Information Security Glossary

Access control determines who can view or use information resources (e.g., data, applications, systems, and networks), and in what circumstances.

In IT, the account owner most likely refers to the individual, organization, or entity with permission to implement changes within the account.

The Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) is an algorithm that uses a specific encryption procedure to protect…

Anonymous data cannot be traced back to the person or entity that supplied it.

Applications are software designed to perform specific assigned tasks.

Research conducted to gain the knowledge or understanding to meet a specific, recognized need.

A family of security controls that enable an organization to periodically assess the security controls effectiveness

Authentication is a way of establishing that the user is who they claim to be before granting access to university systems and data.

Washington University in St. Louis uses a two-factor (or two-step) authentication service provided by Duo…

Possessing official permission or being granted/denied approval by an authoritative source (e.g., owner, steward, automated mechanism) to perform an action or set of activities.

Availability means data are accessible when you need them.

A documented set of specifications for an information system

Research undertaken primarily to acquire new knowledge without any particular application or use in mind.

Biometrics are unique features of individuals, for example, fingerprints, that can identify a
specific person.

A digital certificate is a digitally signed document with a unique signature, which definitively establishes the identity of an online entity to ensure the legitimacy of a software or website.

The Department of Homeland Security has issued Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards for any facility that manufactures, uses, stores, or distributes certain chemicals above a specified quantity.

Cloud computing uses the internet to deliver computing services such as storage in servers, the provision of software, and conducting analytics.

Compliance in cyber security means meeting certain standards and obeying by regulations…

Confidential information is not subject to legal regulation, but it is not freely available to create, store, and transmit.

Confidentiality refers to protecting information from unauthorized access.

Containerization is the idea of containing code and all the necessary frameworks for a program/software into one unit…

a strategy involving plans, procedures, and technical measures that enable the recovery of information systems

A control zone is a categorical designation applied to infrastructure . . .

Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) is a category of unclassified data that federal agencies create or possess…

Critical Information Resources include the information technology hardware, software, networks, and services for which the loss, unavailability, or corruption would have a severe impact on the university.

Cryptography is the use of encryption, through ciphers, to protect sensitive or confidential data…

A cyber threat is any act or event that could be harmful to an individual, organization, or even a country through…

A cybersecurity framework is a set of best practices adopted by an organization to better understand, manage, and reduce cybersecurity risk.

A data breach happens when an unauthorized person or organization acquires,
accesses, or uses confidential information.

The organized categorization of data based on potential harm from unauthorized access, alteration, or destruction.

Data disposal is the process of removing, “sanitizing,” or deleting stored information.

Data that is being transferred between locations over a private network or the Internet

Data Loss Prevention (DLP) refers to strategies to ensure sensitive and Protected Data are not exposed, lost, used inappropriately, or accessed without authorization. . .

A data management plan (DMP) is a document that specifies the following….

The Deep Web refers to are parts of the internet, or the World Wide Web (www.) that don’t come up with a standard search engine search

Deidentified data has had all individual identifiers removed.

A cyber attack in which a malicious actor overwhelms a targeted machine with requests until normal traffic is unable to be processed

The systematic use of the knowledge or understanding gained from research directed toward the production of useful materials, devices, systems or methods . . .

A digital signature is a type of electronic signature built with mathematical algorithms.

Domain-specific repositories store data so that it may be accessed by researchers, institutions, and publishers for a specific domain.

Elevated permissions are privileges or rights that exceed the normal levels of access granted to an individual or group of users.

Encryption is the process of making information unreadable to all unauthorized users.

Encryption keys are used for encrypting or decrypting data.

The European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a privacy and security law that applies to any organization that collects or uses data from EU residents.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act protects student information and gives individual students certain rights pertaining to their education records.

Under the Federal Information Security Modernization Act (FISM) federal agencies and those providing services on their behalf must develop, document, and implement security programs for information technology systems.

A security system that monitors and controls incoming and outgoing network traffic

The regulations in FDA 21 CFR Part 11 set necessary criteria for electronic records and signatures to be considered reliable, trustworthy, and equivalent to paper versions.

The Gramm-Leach Bliley Act requires financial institutions (i.e., organizations offering consumers financial products, advice, or insurance) to protect their customer’s personal information.