How the security industry has a conversation with itself is constantly changing and the latest terms as well as buzzwords point us to where the technology is heading.

It's tempting to dismiss buzzwords as slang-y, cliché, and overused (and they are … literally). But in the security industry, both buzzwords and the latest terms the industry has coined to describe a new technology or put a new spin on an old one also provide barometer-like clues of where the industry may be heading. What it's excited about. Or how it sorts the jaded veterans from the newbies. 

There were plenty of examples of the latest terms and buzzwords in full view at the RSA Conference in San Francisco last month. Here's a look at some of the more prolific ones seen and heard there; it's not an exhaustive list, so we're counting on you to help us embellish it. What did we forget? Please let us know in the Comments section.

About the Author(s)

Terry Sweeney, Contributing Editor

Terry Sweeney is a Los Angeles-based writer and editor who has covered technology, networking, and security for more than 20 years. He was part of the team that started Dark Reading and has been a contributor to The Washington Post, Crain's New York Business, Red Herring, Network World, InformationWeek and Mobile Sports Report.

In addition to information security, Sweeney has written extensively about cloud computing, wireless technologies, storage networking, and analytics. After watching successive waves of technological advancement, he still prefers to chronicle the actual application of these breakthroughs by businesses and public sector organizations.


Keep up with the latest cybersecurity threats, newly discovered vulnerabilities, data breach information, and emerging trends. Delivered daily or weekly right to your email inbox.

You May Also Like


More Insights