Security management

Terms related to security management, including definitions about intrusion detection systems (IDS) and words and phrases about asset management, security policies, security monitoring, authorization and authentication.

electronic discovery (e-discovery or ediscovery) - Electronic discovery -- also called e-discovery or ediscovery -- refers to any process of obtaining and exchanging evidence in a civil or criminal legal case.
email security - Email security is the process of ensuring the availability, integrity and authenticity of email communications by protecting against unauthorized access and email threats.
employee onboarding and offboarding - Employee onboarding involves all the steps needed to get a new employee successfully deployed and productive, while offboarding involves separating an employee from a firm.
encoding and decoding - Encoding and decoding are used in many forms of communications, including computing, data communications, programming, digital electronics and human communications.
encryption - Encryption is the method by which information is converted into secret code that hides the information's true meaning.
encryption key - In cryptography, an encryption key is a variable value that is applied using an algorithm to a string or block of unencrypted text to produce encrypted text or to decrypt encrypted text.
encryption key management - Encryption key management is the practice of generating, organizing, protecting, storing, backing up and distributing encryption keys.
end-to-end encryption (E2EE) - End-to-end encryption (E2EE) is a method of secure communication that prevents third parties from accessing data while it's transferred from one end system or device to another.
enterprise file sync and share (EFSS) - Enterprise file sync and share (EFSS) is a service that allows users to save files in cloud or on-premises storage and then access them on desktop and mobile devices.
enterprise mobility management (EMM) - Enterprise mobility management (EMM) is software that allows organizations to securely enable employee use of mobile devices and applications.
erasure coding (EC) - Erasure coding (EC) is a method of data protection in which data is broken into fragments, expanded and encoded with redundant data pieces, and stored across a set of different locations or storage media.
ethical hacker - An ethical hacker, or white hat hacker, is an information security expert authorized by an organization to penetrate computing infrastructure to find security vulnerabilities a malicious hacker could exploit.
event handler - In programming, an event handler is a callback routine that operates asynchronously once an event takes place.
evil twin attack - An evil twin attack is a rogue Wi-Fi access point (AP) that masquerades as a legitimate one, enabling an attacker to gain access to sensitive information without the end user's knowledge.
facial recognition - Facial recognition is a category of biometric software that maps an individual's facial features to confirm their identity.
FACTA (Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act) - FACTA (Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act) is an amendment to FCRA (Fair Credit Reporting Act ) that was added, primarily, to protect consumers from identity theft.
Faraday cage - A Faraday cage is a metallic enclosure that prevents the entry or escape of an electromagnetic field (EM field).
FFIEC compliance (Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council) - FFIEC compliance is conformance to a set of standards for online banking issued in October 2005 by the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC).
filter (computing) - The term filter in computing can mean a variety of things, depending on the technology or technical discipline in question.
firewall - A firewall is a network security device that prevents unauthorized access to a network.
firewall as a service (FWaaS) - Firewall as a service (FWaaS), also known as a cloud firewall, is a service that provides cloud-based network traffic analysis capabilities to customers as part of an overall cybersecurity program.
footprinting - Footprinting is an ethical hacking technique used to gather as much data as possible about a specific targeted computer system, an infrastructure and networks to identify opportunities to penetrate them.
frequency-hopping spread spectrum (FHSS) - Frequency-hopping spread spectrum (FHSS) transmission is the repeated switching of the carrier frequency during radio transmission to reduce interference and avoid interception.
full-disk encryption (FDE) - Full-disk encryption (FDE) is a security method for protecting sensitive data at the hardware level by encrypting all data on a disk drive.
fuzz testing (fuzzing) - Fuzz testing (fuzzing) is a quality assurance technique used to discover coding errors or bugs and security loopholes in software, operating systems and networks.
garbage in, garbage out (GIGO) - Garbage in, garbage out, or GIGO, refers to the idea that in any system, the quality of output is determined by the quality of the input.
going dark - Going dark describes a scenario in which communication appears to have ceased, but in reality has just moved from a public communication channel to a private, encrypted channel.
Google Play Protect - Google Play Protect is a malware protection and detection service built into Android devices that use Google Mobile Services.
hard-drive encryption - Hard-drive encryption is a technology that encrypts the data stored on a hard drive using sophisticated mathematical functions.
