Glossary · MWE Terms · N
L1 — paginated flat list. Pick a POS, pick a letter.
TermTypeDefinitionClassificationsUpdated
non-privileged accountnounMWEA managed access credential (user account or role) whose authorization scope is restricted to ordinary, non-administrative tasks — that is, it carries only the permissions required for routine work and is explicitly excluded from security functions such as administering accounts, modifying audit configurations, managing cryptographic keys, or changing access authorizations. Standards such as NIST SP 800-53 AC-6(2) require users who also hold privileged accounts to switch to non-privileged accounts when performing nonsecurity functions, because operating continuously from a privileged account needlessly expands the attack surface. The concept extends to roles under role-based access control, where a change of role can provide the same boundary as a change between a privileged and non-privileged account. In practice, controls across NIST SP 800-53, SP 800-171, and CMMC all use the term as the complement of "privileged account" to enforce least privilege: users must use non-privileged accounts or roles when accessing nonsecurity functions, and are prevented from executing privileged functions from those accounts.verified
non-privileged usernounMWEA category of system account or role whose authorization scope is bounded to ordinary, task-specific functions and explicitly excludes security-relevant or administrative operations such as establishing accounts, configuring access controls, performing system integrity checks, or circumventing protective mechanisms. As defined in NIST SP 800-171, non-privileged users are individuals that do not possess appropriate authorizations — that is, they lack the elevated trust granted to privileged users. A privileged user, by contrast, is one "authorized (and therefore, trusted) to perform security-relevant functions that ordinary users are not authorized to perform" (NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5 / CNSSI 4009-2022), so a non-privileged user occupies the complementary set. In practice, the field uses the expression to enforce the principle of least privilege: non-privileged user accounts must be used by default and elevated to root or administrator only when necessary, so that routine and daily activities are performed under non-privileged accounts, with Administrator/Root reserved for specific administrative actions. Controls such as NIST SP 800-53 AC-6 and NIST SP 800-171 3.1.7 operationalize thverified
non-production environmentnounMWEA test environment that simulates the setup in which the system will be deployed.verified
non-programmable communication componentnounMWEAn element of a communication system that is not programmable.verified
non-public informationnounMWEAny personally identifiable or company proprietary information that is not publicly available. Non-Public Information includes but is not limited to: certain company proprietary information, such as internal policies and memorandums; and personal information such as an individual’s name, address or telephone number. It also includes information requiring higher levels of protection according to the company’s security policy, such as company proprietary trade secrets or personal information that bundles an individual’s name, address or telephone number with a Social Security number, driver’s license number, account number, credit or debit card number, personal identification number, health information, religious opinions or a user ID or password.verified
Non-public personal informationnounMWEFor purposes of the Information Security Standards, non-public personal information means (i) “personally identifiable financial information”; and (ii) any list, description, or other grouping of consumers (and publicly available information pertaining to them) that is derived using any “personally identifiable financial information” that is not publicly available.verified
non-security functionnounMWEA category of system capability or task — specifically, any operation, feature, or process whose purpose is ordinary business, user-productivity, or operational activity rather than the administration, enforcement, or configuration of security controls. In NIST SP 800-171 and related least-privilege frameworks, it serves as the contrast class to "security functions" (privileged operations such as modifying access policies, managing accounts, or configuring audit mechanisms), and the distinction drives the rule that elevated privileges must not be active during routine work. Practitioners use it to draw the boundary at which a privileged account or role must step down to a non-privileged one, limiting the blast radius of credential compromise or user error during everyday tasks.verified
non-security informationnounMWEThe phrase is the straightforward logical complement of the defined term "security information" — defined by NIST SP 800-37 Rev. 2 as information within a system that can potentially impact the operation of security functions or the provision of security services. "Non-security information" therefore denotes any information residing in or processed by a system that does **not** meet that threshold — content whose compromise, modification, or disclosure would not affect security enforcement mechanisms, security policy, or the isolation of security-relevant code and data. In context it serves as a residual or exclusionary category, used to draw a boundary around the scope of a security control or analysis by naming what falls outside it, rather than labeling a substantive class of data in its own right.verified
Non-Standard SpeechnounMWEspeech that differs from the usual accepted, easily recognizable speech of native adult members of a speech communityverified
