Glossary · MWE Terms · M
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TermTypeDefinitionClassificationsUpdated
Maleic AcidnounMWEa colorless crystalline compound found in unripe fruit (such as apples or tomatoes or cherries) and used mainly to make polyester resinsverified
malevolent activitynounMWEThis is a compositional prepositional phrase, not a term of art with a specialized or stipulated meaning. It functions as the condition-modifier in a risk statement: it describes the circumstance in which harmful, intentional acts by insiders — fraud, sabotage, unauthorized disclosure — can be carried out by a single individual acting alone, without needing to coordinate with or depend on another person. Separation of duties addresses the potential for abuse of authorized privileges and helps to reduce the risk of malevolent activity without collusion — meaning that when duties are properly divided, no one person retains enough unilateral access or authority to complete a harmful act on their own. The phrase is used across access-control and insider-threat literature as shorthand for the residual single-actor threat that separation of duties is designed to neutralize, and its meaning is entirely derivable from its component words in ordinary English.verified
malicious actnounMWEAn intentional, wrongful act performed against another without legal justification or excuse.verified
malicious activitynounMWEActivity with a harmful intent, such as fraud, theft, blackmail, vandalism, looting, sabotage, etc.verified
malicious appletnounMWEA small application program that is automatically downloaded and executed and that performs an unauthorized function on an information system.verified
malicious codenounMWESoftware or firmware intended to perform an unauthorized process that will have an adverse impact on the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of a system. A virus, worm, Trojan horse, or other code-based entity that infects a host. Spyware and some forms of adware are also examples of malicious code.verified
Malicious Code PreventionnounMWEThis purpose of policy is to prevent malicious code attacks from happening, and if they should happen, to quarantine the infected systems and eradicate the malicious code before it spreads further.verified
malicious code protection mechanismnounMWEA category of security control — specifically, any technical tool, method, or combination thereof deployed at system entry/exit points and endpoints to detect, block, quarantine, or eradicate software or code intended to compromise a system. Such mechanisms include both signature- and nonsignature-based technologies; nonsignature-based detection includes artificial intelligence and heuristic techniques used to analyze the characteristics or behavior of malicious code, including cases where signatures do not yet exist or are ineffective. In compliance frameworks (NIST SP 800-53 SI-3, NIST SP 800-171, CMMC), the term functions as a collective label for the full suite of countermeasures an organization must deploy, configure, and keep current — employed at information system entry and exit points to detect and eradicate malicious code, updated whenever new releases are available, and configured to perform both periodic and real-time scans.verified
malicious logicnounMWEHardware, firmware, or software that is intentionally included or inserted in a system for a harmful purpose.verified
Malignant HypertensionnounMWEsevere hypertension that runs a rapid course and damages the inner linings of the blood vessels and the heart and spleen and kidneys and brainverified
Malignant HyperthermianounMWEhereditary condition in which certain anesthetics (e.g., halothane) cause high body temperatures and muscle rigidityverified
Malignant MelanomanounMWEany of several malignant neoplasms (usually of the skin) consisting of melanocytesverified
Malignant NeoplasmnounMWEa tumor that is malignant and tends to spread to other parts of the bodyverified
Malignant Neoplastic DiseasenounMWEany malignant growth or tumor caused by abnormal and uncontrolled cell divisionverified
Malignant NeuromanounMWEa malignant neoplasm of nerve tissue and fibrous tissue and connective tissueverified
Malignant PustulenounMWEa form of anthrax infection that begins as papule that becomes a vesicle and breaks with a discharge of toxinsverified
Malignant TumornounMWEa tumor that is malignant and tends to spread to other parts of the bodyverified
Malpighian BodynounMWEthe capsule that contains Bowman's capsule and a glomerulus at the expanded end of a nephronverified
Malpighian CorpusclenounMWEthe capsule that contains Bowman's capsule and a glomerulus at the expanded end of a nephronverified
Malpractice InsurancenounMWEinsurance purchased by physicians and hospitals to cover the cost of being sued for malpracticeverified
Maltese CrossnounMWEEurasian garden perennial having scarlet flowers in dense terminal headsverified
Mamillary BodynounMWEone of two small round structures on the undersurface of the brain that form the terminals of the anterior arches of the fornixverified
Mammee ApplenounMWEglobular or ovoid tropical fruit with thick russet leathery rind and juicy yellow or reddish fleshverified
Mammillary BodynounMWEone of two small round structures on the undersurface of the brain that form the terminals of the anterior arches of the fornixverified
Man of AffairsnounMWEa person engaged in commercial or industrial business (especially an owner or executive)verified
Man of the ClothnounMWEa member of the clergy and a spiritual leader of the Christian Churchverified
Man-in-the-middle attacknounMWEA form of active wiretapping attack in which the attacker intercepts and selectively modifies communicated data to masquerade as one or more of the entities involved in a communication association.verified
Managed EconomynounMWEa non-market economy in which government intervention is important in allocating goods and resources and determining pricesverified
management authorizationnounMWEOfficial permission or approval given by the senior executives of an organization.verified
Management ClientnounMWEA configuration of a client node that enables a KMI external operational manager to manage KMI products and services by either 1) accessing a PRSN, or 2) exercising locally provided capabilities. An MGC consists of a client platform and an advanced key processor (AKP).verified
Management ConsultingnounMWEa service industry that provides advice to those in charge of running a businessverified
Management ControlsnounMWEActions taken to manage the development, maintenance, and use of the system, including system-specific policies, procedures and rules of behavior, individual roles and responsibilities, individual accountability, and personnel security decisions.verified
Management information systems (MIS)nounMWEA general term for the computer systems in an enterprise that provide information about its business operations.verified
Management Security ControlsnounMWEThe security controls (i.e., safeguards or countermeasures) for an information system that focus on the management of risk and the management of information systems security.verified
management structurenounMWEThe hierarchical arrangement and relations of managerial roles, power, and responsibilities, how they are delegated, controlled, and coordinated, and how information flows between levels of management.verified
Managing EditornounMWEthe editor in charge of all editorial activities of a newspaper or magazineverified
Mandarin OrangenounMWEshrub or small tree having flattened globose fruit with very sweet aromatic pulp and thin yellow-orange to flame-orange rind that is loose and easily removedverified
Mandarin Orange TreenounMWEshrub or small tree having flattened globose fruit with very sweet aromatic pulp and thin yellow-orange to flame-orange rind that is loose and easily removedverified
Mandatory access controlnounMWEA means of restricting access to objects based on the sensitivity (as represented by a security label) of the information contained in the objects and the formal authorization (i.e., clearance, formal access approvals, and need-to-know) of subjects to access information of such sensitivity.verified
Mandatory ModificationnounMWEChange to a COMSEC end-item that NSA requires to be completed and reported by a specified date. See Optional Modification.verified
Mandibular CondylenounMWEthe condyle of the ramus of the mandible that articulates with the skullverified
Mandibular FossanounMWEa deep concavity in the temporal bone at the root of the zygomatic arch that receives the condyle of the mandibleverified
Mandibular GlandnounMWEa salivary gland inside the lower jaw on either side that produces most of the nocturnal salivaverified
Mandibular JointnounMWEthe joint between the head of the lower jawbone and the temporal boneverified