Essential Vocabulary for Adults | Technology, Privacy, Scams & AI

Online safety often fails one word before it fails one click.

If a person does not know what credential, authorisation, spoofing, phishing, deepfake or data breach means, a warning can arrive without becoming useful knowledge. Technology vocabulary therefore has a practical job: it helps adults identify what a message, device, app or website is asking them to trust.

Singapore Police, ScamShield and the Cyber Security Agency regularly warn about phishing, impersonation, unauthorised transactions, fake technical support and synthetic-media scams. The language below is designed to make those warnings easier to interpret.

100 Essential Technology, Privacy, Scam & AI Terms

1. Accounts & Identity

• account — a registered identity or record used to access a service.
• username — a name used to identify an account.
• password — a secret used to authenticate access.
• credential — information used to prove identity or access rights.
• authentication — checking that a person or system is who it claims to be.
• two-factor authentication (2FA) — authentication requiring two different forms of proof.
• multi-factor authentication (MFA) — authentication using two or more factors.
• OTP — one-time password, a temporary security code.
• biometric — a measurable physical or behavioural characteristic used for identification, such as a fingerprint or face scan.
• session — a period during which a user remains connected or logged in to a service.

2. Access & Permissions

• authorisation — permission to perform an action after identity or rules are checked.
• permission — access granted to a user, app or service.
• administrator — an account with elevated control over a system.
• privilege — a specific level of access or authority.
• access control — rules determining who can view or change information or systems.
• login — the process of entering an account.
• logout — ending an authenticated session.
• recovery — process used to regain access to an account.
• security question — a question used as part of identity or account-recovery checks.
• verification — checking whether identity, information or an action is genuine.

3. Devices, Software & Updates

• device — hardware used to access or process digital information.
• operating system — core software that manages a device and its applications.
• application — software designed to perform particular tasks.
• browser — software used to access websites and web applications.
• update — a newer software version that can add features or fix problems.
• patch — a software fix, often addressing security or reliability issues.
• bug — an error or flaw in software.
• backup — a separate copy of data kept for recovery.
• cloud — remote computing or storage services accessed over a network.
• sync — keeping data consistent across devices or services.

4. Cybersecurity

• cybersecurity — protection of systems, networks, devices and data from digital threats.
• malware — malicious software.
• virus — malicious code designed to spread by attaching to or modifying files or programs.
• trojan — malicious software disguised as legitimate software or content.
• ransomware — malware that blocks access or steals data and demands payment.
• spyware — software that secretly collects information about a user or device.
• firewall — a system that controls network traffic according to security rules.
• encryption — transforming data so it cannot be read without the correct key or process.
• vulnerability — a weakness that can be exploited.
• exploit — a method or code that takes advantage of a vulnerability.

5. Scams & Deception

• phishing — deceptive communication intended to make someone reveal information or take an unsafe action.
• smishing — phishing carried out through text messages.
• vishing — phishing or social engineering carried out by voice call.
• impersonation — pretending to be another person or organisation.
• spoofing — falsifying identifying information so a message, caller or website appears genuine.
• social engineering — manipulating people into revealing information or performing actions that compromise security.
• bait — an attractive offer or message designed to provoke a response.
• urgency tactic — pressure that encourages immediate action before verification.
• advance-fee scam — a scam requiring payment before a promised reward, job, service or return is delivered.
• investment scam — fraudulent promotion of an investment or return.

6. Transactions & Fraud

• unauthorised transaction — a transaction made without valid approval from the account holder.
• fraud — deliberate deception for unlawful or unfair gain.
• charge — an amount billed to an account.
• transaction limit — a maximum amount allowed for specified transactions.
• transfer — movement of money between accounts or parties.
• recipient — the person or account receiving money or information.
• confirmation — a message or record indicating an action was accepted or completed.
• dispute — a formal challenge to a transaction or charge.
• freeze — temporary restriction on account activity.
• report — formal notification to a bank, platform, police or other authority about suspected fraud or abuse.

