Security glossary
Plain-English definitions of important security and privacy terms.
Use the signal to investigate, not to conclude that a phone is hacked.
A sensitive permission should match the app's real purpose.
Scanning helps, but it is not a certificate that every app is safe.
Know what Emergency Reset changes and what stays outside Apple.
An extra biometric check can slow account takeover after phone theft.
Understand why a legitimate app may be blocked from saving a file.
A known-bad site and a low-reputation file can trigger different warnings.
Why the key ID and a separate backup matter during a startup problem.
An installer can be unwanted even without a classic virus signature.
A detected file can remain on disk without being available to run.
Closing the window clears local session data, not your online identity.
Small device details can combine into a distinctive browser profile.
What a browser warning can and cannot establish about a download.
Camera, microphone and location access should match a current need.
Understand tracking without treating every cookie as malware.
Protect account registration without mistaking a PIN for a message backup.
Why a mail app can still access an account after you enable MFA.
A device that can approve sign-in is not always a device that can read your chats.
Plain-English definitions, real examples, antivirus alerts, and safer next steps. September 2026.
Protect the recovery route as carefully as a primary password.