser update fixes a vulnerability in the version installed on your Mac.

An allowed action on a resource, such as reading a file or changing an account. A person and an app may hold different permissions for the same resource.

At workAn assistant can read a project folder but cannot delete its files.

A deceptive message or website designed to make someone reveal information or take a harmful action. It often borrows the name of a familiar person or service.

At workAn email posing as a client asks you to sign in to a fake document-sharing page.

A rule that states how your organisation expects something to be handled. A written policy describes the requirement; separate evidence shows whether it was followed.

At workYour policy requires a screen lock; a device check shows whether that setting is enabled.

Instructions in content that try to redirect an AI application away from its intended task. The risk grows when the application can act on tools or sensitive information.

At workA webpage tells an assistant to ignore its task and send project data elsewhere.

Separating a suspicious file or item so it is less able to cause harm while it is reviewed. What quarantine prevents depends on the security tool and the item.

At workA suspicious download is moved out of normal use while someone checks it.

Malicious software used to extort payment, often by locking or encrypting files. An attack may also involve stolen information and threats to publish it.

At workA team cannot open its project files and receives a payment demand.

The possibility of harm, considering both how likely an event is and how much it could affect your work. A finding matters more when valuable data or important access is involved.

At workAn unused tool with access to every client folder deserves more attention than one with no access.

The boundary of what a check, permission or report covers. For evidence, always ask which devices, accounts, dates and controls were included.

At workA report about three Macs does not also prove that every cloud account uses MFA.

A notification that something may need investigation. It can point to a real problem, expected activity or an error in detection; the alert needs context.

At workA script running on a Mac triggers an alert; you check who started it and why.

A measure used to reduce security risk. It can be technical, such as disk encryption, or organisational, such as an agreed process for removing access.

At workA required screen lock is one control; checking that it stays enabled is another task.

A set of questions a customer, partner or insurer uses to understand your security practices. Answers should describe what you actually do and name the evidence that supports them.

At workA new client asks how work laptops are protected before signing the contract.

Practical learning that helps people make safer decisions at work. Completion records show participation; they do not guarantee every future decision will be safe.

At workA short lesson helps a teammate recognise a suspicious request for client files.

A period of authenticated interaction with a service, often maintained by a cookie or token. Closing a tab may not end the account’s signed-in session.

At workYou sign out of a shared computer so the next person cannot use your open account.

AI tools used for work without the organisation knowing enough about them or approving their use. The concern is missing visibility into data, access and responsibility.

At workA teammate tests a new assistant with client files and keeps using it after the trial.

A list of applications found on a device or across a team, usually with their versions. It helps identify forgotten tools and software that may need an update.

At workYou find an old utility that nobody remembers installing on the studio Mac.

Single sign-on: using one identity service to sign in to multiple applications. It simplifies account access but does not replace MFA or careful app permissions.

At workA teammate uses their work identity to open both the project tool and the file service.

An app or background task configured to run when a computer starts, a person signs in or another launch condition is met. Some are useful; others may be forgotten or unwanted.

At workA tool you stopped using still starts a background helper each time you sign in.

Something that could harm your systems, information or work. A threat might exploit a weakness; risk considers how likely that is and what the consequences would be.

At workA criminal group trying stolen passwords is a threat to your work accounts.

A request from an AI application to run a tool, such as reading a file or executing a command. A request, an attempt and a completed action are different stages.

At workAn assistant requests a file read; its activity record shows whether the tool completed it.

Cybee’s dated record of technical controls on assessed Macs. It shows its coverage and gaps; it is not a certification of your whole company.

At workYou share recorded Mac encryption status with a client and answer their policy questions separately.

A weakness that could be used to compromise a system or information. It might be a software defect, an unsafe setting or a gap in a process.

At workAn outdated application has a known flaw that a newer release fixes.

The permissions connected apps hold over Google Workspace data. These grants deserve their own review, even when every person’s sign-in is well protected.

At workAn old meeting tool can still read the calendar after the team stops using it.