Nonbiodegradable PollutionnounMWEpollution that accumulates in the environment and may appear in the food chainverified
Noncallable BondnounMWEa bond containing a provision that the holder cannot redeem the security before a specific date (usually at maturity)verified
Noncoding DnanounMWEsequence of a eukaryotic gene's DNA that is not translated into a proteinverified
Nondepository Financial InstitutionnounMWEa financial institution that funds their investment activities from the sale of securities or insuranceverified
Nondirectional AntennanounMWEan antenna that sends or receives signals equally in all directionsverified
Nondiscretionary TrustnounMWEan investment trust that can buy only those securities listed when the trust was organizedverified
Nonesuch ClovernounMWEprostrate European herb with small yellow flowers and curved black podsverified
nonfederal organizationnounMWEAn entity that owns, operates, or maintains a nonfederal system.verified
Nonfluent AphasianounMWEaphasia in which expression by speech or writing is severely impairedverified
nonfunctional requirementsnounMWESystem attributes such as security, reliability, performance, maintainability, scalability, and usability that define how well a system will operate.verified
Nongonococcal UrethritisnounMWEsexually transmitted urethritis (usually caused by chlamydia)verified
Nongovernmental OrganizationnounMWEan organization that is not part of the local or state or federal governmentverified
Nonintrusive monitoringnounMWEThe use of transported probes or traces to assemble information, track traffic and identify vulnerabilitiesverified
Nonlinear CorrelationnounMWEany correlation in which the rates of change of the variables is not constantverified
Nonlinear DistortionnounMWEdistortion that occurs when the output signal does not have a linear relation to the input signalverified
Nonlinear SystemnounMWEa system whose performance cannot be described by equations of the first degreeverified
Nonparametric StatisticsnounMWEthe branch of statistics dealing with variables without making assumptions about the form or the parameters of their distributionverified
Nonparticulate RadiationnounMWEradiation consisting of waves of energy associated with electric and magnetic fields resulting from the acceleration of an electric chargeverified
Nonprofit OrganizationnounMWEan organization chartered for other than profit-making activitiesverified
Nonrapid Eye MovementnounMWEa recurring sleep state during which rapid eye movements do not occur and dreaming does not occurverified
Nonrapid Eye Movement SleepnounMWEa recurring sleep state during which rapid eye movements do not occur and dreaming does not occurverified
Nonrestrictive ClausenounMWEa subordinate clause that does not limit or restrict the meaning of the noun phrase it modifiesverified
Nonsocial InfectionnounMWEan infection that is acquired at a hospital or other healthcare facilityverified
Nonsolid ColornounMWEa color produced by a pattern of differently colored dots that together simulate the desired colorverified
Nonsolid ColournounMWEa color produced by a pattern of differently colored dots that together simulate the desired colorverified
Nonsteroidal Anti-InflammatorynounMWEan anti-inflammatory drug that does not contain steroidsverified
Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory DrugnounMWEan anti-inflammatory drug that does not contain steroidsverified
Nonstop FlightnounMWEa flight made without intermediate stops between source and destinationverified
Nontextual MatternounMWEphotographs or other visual representations in a printed publicationverified
Nonthrombocytopenic PurpuranounMWEpurpura resulting from a defect in the capillaries caused by bacteria or drugsverified
Nontricyclic AntidepressantnounMWEa class of antidepressant drugs that are not tricyclic drugs and do not act by inhibiting MAOverified
Nontricyclic Antidepressant DrugnounMWEa class of antidepressant drugs that are not tricyclic drugs and do not act by inhibiting MAOverified
Nontricyclic DrugnounMWEa class of antidepressant drugs that are not tricyclic drugs and do not act by inhibiting MAOverified
Nonvascular OrganismnounMWEorganisms without vascular tissue: e.g. algae, lichens, fungi, mossesverified
Nonverbal IntelligencenounMWEintelligence that is manifested in the performance of tasks requiring little or no use of languageverified
Nonviolent ResistancenounMWEpeaceful resistance to a government by fasting or refusing to cooperateverified
Norethindrone AcetatenounMWEa synthetic progestational hormone (trade name Norlutin) used in oral contraceptives and to treat endometriosisverified
Normal DwarfnounMWEan achondroplastic dwarf whose small size is the result of a genetic defectverified
Normal FaultnounMWEan inclined fault in which the hanging wall appears to have slipped downward relative to the footwallverified
Normal FlownounMWEThe intended flow of a process originating from a start event, continuing through all defined activities, and concluding successfully to its defined end event.verified
North AmericanadjectiveMWEof or pertaining to or characteristic of the continent or countries of North America or their peoplescandidate
North KoreanadjectiveMWEof or relating to or characteristic of North Korea or its people or their culturecandidate
North-Seeking PolenounMWEthe pole of a magnet that points toward the north when the magnet is suspended freelyverified
Northern Casque-Headed FrognounMWEterrestrial burrowing nocturnal frog of grassy terrain and scrub forests having very hard upper surface of headverified
Northern Dune TansynounMWElightly hairy rhizomatous perennial having aromatic feathery leaves and stems bearing open clusters of small buttonlike yellow flowersverified