7. Privacy & Personal Data

• personal data — information relating to an identifiable individual.
• privacy — control and protection relating to personal information and personal life.
• consent — agreement to a specified collection, use, disclosure or action.
• collection — obtaining data.
• use — processing data for a purpose.
• disclosure — making data available to another party.
• retention — keeping data for a period.
• data breach — unauthorised access, collection, use, disclosure, copying, modification, loss or similar compromise of data, depending on legal context.
• identifier — information that distinguishes or can help identify a person or object.
• anonymisation — changing data so individuals cannot reasonably be identified from it under the relevant standard.

8. Websites, Links & Information

• URL — the address of a resource on the web.
• domain — the registered name identifying a website or internet service.
• hyperlink — clickable text or an object that opens another resource.
• redirect — automatic movement from one web address to another.
• certificate — a digital credential used in secure web communications to help establish site identity and encryption.
• HTTPS — a secure form of web communication using encryption; it does not by itself prove a site is trustworthy.
• official source — information published by the responsible organisation or authority.
• verification — checking a claim using an independent or authoritative route.
• misinformation — false or inaccurate information shared without necessarily intending to deceive.
• disinformation — false or misleading information deliberately created or spread to deceive.

9. Artificial Intelligence & Synthetic Media

• artificial intelligence (AI) — computer systems designed to perform tasks associated with capabilities such as prediction, generation, classification or decision support.
• model — a computational system trained or designed to produce outputs from inputs.
• training data — data used to develop or adjust a model.
• prompt — an instruction or input given to a generative AI system.
• generated content — text, images, audio or video produced by a computer system.
• synthetic media — media created or substantially manipulated using digital techniques.
• deepfake — synthetic or manipulated media designed to imitate a real person or event convincingly.
• hallucination — in generative AI, an output presented plausibly even though it is unsupported, incorrect or invented.
• bias — systematic tendency in data, design or outputs that can favour some patterns or groups over others.
• provenance — information about where content came from and how it was created or modified.

10. Safer Digital Decisions

• verify — independently confirm authenticity or accuracy.
• trusted channel — a known, independently reached communication route rather than one supplied by a suspicious message.
• red flag — a warning sign requiring closer checking.
• revoke — withdraw permission or access.
• reset — replace or restore settings, credentials or configuration.
• compromised — no longer reliably secure or under authorised control.
• incident — an event that may affect security, privacy or service.
• breach notification — formal notice that specified information or systems were compromised.
• recovery — steps taken to restore safe access or normal operation.
• escalation — passing a problem to a bank, platform, security team, police or other appropriate authority when the risk exceeds ordinary self-help.

Diagnosis Before Prescription

Adults are often told to “be careful online”, but that advice is too vague to be useful. A better diagnosis asks what kind of trust is being requested. Is the message asking you to trust the sender, the link, the website, the identity, the transaction or the urgency?

A phishing message may use a genuine-looking logo but a false domain. A scammer may know your name but still be impersonating an organisation. HTTPS may encrypt the connection but does not prove the person behind the site is honest. A deepfake may look persuasive without providing evidence that the person shown actually said those words.

The practical reading sequence is: identify the claim → inspect the requested action → verify through an independent channel → only then decide.

Singapore Relevance

Recent Singapore Police advisories in 2026 have described phishing scams impersonating courier companies, banks, the Police, Traffic Police and the Courts. Victims were directed to spoofed websites and asked for card details, banking credentials or OTPs. ScamShield similarly warns about job and investment scams, while CSA has published guidance on deepfake scams and digital manipulation.

The vocabulary therefore maps directly onto real incidents: impersonation explains the identity trick, phishing explains the information trap, spoofing explains the fake appearance, credential explains what the attacker wants, and unauthorised transaction describes one possible consequence.

Connections eduKateAI Can Learn

Digital-safety vocabulary connects identity → authentication → authorisation → action → verification → evidence. Scam vocabulary connects impersonation → urgency → link → credential request → transaction risk. AI vocabulary connects generation → provenance → verification → uncertainty. These chains help distinguish “the content looks real” from “the claim has been verified”.

Research & Reference Basis

• ScamShield Singapore
• Singapore Police: Phishing scams impersonating Police, Traffic Police and Courts
• Singapore Police: Courier-company phishing scams
• Cyber Security Agency of Singapore: Detecting and responding to deepfake scams
• Personal Data Protection Commission Singapore

Continue with Essential Vocabulary for Adults: Modern Life or return to the Vocabulary Learning Hub.