Training & Professional Development

cache RAM

A process that takes data from slower devices and temporarily stores it in higher-performance devices when its repeated use is expected.

Caesar cipher

A simple three-position shifting monoalphabetic substitution cipher employed by Julius Caesar.

campus area network (CAN)

A network that spans a college, university, or multibuilding office complex.

candidate key

A subset of attributes, columns, or fields that can be used to uniquely identify any record in a table.

capability list

Each row of an access control matrix is a capability list. A capability list is tied to the subject; it lists valid actions that can be taken on each object.

captive portal

An authentication technique that redirects a newly connected wireless Web client to a portal access control page. The portal page may require the user to input payment information, provide logon credentials, or input an access code.

cardinality

The number of rows in a relational database.

CCMP (Counter Mode with Cipher Block Chaining Message Authentication Code Protocol)

The designed replacement for WEP and TKIP/WPA. It implements AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) with a 128-bit key as a stream cipher.

cell suppression

The act of suppressing (or hiding) individual data items inside a database to prevent aggregation or inference attacks.

centralized access control

Method of control in which all authorization verification is performed by a single entity within a system.

centralized alarm system

An alarm system that signals a remote or centralized monitoring station when the alarm is triggered.

certificate

Endorsed copy of an individual's public key that verifies their identity.

certificate authority (CA)

An agency that authenticates and distributes digital certificates.

certificate path validation (CPV)

Each certificate in a certificate path from the original start or root of trust down to the server or client in question is valid and legitimate.

certificate revocation list (CRL)

The list of certificates that have been revoked by a certificate authority before the lifetimes of the certificates have expired.

certification

The comprehensive evaluation, made in support of the accreditation process, of the technical and nontechnical security features of an IT system and other safeguards to establish the extent to which a particular design and implementation meet a set of specified security requirements.

chain of evidence

The process by which an object is uniquely identified in a court of law. Also known as the chain of custody.

Challenge Handshake Authentication Protocol (CHAP)

One of the authentication protocols used over PPP links. CHAP encrypts usernames and passwords.

change management

The means by which changes to an environment are logged and monitored in order to ensure that any change does not lead to reduced or compromised security.

channel service unit/data service unit (CSU/DSU)

A border connection device that converts LAN signals into the format used by the WAN carrier network, and vice versa.

checklist test

A process in which copies of the disaster recovery checklists are distributed to the members of the disaster recovery team for their review.

Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA)

A law in the United States that places specific demands on websites that cater to children or knowingly collect information from children.

chosen cipher-text attack

An attack in which the attacker has the ability to decrypt chosen portions of the cipher-text message.

chosen plain-text attack

An attack in which the attacker has the ability to encrypt plain- text messages of their choosing and then analyze the cipher-text output of the encryption algorithm.

CIA Triad

The three essential security principles of confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

cipher

A system that hides the true meaning of a message. Ciphers use a variety of techniques to alter and/or rearrange the characters or words of a message to achieve confidentiality.

Cipher Block Chaining (CBC)

A process in which each block of unencrypted text is XORed with the block of cipher text immediately preceding it before it is encrypted using the DES algorithm.

Cipher Feedback (CFB)

A mode in which the DES algorithm is used to encrypt the preceding block of cipher text. This block is then XORed with the next block of plain text to produce the next block of cipher text.

cipher text

A message that has been encrypted for transmission.

circuit-level gateway firewall

A firewall used to manage communication sessions between trusted partners. It operates at the Session layer (layer 5) of the OSI model.

civil laws

Laws that form the bulk of the body of laws in the United States. They are designed to provide for an orderly society and govern matters that are not crimes but require an impartial arbiter to settle disputes between individuals and organizations.

