Training & Professional Development

M of N control

A protection measure that requires that a minimum number of agents (M) out of the total number of agents (N) work together to perform high-security tasks.

machine language

A programming language that can be directly executed by a computer.

macro viruses

A virus that utilizes crude technologies to infect documents created in the Microsoft Word environment.

mail-bombing

An attack in which sufficient numbers of messages are directed to a single user's inbox or through a specific STMP server to cause a denial of service.

maintenance

The variety of tasks that are necessary to ensure continued operation in the face of changing operational, data processing, storage, and environmental requirements.

maintenance hook

Entry point into a system that only the developer of the system knows; also called back door.

malicious code

Code objects that include a broad range of programmed computer security threats that exploit various network, operating system, software, and physical security vulnerabilities to spread malicious payloads to computer systems.

mandatory access control

An access control mechanism that uses security labels to regulate subject access to objects.

mandatory vacations

A security policy that requires all employees to take vacations annually so their work tasks and privileges can be audited and verified. This often results in easy detection of abuse, fraud, or negligence.

man-in-the-middle attack

A type of attack that occurs when malicious users are able to position themselves between the two endpoints of a communication's link. The client and server are unaware that there is a third party intercepting and facilitating their communication session.

man-made disasters

Disasters caused by humans, including explosions, electrical fires, terrorist acts, power outages, utility failures, hardware/software failures, labor difficulties, theft, and vandalism.

mantrap

A double set of doors that is often protected by a guard. The purpose of a mantrap is to contain a subject until their identity and authentication are verified.

masquerading

Using someone else's security ID to gain entry into a facility or system.

massively parallel processing (MPP)

Technology used to create systems that house hundreds or even thousands of processors, each of which has its own operating system and memory/bus resources.

master boot record (MBR)

The portion of a hard drive or floppy disk that the computer uses to load the operating system during the boot process.

master boot record (MBR) virus

Virus that attacks the MBR. When the system reads the infected MBR, the virus instructs it to read and execute the code stored in an alternate location, thereby loading the entire virus into memory and potentially triggering the delivery of the virus's payload.

maximum tolerable downtime (MTD) (aka maximum tolerable outage (MTO)

The maximum length of time a business function can be inoperable without causing irreparable harm to the business.

MD2 (Message Digest 2)

A hash algorithm developed by Ronald Rivest in 1989 to provide a secure hash function for 8-bit processors.

MD4

An enhanced version of the MD2 algorithm, released in 1990. MD4 pads the message to ensure that the message length is 64 bits smaller than a multiple of 512 bits.

MD5

The version of the MD algorithm released in 1991. MD5 processes 512-bit blocks of the message, using four distinct rounds of computation to produce a digest of the same length as the MD2 and MD4 algorithms (128 bits). Generally has been replaced by SHA-1 or other, more modern hashing algorithms.

mean time to failure (MTTF)

The length of time or number of uses a hardware or media component can endure before its reliability is questionable and it should be replaced.

Media Access Control (MAC) address

A 6-byte address written in hexadecimal. The first 3 bytes of the address indicate the vendor or manufacturer of the physical network interface. The last 3 bytes make up a unique number assigned to that interface by the manufacturer. No two devices on the same network can have the same MAC address.

media analysis

A branch of computer forensic analysis involving the identification and extraction of information from storage media.

meet-in-the-middle attack

An attack in which the attacker uses a known plain-text message. The plain text is then encrypted using every possible key (k1), while the equivalent cipher text is decrypted using all possible keys (k2).

memory

The main memory resources directly available to a system's CPU. Primary memory normally consists of volatile random access memory (RAM) and is a high- performance storage resource available to a system.

memory card

A device that can store data but cannot process it; often built around some form of flash memory.

memory page

A single chunk of memory that can be moved to and from RAM and the paging file on a hard drive as part of a virtual memory system.

memory protection

A core security component that must be designed and implemented into an operating system that is used to prevent an active process from interacting with an area of memory that was not specifically assigned or allocated to it.

memory-mapped I/O

A technique used to manage input/output between system components and the CPU.

message

The communications to or input for an object (in the context of object-oriented programming terminology and concepts).

message digest (MD)

A summary of a message's content (not unlike a file checksum) produced by a hashing algorithm.

metadata

The results of a data mining operation on a data warehouse.

metamodel

A model of models. Because the spiral model encapsulates a number of iterations of another model (the waterfall model), it is known as a metamodel.

