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.

RAT (remote access Trojan) - A RAT (remote access Trojan) is malware an attacker uses to gain full administrative privileges and remote control of a target computer.
raw device mapping - Raw device mapping (RDM) enables disk access in a virtual machine (VM) in the VMware server virtualization environment and allows a storage logical unit number (LUN) to be connected directly to a VM from the storage area network (SAN).
real-time location system (RTLS) - A real-time location system (RTLS) is one of a number of technologies used to pinpoint the current geographic position and location of a target.
red teaming - Red teaming is the practice of rigorously challenging plans, policies, systems and assumptions by adopting an adversarial approach.
remote deposit capture (RDC) - Remote deposit capture (RDC) is a system that allows a customer to scan checks remotely and transmit the check images to a bank for deposit, usually via an encrypted Internet connection.
remote desktop - A remote desktop is a program or an operating system feature that allows a user to connect to a computer in another location, see that computer's desktop and interact with it as if it were local.
remote wipe - Remote wipe is a security feature that allows a network administrator or device owner to send a command that remotely deletes data from a computing device.
Report on Compliance (ROC) - A Report on Compliance (ROC) is a form that must be completed by all Level 1 Visa merchants undergoing a PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) audit.
return merchandise authorization (RMA) - An RMA (return merchandise authorization) is a numbered authorization provided by a mail-order or e-commerce merchant to permit the return of a product.
Rijndael - Rijndael (pronounced rain-dahl) is an Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) algorithm.
risk analysis - Risk analysis is the process of identifying and analyzing potential issues that could negatively impact key business initiatives or projects.
risk assessment framework (RAF) - A risk assessment framework (RAF) is a strategy for prioritizing and sharing information about the security risks to an information technology (IT) infrastructure.
role mining - Role mining is the process of analyzing user-to-resource mapping data to determine or modify user permissions for role-based access control (RBAC) in an enterprise.
rootkit - A rootkit is a program or a collection of malicious software tools that give a threat actor remote access to and control over a computer or other system.
RSA algorithm (Rivest-Shamir-Adleman) - The RSA algorithm (Rivest-Shamir-Adleman) is the basis of a cryptosystem -- a suite of cryptographic algorithms that are used for specific security services or purposes -- which enables public key encryption and is widely used to secure sensitive data, particularly when it is being sent over an insecure network, such as the internet.
scareware - Scareware is a type of malware tactic used to manipulate victims into downloading or buying potentially malware-infested software.
screened subnet - A screened subnet, or triple-homed firewall, refers to a network architecture where a single firewall is used with three network interfaces.
script kiddie - Script kiddie is a derogative term that computer hackers coined to refer to immature, but often just as dangerous, exploiters of internet security weaknesses.
secure access service edge (SASE) - Secure access service edge (SASE), pronounced sassy, is a cloud architecture model that bundles together network and cloud-native security technologies and delivers them as a single cloud service.
Secure Electronic Transaction (SET) - Secure Electronic Transaction (SET) is a system and electronic protocol to ensure the integrity and security of transactions conducted over the internet.
Secure File Transfer Protocol (SSH File Transfer Protocol) - SFTP is a term that refers to either Secure File Transfer Protocol or SSH File Transfer Protocol, and is a computing network protocol for accessing and managing files on remote systems.
Secure Shell (SSH) - SSH, also known as Secure Shell or Secure Socket Shell, is a network protocol that gives users, particularly system administrators, a secure way to access a computer over an unsecured network.
Secure Sockets Layer certificate (SSL certificate) - A Secure Sockets Layer certificate (SSL certificate) is a small data file installed on a web server that allows for a secure, encrypted connection between the server and a web browser.
Security Accounts Manager - The Security Accounts Manager (SAM) is a database file in the Microsoft Windows operating system that contains usernames and passwords.
security analytics - Security analytics is a cybersecurity approach that uses data collection, data aggregation and analysis tools for threat detection and security monitoring.
Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) - Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) is an open standard for sharing security information about identity, authentication and authorization across different systems.
security audit - A security audit is a systematic evaluation of the security of a company's information system by measuring how well it conforms to an established set of criteria.
security awareness training - Security awareness training is a strategic approach IT and security professionals take to educate employees and stakeholders on the importance of cybersecurity and data privacy.
security by design - Security by design is an approach to software and hardware development that seeks to make systems as free of vulnerabilities and impervious to attack as possible through such measures as continuous testing, authentication safeguards and adherence to best practices.
security clearance - A security clearance is an authorization that allows access to information that would otherwise be forbidden.
security identifier (SID) - In the context of Windows computing and Microsoft Active Directory (AD), a security identifier (SID) is a unique value that is used to identify any security entity that the operating system (OS) can authenticate.
security incident - A security incident is an event that could indicate that an organization's systems or data have been compromised or that security measures put in place to protect them have failed.