Clark-Wilson model

A model that employs limited interfaces or programs to control and maintain object integrity.

class

In the context of object-oriented programming terminology and techniques, a collection of common methods from a set of objects that defines the behavior of those objects.

classification

A label that is applied to a resource to indicate its sensitivity or value to an organization and therefore designate the level of security necessary to protect that resource.

classification level

Another term for a security label. An assigned importance or value placed on objects and subjects.

clean power

Nonfluctuating pure power.

clearing

A method of sufficiently deleting media that will be reused in the same secured environment. Also known as overwriting.

click-wrap license agreement

A software agreement in which the contract terms are either written on the software box or included in the software documentation. During the installation process, you are required to click a button indicating that you have read the terms of the agreement and agree to abide by them.

clipping level

A threshold value used in violation analysis auditing. Crossing the clipping level triggers the recording of relevant event data to an audit log.

closed-circuit television (CCTV)

A security system using video cameras and video recording devices.

closed head system

See wet pipe system.

cloud computing

A concept of computing where processing and storage are performed elsewhere over a network connection rather than locally.

clustering (or key clustering)

A weakness in cryptography where a plain-text message generates identical cipher-text messages using the same algorithm but different keys.

coaxial cable or coax

A cable with a center core of copper wire surrounded by a layer of insulation and then by a conductive braided shielding and finally encased in an insulation sheath. Coaxial cable is fairly resistant to EMI, has a low cost, and is easy to install.

COBIT

See Control Objectives for Information and Related Technology (COBIT).

code or codes

Cryptographic systems of symbols that represent words or phrases and are sometimes secret, but they are not necessarily meant to provide confidentiality. See also cipher.

code repository

Software development is a collaborative effort and large software projects require teams of developers who may simultaneously work on different parts of the code.Software development is a collaborative effort and large software projects require teams of developers who may simultaneously work on different parts of the code. Code repositories act as a central storage point for developers to place their source code.

cognitive password

A variant of the password authentication factor that asks a series of questions about facts or predefined responses that only the subject should know.

cohesive (or cohesiveness)

An object is highly cohesive if it can perform a task with little or no help from other objects. Highly cohesive objects are not as dependent on other objects as objects with lower cohesion. Objects with higher cohesion are often better. Highly cohesive objects perform tasks alone and have low coupling.

cold sites

Standby facilities large enough to handle the processing load of an organization and with appropriate electrical and environmental support systems.

collision

A collision occurs when two systems transmit data at the same time onto a connection medium that supports only a single transmission path.

collision attack

See birthday attack.

collision domain

A group of networked systems that could cause a collision if any two (or more) of the systems in that group transmitted simultaneously.

collusion

An agreement between multiple people to perform an unauthorized or illegal action.

columnar transposition

A form of cryptographic transposition based on arranging plain text in a form that generates columns; then the columns are extracted as the cipher text.

commercial business/private sector classification

The security labels commonly employed on secure systems used by corporations. Common corporate or commercial security labels are confidential, proprietary, private, sensitive, and public.

committed information rate (CIR)

A contracted minimum guaranteed bandwidth allocation for a virtual circuit.

common access card (CAC)

A smart card used by US government personnel that includes a picture and other information on the owner. It can be used as a badge and as a smart card.

Common Body of Knowledge (CBK)

The areas of information prescribed by (ISC)2 as the source of knowledge for the CISSP exam.

common mode noise

Electromagnetic interference (EMI) noise generated by the difference in power between the hot and ground wires of a power source or operating electrical equipment.

Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA)

An international standard for distributed computing. CORBA enables code operating on a computer to locate resources located elsewhere on the network.

community cloud

A cloud deployment model that provides cloud-based assets to two or more organizations. Maintenance responsibilities are shared based on who is hosting the assets and the service models.

companion virus

A variation of the file infector virus. A companion virus is a self- contained executable file that escapes detection by using a filename similar to, but slightly different from, a legitimate operating system file.

compartmented security mode

A security mode in which systems process two or more types of compartmented information. All system users must have an appropriate clearance to access all information processed by the system but do not necessarily need to know all the information in the system.

compensation access control

A type of access control that provides various options to other existing controls to aid in the enforcement and support of a security policy.

competent

A distinction of evidence that means that the evidence must be obtained legally. Evidence that results from an illegal search would be inadmissible because it is not competent.

compiled language

A computer language that is converted into machine language before distribution or execution.

compiler

A programming tool that converts higher-level language code into an executable file designed for use on a specific operating system.

compliance testing

Another common usage of auditing. Verification that a system complies with laws, regulations, baselines, guidelines, standards, and policies is an important part of maintaining security in any environment.

Component Object Model (COM)

Microsoft's standard for the use of components within a process or between processes running on the same system.

compromise

If system security has been broken, the system is considered compromised.

computer architecture

An engineering discipline concerned with the construction of computing systems from the logical level.

computer crime

Any crime that is perpetrated against or with the use of a computer.

Computer Fraud and Abuse Act

A US law written to exclusively cover computer crimes that cross state boundaries to avoid infringing on states' rights.

Computer Security Act (CSA) of 1987

A US law that mandates baseline security requirements for all federal agencies.

computer security incident

A violation, or imminent threat of a violation, of a security policy or practice within the organization. Computer security incidents are the result of an attack, malware infection, or inappropriate usage by employees.

concentrator

See repeater.

conclusive evidence

Incontrovertible evidence that overrides all other forms of evidence.

concurrency

A security mechanism that endeavors to make certain that the information stored in a database is always correct or at least has its integrity and availability protected. Concurrency uses a "lock" feature to allow an authorized user to make changes and then "unlocks" data elements only after all changes are complete.

confidential

A government/military classification used for data of a confidential nature. Unauthorized disclosure of confidential data will have noticeable effects and cause damage to national security. This classification is used for all data between secret and unclassified classifications.

confidentiality

The assurance that information is protected from unauthorized disclosure and the defined level of secrecy is maintained throughout all subject-object interactions.

configuration management

The process of logging, auditing, and monitoring activities related to security controls and security mechanisms over time. This data is then used to identify agents of change, whether objects, subjects, programs, communication pathways, or even the network itself.

confinement (or confinement property)

The principle that allows a process to read from and write to certain memory locations and resources only. This is an alternate name for the * (star) Security Property of the Bell-LaPadula model.

confusion

Occurs when the relationship between the plain text and the key is complicated enough that an attacker can't just alter the plain text and analyze the result in order to determine the key.

consistency

One of the four required characteristics of all database transactions (the other three are atomicity, isolation, and durability). All transactions must begin operating in an environment that is consistent with all of the database's rules.

contamination

The result of mixing of data with a different classification level and/or need-to-know requirement.

content-dependent access control

A form of access control that restricts access to data based on the contents or payload of an object.

content-distribution networks (CDN) or content delivery networks

A collection of resource services deployed in numerous data centers across the Internet in order to provide low-latency, high-performance, high-availability of the hosted content. CDNs provide the desired multimedia performance quality demanded by customers through the concept of distributed data hosts.

context-dependent access control

A form of access control based on the context or surroundings of an object.

continuity

A goal an organization can accomplish by having plans and procedures to help mitigate the effects a disaster has on its continuing operations and to speed the return to normal operations.

contractual license agreement

A written contract between the software vendor and the customer outlining the responsibilities of each.

control

The use of access rules or countermeasures to limit a subject's access to an object.

Control Objectives for Information and Related Technology (COBIT)

A security concept infrastructure used to organize the complex security solution of companies.

controls gap

The difference between total risk and residual risk.

converged protocols

The merging of specialty or proprietary protocols with standard protocols, such as those from the TCP/IP suite. Some common examples of converged protocols include FCoE, MPLS, iSCSI, and VoIP.