Metasploit

A vulnerability scanning and penetration testing tool used to exploit flaws in applications, computers, and networking systems.

methods

The actions or functions performed on input (messages) to produce output (behaviors) by objects in an object-oriented programming environment.

microcode

A term used to describe software that is stored in a ROM chip. Also called firmware.

middle management

See security professional.

military and intelligence attacks

Attacks that are launched primarily to obtain secret and restricted information from law enforcement or military and technological research sources.

MIME Object Security Services (MOSS)

Standard that provides authenticity, confidentiality, integrity, and nonrepudiation for email messages.

misuse case testing

A process used by software testers to evaluate the vulnerability of their software to known risks. Testers first enumerate the known misuse cases and then attempt to exploit those use cases with manual and/or automated attack techniques. Aka abuse case testing.

mitigate risk

See reducing risk.

mitigated

The process by which a risk is reduced or removed.

mobile device management (MDM)

A software solution to the challenging task of managing the myriad mobile devices that employees use to access company resources. The goals of MDM are to improve security, provide monitoring, enable remote management, and support troubleshooting.

mobile sites

Nonmainstream alternatives to traditional recovery sites that typically consist of self-contained trailers or other easily relocated units.

modem

A traditional land-line modem (modulator-demodulator) is a communications device that covers or modulates between an analog carrier signal and digital information in order to support computer communications of PSTN (public switched telephone network) lines.

modification attack

An attack in which captured packets are altered and then played against a system. Modified packets are designed to bypass the restrictions of improved authentication mechanisms and session sequencing.

module testing

Each independent or self-contained segment of code for which there exists a distinct and separate specification is tested independently of all other modules. Also known as component testing, this can be seen as a parent or superclass of unit testing.

modulo

The remainder value left over after a division operation is performed.

MONDEX

A type of electronic payment system and protocol designed to manage cash on smart cards.

monitoring

The activity of manually or programmatically reviewing logged information looking for specific information.

motion detector

A device that senses the occurrence of motion in a specific area.

motion sensor

See motion detector.

multicast

A communications transmission to multiple identified recipients.

multifactor authentication

Authentication that uses two or more factors of authentication. Multifactor authentication requires different factors (something you know, something you have, and something you are), not just multiple authentication methods in a single factor such as a password and a PIN, both in the something-you-know factor.

multilayer protocols

A protocol suite or collection that operates across multiple layers of the OSI model, typically using encapsulation. A common example is TCP/IP.

multilevel mode

See multilevel security mode.

multilevel security mode

A system that is authorized to process information at more than one level of security even when all system users do not have appropriate clearances or a need to know for all information processed by the system.

multimedia collaboration

The use of various multimedia-supporting communication solutions to enhance distance collaboration. Collaboration occurs when people can work on a project together. Often, collaboration allows workers to work simultaneously as well as across different time frames. Collaboration can also be used for tracking changes and including multimedia functions. Collaboration can incorporate email, chat, VoIP, videoconferencing, use of a whiteboard, online document editing, real-time file exchange, versioning control, and other tools.

multipartite virus

A virus that uses more than one propagation technique in an attempt to penetrate systems that defend against only one method or the other.

multiprocessing

A technology that makes it possible for a computing system to harness the power of more than one processor to complete the execution of a single application.

multiprogramming

The pseudo-simultaneous execution of two tasks on a single processor coordinated by the operating system for the purpose of increasing operational efficiency. Multiprogramming is considered a relatively obsolete technology and is rarely found in use today except in legacy systems.

multiprotocol label switching (MPLS)

A high-throughput, high-performance network technology that directs data across a network based on short path labels rather than longer network addresses.

multistate

Term used to describe a system that is certified to handle multiple security levels simultaneously by using specialized security mechanisms that are designed to prevent information from crossing between security levels.

multitasking

A system handling two or more tasks simultaneously.

multithreading

A process that allows multiple users to use the same process without interfering with each other.

mutation fuzzing

A form of fuzzing that modifies known inputs to generate synthetic inputs that may trigger unexpected behavior. Aka dumb fuzzing.

mutual assistance agreement (MAA)

An agreement in which two organizations pledge to assist each other in the event of a disaster by sharing computing facilities or other technological resources. Also known as reciprocal agreement.