Hash-based Message Authentication Code (HMAC) - Hash-based Message Authentication Code (HMAC) is a message encryption method that uses a cryptographic key in conjunction with a hash function.
hashing - Hashing is the process of transforming any given key or a string of characters into another value.
health informatics - Health informatics is the practice of acquiring, studying and managing health data and applying medical concepts in conjunction with health information technology systems to help clinicians provide better healthcare.
homomorphic encryption - Homomorphic encryption is the conversion of data into ciphertext that can be analyzed and worked with as if it were still in its original form.
honey monkey - A honey monkey is a virtual computer system that is programmed to lure, detect, identify and neutralize malicious activity on the Internet.
honeynet - A honeynet is a network set up with intentional vulnerabilities hosted on a decoy server to attract hackers.
host intrusion prevention system (HIPS) - A host intrusion prevention system (HIPS) is an approach to security that relies on third-party software tools to identify and prevent malicious activities.
hybrid cloud security - Hybrid cloud security is the combination of technologies and practices that protect a hybrid cloud user's sensitive data, infrastructure and applications.
Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) - Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) is a protocol that secures communication and data transfer between a user's web browser and a website.
hypervisor security - Hypervisor security is the process of ensuring the hypervisor -- the software that enables virtualization -- is secure throughout its lifecycle.
identity theft - Identity theft, also known as identity fraud, is a crime in which an imposter obtains key pieces of personally identifiable information (PII), such as Social Security or driver's license numbers, to impersonate someone else.
incident response team - An incident response team is a group of IT professionals in charge of preparing for and reacting to any type of organizational emergency.
indicators of compromise (IOC) - Indicators of compromise are unusual activities on a system or network that imply the presence of a malicious actor.
information security (infosec) - Information security (infosec) is a set of policies, procedures and principles for safeguarding digital data and other kinds of information.
Information Technology Amendment Act 2008 (IT Act 2008) - The Information Technology Amendment Act 2008 (IT Act 2008) is a substantial addition to India's Information Technology Act 2000.
inline frame (iframe) - An inline frame (iframe) is a HTML element that loads another HTML page within the document.
input validation attack - An input validation attack is any malicious action against a computer system that involves manually entering strange information into a normal user input field.
insider threat - An insider threat is a category of risk posed by those who have access to an organization's physical or digital assets.
International Data Encryption Algorithm (IDEA) - The International Data Encryption Algorithm (IDEA) is a symmetric key block cipher encryption algorithm designed to encrypt text to an unreadable format for transmission via the internet.
International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium (ISC)2 - (ISC)2, short for International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium, is a nonprofit organization that provides security training and certificates.
IP spoofing - Internet Protocol (IP) spoofing is a type of malicious attack where the threat actor hides the true source of IP packets to make it difficult to know where they came from.
ISA Server - Microsoft's ISA Server (Internet Security and Acceleration Server) was the successor to Microsoft's Proxy Server 2.
ISO 27002 (International Organization for Standardization 27002) - The ISO 27002 standard is a collection of information security management guidelines that are intended to help an organization implement, maintain and improve its information security management.
ITIL V3 - ITIL V3 is the third version of the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL), a globally recognized collection of best practices for managing IT and for implementing IT service management (ITSM) practices.
key fob - A key fob is a small, programmable device that provides access to a physical object.
key-value pair (KVP) - A key-value pair (KVP) is a set of two linked data items: a key, which is a unique identifier for some item of data, and the value, which is either the data that is identified or a pointer to the location of that data.
keylogger (keystroke logger or system monitor) - A keylogger, sometimes called a keystroke logger, is a type of surveillance technology used to monitor and record each keystroke on a specific device, such as a computer or smartphone.
kill switch - A kill switch in an IT context is a mechanism used to shut down or disable a device or program.
kiosk mode (Windows assigned access) - Kiosk mode is a feature in Windows operating system (OS) that allows a device to run only specified applications and settings.
law of unintended consequences - The law of unintended consequences is a frequently-observed phenomenon in which any action has results that are not part of the actor's purpose.
LDAP injection - LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) injection is a type of security exploit that is used to compromise the authentication process used by some websites.
LEAP (Lightweight Extensible Authentication Protocol) - LEAP (Lightweight Extensible Authentication Protocol) is a Cisco-proprietary version of EAP, the authentication protocol used in wireless networks and Point-to-Point connections.
logic bomb - A logic bomb is a string of malicious code that is inserted intentionally into a program to harm a network when certain conditions are met.
LUN masking - LUN masking is an authorization mechanism used in storage area networks (SANs) to make LUNs available to some hosts but unavailable to other hosts.
man in the browser (MitB) - Man in the browser (MitB) is a security attack where the perpetrator installs a Trojan horse on the victim's computer that is capable of modifying that user's web transactions.
mandatory access control (MAC) - Mandatory access control (MAC) is a security strategy that restricts the ability individual resource owners have to grant or deny access to resource objects in a file system.
MD5 - The MD5 (message-digest algorithm) hashing algorithm is a one-way cryptographic function that accepts a message of any length as input and returns as output a fixed-length digest value to be used for authenticating the original message.
meet-in-the-middle attack - Meet-in-the-middle is a known plaintext attack that can greatly reduce the number of brute-force permutations required to decrypt text that has been encrypted by more than one key.
