Glossary

Every term used on Predaxia, defined the way it matters in practice. Click any term for the full definition.

C

  • Cellebrite — Digital forensics tool used by law enforcement to extract data from seized devices.
  • Consumer Spyware — Commercially available monitoring software (mSpy, FlexiSpy, Hoverwatch) installed in minutes. Logs calls, messages, location, and keystrokes. Legal to buy. Illegal to install without consent.

D

  • Data Broker — A company that collects and sells your personal data without your direct consent.

E

  • E2EE — Abbreviation for End-to-End Encryption.
  • End-to-End Encryption — Only sender and recipient can read the message. The provider cannot.
  • ExifTool — Software that reads and removes metadata from files, particularly photos.

G

  • GrapheneOS — Privacy-focused Android OS with hardened security. No Google services.

I

  • ISP — Internet Service Provider. Can see every domain you visit and your real IP address.

K

  • Kill Switch (VPN) — Cuts your internet connection if the VPN tunnel drops unexpectedly, preventing silent reversion to an unprotected connection.

L

  • Life360 — Family location-sharing app. Frequently cited in contested divorces as an access vector that was installed during the relationship and never removed.

M

  • Metadata — Data about data. Who you contacted, when, from where — often more revealing than content.

N

  • No-Logs Policy — A VPN’s commitment to not retain user activity records. Only meaningful if tested under real legal pressure.

O

  • Open Source — Software with publicly available code that can be independently audited.
  • OPSEC — Operational Security. The discipline of protecting information that could be used against you.

P

  • Pegasus — State-grade spyware that compromises a device without the user clicking anything.
  • PERSEC — Personal Security. Protecting personal information from adversaries who would exploit it.

S

  • Signal — Open-source encrypted messaging. Minimal metadata. Confirmed secure under legal subpoena.
  • SIM Swapping — Hijacking your phone number to intercept your SMS-based 2FA codes.
  • Spoliation — Destroying, altering, or failing to preserve evidence relevant to a legal proceeding. Triggers adverse inference instructions and sanctions. The duty to preserve attaches before you file.
  • Spyware — Software that monitors your device without consent. Operates above the VPN layer.
  • SS7 — The telecom protocol with fundamental vulnerabilities allowing SMS interception at the network level.
  • Stealth Protocol — VPN obfuscation technique that disguises VPN traffic as standard HTTPS. Bypasses deep packet inspection in countries that block standard VPN protocols.
  • Steganography — Hiding information inside ordinary-looking files.

T

  • Threat Model — The process of identifying what you protect, from whom, and what you are willing to do about it.
  • Tor — Anonymity network routing traffic through multiple relays. Stronger than a VPN, slower.
  • Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) — A second proof of identity beyond your password.

V

  • VPN — Virtual Private Network. Encrypts your traffic, hides your IP. Does not make you anonymous.

W

  • WHOIS — Public database of domain registrations. Reveals registrant identity unless privacy protection is active.

Z

  • Zero-Day — A software vulnerability unknown to the vendor, with no patch available.