security information management (SIM) - Security information management (SIM) is the practice of collecting, monitoring and analyzing security-related data from computer logs and various other data sources.
security operations center (SOC) - A security operations center (SOC) is a command center facility in which a team of information technology (IT) professionals with expertise in information security (infosec) monitors, analyzes and protects an organization from cyberattacks.
security policy - A security policy is a document that states in writing how a company plans to protect its physical and information technology (IT) assets.
security theater - Security theater includes any measures taken by a company or security team to create an atmosphere of safety that may only achieve the appearance of heightened security.
security through obscurity - Security through obscurity (STO) is reliance upon secrecy in software development to minimize the chance that weaknesses may be detected and targeted.
security token - A security token is a physical or wireless device that provides two-factor authentication (2FA) for users to prove their identity in a login process.
segregation of duties (SoD) - Segregation of duties (SoD) is an internal control designed to prevent error and fraud by ensuring that at least two individuals are responsible for the separate parts of any task.
Sender Policy Framework (SPF) - Sender Policy Framework (SPF) is a protocol designed to restrict who can use an organization's domain as the source of an email message.
sensitive information - Sensitive information is data that must be protected from unauthorized access to safeguard the privacy or security of an individual or organization.
session ID - A session ID, also called a session token, is a unique identifier that a web server assigns to a user for the duration of the current session.
session key - A session key is an encryption and decryption key that is randomly generated to ensure the security of a communications session between a user and another computer or between two computers.
shadow password file - A shadow password file, also known as /etc/shadow, is a system file in Linux that stores encrypted user passwords and is accessible only to the root user, preventing unauthorized users or malicious actors from breaking into the system.
Shared Key Authentication (SKA) - Shared Key Authentication (SKA) is a process by which a computer can gain access to a wireless network that uses the Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) protocol.
shared responsibility model - A shared responsibility model is a cloud security framework that dictates the security obligations of a cloud computing provider and its users to ensure accountability.
shoulder surfing - Shoulder surfing is using direct observation techniques, such as looking over someone's shoulder, to get information.
single sign-on (SSO) - Single sign-on (SSO) is a session and user authentication service that permits a user to use one set of login credentials -- for example, a username and password -- to access multiple applications.
single-factor authentication (SFA) - Single-factor authentication (SFA) is a process for securing access to a given system, such as a network or website, that identifies the party requesting access through only one category of credentials.
smart card - A smart card is a physical card that has an embedded integrated chip that acts as a security token.
smart home - A smart home is a residence that uses internet-connected devices to enable the remote monitoring and management of appliances and systems, such as lighting and heating.
smishing (SMS phishing) - Smishing -- or Short Message Service (SMS) phishing -- is a social engineering tactic cybercriminals use to trick people into divulging sensitive information over text messages.
SMS spam (cell phone spam or short messaging service spam) - SMS spam (sometimes called cell phone spam) is any junk message delivered to a mobile phone as text messaging through the Short Message Service (SMS).
snooping - Snooping, in a security context, is unauthorized access to another person's or company's data.
Snort - Snort is an open source network intrusion detection system (NIDS) created by Sourcefire founder and former CTO Martin Roesch.
SOAR (security orchestration, automation and response) - SOAR (security orchestration, automation and response) is a stack of compatible software programs that enables an organization to collect data about security threats and respond to security events with little or no human assistance.
social engineering penetration testing - Social engineering penetration testing is the practice of deliberately conducting typical social engineering scams on employees to ascertain the organization's level of vulnerability to this type of exploit.
software bill of materials (SBOM) - A software bill of materials (SBOM) is an inventory of all constituent components and software dependencies involved in the development and delivery of an application.
software-defined perimeter (SDP) - A software-defined perimeter, or SDP, is a security technique that controls access to resources based on identity and forms a virtual boundary around networked resources.
spear phishing - Spear phishing is a malicious email spoofing attack that targets a specific organization or individual, seeking unauthorized access to sensitive information.
SQL injection (SQLi) - A SQL injection (SQLi) is a technique that attackers use to gain unauthorized access to a web application database by adding a string of malicious code to a database query.
SSL VPN (Secure Sockets Layer virtual private network) - An SSL VPN is a type of virtual private network (VPN) that uses the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol -- or, more often, its successor, the Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol -- in standard web browsers to provide secure, remote access VPN capability.
stateful inspection - Stateful inspection, also known as dynamic packet filtering, is a firewall technology that monitors the state of active connections and uses this information to determine which network packets to allow through the firewall.
static application security testing (SAST) - Static application security testing (SAST) is a program designed to analyze application (app) source code in order to find security vulnerabilities or weaknesses that may open an app up to a malicious attack.
stealth virus - A stealth virus is a computer virus that uses various mechanisms to avoid detection by antivirus software.
storage security - Storage security is the group of parameters and settings that make storage resources available to authorized users and trusted networks and unavailable to other entities.
stream cipher - A stream cipher is a method of encrypting text (to produce ciphertext) in which a cryptographic key and algorithm are applied to each binary digit in a data stream, one bit at a time.
strong authentication - Although it is not a standardized term, with set criteria, strong authentication can be said to be any method of verifying the identity of a user or device that is intrinsically stringent enough to ensure the security of the system it protects by withstanding any attacks it is likely to encounter.
strong password - A strong password is one that is designed to be hard for a person or program to guess.