Melissa virus - Melissa was a type of email virus that initially become an issue in early 1999.
message authentication code (MAC) - A message authentication code (MAC) is a cryptographic checksum applied to a message in network communication to guarantee its integrity and authenticity.
MICR (magnetic ink character recognition) - MICR (magnetic ink character recognition) is a technology invented in the 1950s that's used to verify the legitimacy or originality of checks and other paper documents.
Microsoft Network Device Enrollment Service (NDES) - Microsoft Network Device Enrollment Service (NDES) is a security feature in Windows Server 2008 R2 and later Windows Server operating versions.
Microsoft Online Services Sign-In Assistant - The Microsoft Online Services Sign-In Assistant is a software application that provides common sign-on capabilities for a suite of Microsoft online services, such as Office 365.
mobile application management (MAM) - Mobile application management (MAM) is software that secures and enables IT control over enterprise applications on end users' corporate and personal smartphones and tablets.
mobile malware - Mobile malware is malicious software specifically written to attack mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets, and smartwatches.
multisig (multisignature) - Multisig, also called multisignature, is the requirement for a transaction to have two or more signatures before it can be executed.
mutual authentication - Mutual authentication, also called two-way authentication, is a process or technology in which both entities in a communications link authenticate each other.
national identity card - A national identity card is a portable document, typically a plasticized card with digitally embedded information, that is used to verify aspects of a person's identity.
natural disaster recovery - Natural disaster recovery is the process of recovering data and resuming business operations following a natural disaster.
near-field communication (NFC) - Near-field communication (NFC) is a short-range wireless connectivity technology that uses magnetic field induction to enable communication between devices when they're touched together or brought within a few centimeters of each other.
network intrusion protection system (NIPS) - A network intrusion protection system (NIPS) is an umbrella term for a combination of hardware and software systems that protect computer networks from unauthorized access and malicious activity.
NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) - NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) is a nonregulatory government agency located in Gaithersburg, Md.
NIST Cybersecurity Framework - The NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) provides guidance on how to manage and reduce IT infrastructure security risk.
non-disclosure agreement (NDA) - A non-disclosure agreement (NDA), also known as a confidentiality agreement (CA), is a signed legally binding contract in which one party agrees to give a second party confidential information about its business or products and the second party agrees not to share this information with anyone else for a specified period of time.
nonrepudiation - Nonrepudiation ensures that no party can deny that it sent or received a message via encryption and/or digital signatures or approved some information.
OAuth (Open Authorization) - OAuth (Open Authorization) is an open standard authorization framework for token-based authorization on the internet.
OCR (optical character recognition) - OCR (optical character recognition) is the use of technology to distinguish printed or handwritten text characters inside digital images of physical documents, such as a scanned paper document.
OCSP (Online Certificate Status Protocol) - OCSP (Online Certificate Status Protocol) is one of two common schemes used to maintain the security of a server and other network resources.
one-time pad - In cryptography, a one-time pad is a system in which a randomly generated private key is used only once to encrypt a message that is then decrypted by the receiver using a matching one-time pad and key.
one-time password - A one-time password (OTP) is an automatically generated numeric or alphanumeric string of characters that authenticates a user for a single transaction or login one-time password session.
OODA loop - The OODA loop -- Observe, Orient, Decide, Act -- is a four-step approach to decision-making that focuses on filtering available information, putting it in context and quickly making the most appropriate decision, while also understanding that changes can be made as more data becomes available.
Open Source Hardening Project - The Open Source Hardening Project is an initiative of the United States Department of Homeland Security, created to improve the security of open source code.
Open System Authentication (OSA) - Open System Authentication (OSA) is a process by which a computer could gain access to a wireless network that uses the Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) protocol.
Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) - The Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) is a nonprofit foundation that provides guidance on how to develop, purchase and maintain trustworthy and secure software applications.
OpenID (OpenID Connect) - OpenID Connect is an open specification for authentication and single sign-on (SSO).
OpenSSL - OpenSSL is an open source cryptographic toolkit that facilitates secure communications between endpoints on a network.
out-of-band patch - An out-of-band patch is a patch released at some time other than the normal release time.
PA-DSS (Payment Application Data Security Standard) - Payment Application Data Security Standard (PA-DSS) is a set of requirements intended to help software vendors develop secure payment applications for credit card transactions.
parameter tampering - Parameter tampering is a type of web-based cyber attack in which certain parameters in a URL are changed without a user's authorization.
passkey - A passkey is an alternative method of user authentication that eliminates the need for usernames and passwords.
passphrase - A passphrase is a sentencelike string of words used for authentication that is longer than a traditional password, easy to remember and difficult to crack.