Copper Distributed Data Interface (CDDI)

Deployment of FDDI using twisted-pair (in other words, copper) wires. This reduces the maximum segment length to 100 meters and is susceptible to interference.

copyright

Law that guarantees the creators of "original works of authorship" protection against the unauthorized duplication of their work.

corrective access control

An access control deployed to restore systems to normal after an unwanted or unauthorized activity has occurred. Examples of corrective access controls include alarms, mantraps, and security policies.

corrective controls

Instructions, procedures, or guidelines used to reverse the effects of an unwanted activity, such as attacks or errors.

countermeasures

Actions taken to patch a vulnerability or secure a system against an attack. Countermeasures can include altering access controls, reconfiguring security settings, installing new security devices or mechanisms, adding or removing services, and so on.

coupling

The level of interaction between objects. Lower coupling means less interaction. Lower coupling delivers better software design because objects are more independent.The level of interaction between objects. Lower coupling means less interaction. Lower coupling delivers better software design because objects are more independent. Lower coupling is easier to troubleshoot and update. Objects with low cohesion require lots of assistance from other objects to perform tasks and have high coupling.

covert channel

The means by which data can be communicated outside of normal, expected, or detectable methods.

covert storage channel

A channel that conveys information by writing data to a common storage area where another process can read it.

covert timing channel

A channel that conveys information by altering the performance of a system component or modifying a resource's timing in a predictable manner.

cracker

Malicious users intent on waging an attack against a person or system. Crackers may be motivated by greed, power, or recognition. Their actions can result in stolen property (data, ideas, and so on), disabled systems, compromised security, negative public opinion, loss of market share, reduced profitability, and lost productivity.

credential management system

A solution that provides a storage space for users to keep their credentials when single sign on (SSO) isn't available. Users can store credentials for websites and network resources that require a different set of credentials. The management system secures the credentials with encryption to prevent unauthorized access.

creeping privilege(s)

The accumulation of user account privileges over time as job roles and assigned tasks change.

criminal law

Body of laws that the police and other law enforcement agencies enforce. Criminal law contains prohibitions against acts such as murder, assault, robbery, arson, theft, and similar offenses.

critical path analysis

A systematic effort to identify relationships between mission-critical applications, processes, and operations and all of the necessary supporting elements.

criticality prioritization

The prioritization of mission-critical assets and processes during the creation of BCP/DRP.

cross-site request forgery (CSRF)

A web attack that leverages a trusted user to perform commands via the user's browser against a vulnerable server. Also known as XSRF.

cross-site scripting (XSS)

A form of web application attack when a site contains some type of reflected input. Often exploited using script injection.

crossover error rate (CER)

The point at which the false acceptance rate (FAR) equals the false rejection rate (FRR). This is the point from which performance is measured in order to compare the capabilities of different biometric devices.

cryptanalysis

The study of methods to defeat codes and ciphers.

cryptographic key

Cryptographic keys provide the "secret" portion of a cryptographic algorithm used to encrypt and decrypt data.

cryptography

Algorithms applied to data that are designed to ensure confidentiality, integrity, authentication, and/or nonrepudiation.

cryptology

The combination of cryptography and cryptanalysis.

cryptosystem

System in which a shared secret key or pairs of public and private keys are used by communicating parties to facilitate secure communication.

cryptovariable

Another name for the key used to perform encryption and decryption activities.

CSRF

See cross-site request forgery (CSRF).

CSU/DSU

See channel service unit/data service unit.

custodian

A person who has been assigned or delegated the day-to-day responsibilities of classifying and labeling objects and properly storing and protecting objects. The custodian is typically the IT staff or the system security administrator.

cyber-physical

A term used to refer to devices that offer a computational means to control something in the physical world. In the past these might have been referred to as embedded systems, but the category of cyber-physical seems to focus more on the physical world results rather than the computational aspects. See Internet of Things (IoT).

Similar to a hash total, a value that indicates whether a message has been altered or damaged in transit.

cyclic redundancy check (CRC)