Metaphorical Frameworks in Contemporary English Cybersecurity Terminology

Abstract

Contemporary cybersecurity terminology is characterized by a substantial use of metaphorical expressions through which technically complex, abstract, and often invisible processes are conceptualized in more accessible linguistic forms. Terms such as attack, defence, firewall, virus, phishing, trap, shield, and vulnerability demonstrate how cybersecurity discourse draws upon established conceptual domains, particularly warfare, biological processes, physical protection, and human interaction. This study examines the conceptual and metaphorical frameworks underlying contemporary English cybersecurity terminology and proposes an analytical model for interpreting the relationships between source domains, target concepts, and terminological functions. The research employs a qualitative conceptual analysis based exclusively on the theoretical and methodological perspectives represented in the selected literature. Conceptual Metaphor Theory, conceptual blending, extended approaches to metaphor, and systematic metaphor identification provide the principal theoretical foundation. The analysis indicates that cybersecurity metaphors are not merely stylistic devices but functional mechanisms of specialized conceptualization: they organize professional knowledge, structure threat perception, facilitate communication, and influence how digital risks are interpreted. The study further demonstrates that metaphorical cybersecurity terminology combines conventionalized conceptual mappings with context-dependent extensions, creating a dynamic terminological system. The proposed framework distinguishes between source-domain structure, conceptual mapping, terminological realization, and communicative function. The findings contribute to the linguo-cognitive study of specialized English terminology and provide a basis for more systematic analysis of metaphorical processes in cybersecurity discourse.