Structured Threat Information eXpression (STIX) - Structured Threat Information eXpression (STIX) is a standardized Extensible Markup Language (XML) programming language for conveying data about cybersecurity threats in a way that can be easily understood by both humans and security technologies.
supercookie - A supercookie is a type of tracking cookie inserted into an HTTP header to collect data about a user's internet browsing history and habits.
SYN flood attack - A SYN flood attack is a type of denial-of-service (DoS) attack on a computer server.
SYN scanning - SYN scanning is a tactic that a malicious hacker can use to determine the state of a communications port without establishing a full connection.
Testing as a Service (TaaS) - Testing as a service (TaaS) is an outsourcing model in which testing activities associated with some of an organization's business activities are performed by a service provider rather than in-house employees.
threat actor - A threat actor, also called a malicious actor or bad actor, is an entity that is partially or wholly responsible for an incident that affects -- or has the potential to affect -- an organization's security.
threat intelligence (cyber threat intelligence) - Threat intelligence, also known as cyber threat intelligence (CTI), is information collected from various sources about current or potential attacks that threaten an organization.
threat intelligence feed (TI feed) - A threat intelligence feed (TI feed) is an ongoing stream of data related to potential or current threats to an organization's security.
three-factor authentication (3FA) - Three-factor authentication (3FA) is the use of identity-confirming credentials from three separate categories of authentication factors -- typically, the knowledge, possession and inherence categories.
token - In general, a token is an object that represents something else, such as another object (either physical or virtual), or an abstract concept as, for example, a gift is sometimes referred to as a token of the giver's esteem for the recipient.
tokenization - Tokenization is the process of replacing sensitive data with unique identification symbols that retain all the essential information about the data without compromising its security.
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Tor browser - The Tor (the onion routing) browser is a web browser designed for anonymous web surfing and protection against traffic analysis.
transitive trust - Transitive trust is a two-way relationship automatically created between parent and child domains in a Microsoft Active Directory forest.
Transport Layer Security (TLS) - Transport Layer Security (TLS) is an Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) standard protocol that provides authentication, privacy and data integrity between two communicating computer applications.
triage in IT - Triage is a term referring to the assignment of priority levels to tasks or individuals to determine the most effective order in which to deal with them.
trusted computing base (TCB) - A trusted computing base (TCB) is everything in a computing system that provides a secure environment for operations.
Trusted Platform Module (TPM) - A Trusted Platform Module (TPM) is a specialized chip on a device designed to secure hardware with cryptographic keys.
tunneling or port forwarding - Tunneling or port forwarding is the transmission of data intended for use only within a private -- usually corporate -- network through a public network in such a way that the public network's routing nodes are unaware that the transmission is part of a private network.
two-factor authentication (2FA) - Two-factor authentication (2FA), sometimes referred to as two-step verification or dual-factor authentication, is a security process in which users provide two different authentication factors to verify themselves.
Twofish - Twofish is a symmetric-key block cipher with a block size of 128 bits and variable-length key of size 128, 192 or 256 bits.
unified threat management (UTM) - Unified threat management (UTM) describes an information security (infosec) system that provides a single point of protection against threats, including viruses, worms, spyware and other malware, and network attacks.
user account provisioning - User account provisioning is a business process for creating and managing access to resources in an information technology (IT) system.
virtual appliance - Considered a software equivalent of a hardware device, a virtual appliance (VA) is a preconfigured software solution.
virtual firewall - A virtual firewall is a firewall device or service that provides network traffic filtering and monitoring for virtual machines (VMs) in a virtualized environment.
virtual local area network hopping (VLAN hopping) - Virtual local area network hopping (VLAN hopping) is a method of attacking the network resources of a VLAN by sending packets to a port not usually accessible from an end system.
virtual machine escape - A virtual machine escape is an exploit in which an attacker runs code on a VM that lets the operating system (OS) running within it break out and interact directly with the hypervisor.
virtualization-based security (VBS) - Virtualization-based security (VBS) is a technology that abstracts computer processes from the underlying operating system (OS) and, in some cases, hardware.
virus (computer virus) - A computer virus is a type of malware that attaches itself to a program or file.
virus hoax - A virus hoax is a false warning about a computer virus.
VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity) - VUCA is an acronym that stands for volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity -- qualities that make a situation or condition difficult to analyze, respond to or plan for.