Glossary · Nouns · A
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TermTypeDefinitionClassificationsUpdated
Acceleratornoun(chemistry) a substance that initiates or accelerates a chemical reaction without itself being affectedverified
Accent MarknounMWEa diacritical mark used to indicate stress or placed above a vowel to indicate a special pronunciationverified
Acceptable interruption windownounMWEThe maximum period of time that a system can be unavailable before compromising the achievement of the enterprise's business objectivesRequirementInternal
Acceptable use policynounMWEA document that establishes an agreement between users and the enterprise and defines for all parties the ranges of use that are approved before users can gain access to a network or the Internet.RequirementInternal
Acceptance CriterianounMWEPre-established standards or requirements a product or project must meet.Requirement
Acceptance SamplingnounMWEa statistical procedure for accepting or rejecting a batch of merchandise or documentsverified
Acceptornounthe person (or institution) who accepts a check or draft and becomes responsible for paying the party named in the draft when it maturesverified
Acceptor RnanounMWERNA molecules present in the cell (in at least 20 varieties, each variety capable of combining with a specific amino acid) that attach the correct amino acid to the protein chain that is being synthesized at the ribosome of the cell (according to directions coded in the mRNA)verified
accessnounThe ability to physically or logically enter or make use of an IT system or area (secured or unsecured). The process of interacting with a system.Capability
access attemptnounMWEA process of interaction with a communications system by one or more users to enable initiation of user information transfer. The process begins with the granting of an access request by an access originator, and ends in either successful access or access failure.EventRegulated
Access authorizationnounMWEThe set of permissions and privileges formally assigned to an account or identity that determine what resources, functions, or data that account may access and what operations it may perform. Derived from an administrative decision — made by a system owner, security officer, or policy — it is distinct from both the authentication event that precedes access and the enforcement mechanism that implements it. Across NIST SP 800-53, NIST SP 800-171, and the NIST Cybersecurity Framework, the term is used interchangeably with *privileges* and treated as a managed attribute of an account: organizations must specify, review, and enforce these authorizations per least-privilege and separation-of-duties requirements.ControlRegulated
access codenounMWENumeric or alphanumeric data which, when entered correctly, authorizes entry into a secure area.Credential
access controlnounMWEA system or measures that limit the retrieving, obtaining, or examining of information, or information processing resources, to persons or applications authorized by the system or data classification.Control
access control functionnounMWEA capability or software mechanism, within a system or application, whose specific role is to evaluate a subject's credentials or authorizations and enforce a policy decision — granting or denying the requested access to a resource, service, or operation. It is the operative unit that translates an access-control policy into a runtime enforcement action, distinct from the broader policy, model, or administrative process that surrounds it. In standards and legal instruments — including ITU-T security definitions and computer-crime law — the term names this enforcement function as a discrete, identifiable component: the part of a system that checks an identity code and removes or maintains restrictions on a protected use.Control
Access control listnounMWEAn internal computerized table of access rules regarding the levels of computer access permitted to logon IDs and computer terminals Scope Note: Also referred to as access control tablesControl
access control mechanismnounMWESecurity measures designed to detect and deny unauthorized access and permit authorized access to an information system or a physical facility.Control
access control policynounMWEA governing statement or set of rules — situated at the policy layer of a security architecture, above implementation mechanisms — that defines which subjects (users, processes, or roles) are permitted to perform which operations on which objects (files, devices, records, domains, or other resources), and under what conditions. Organizations implementing access control systems distinguish three abstractions — policies, models, and mechanisms — with access control policies being the high-level requirements that specify how access is managed and who may access information under what circumstances. Policies may pertain to resource usage within or across organizational units, or may be based on need-to-know, competence, authority, obligation, or conflict-of-interest factors. In practice the term names a recognized category of security artifact that can be instantiated in several named paradigms: identity-based, role-based, and attribute-based policies are all enumerated types, each paired with a corresponding enforcement mechanism such as access control lists, matrices, or cryptography.Control
Access Control programnounMWEA documented listing of procedures, schedules, roles and responsibilities, and plans or instructions to be performed to implement access control.ControlRegulatedPCI
Access Control ServicenounMWEA security service that provides protection of system resources against unauthorized access. The two basic mechanisms for implementing this service are ACLs and tickets.Control
access enforcement mechanismnounMWEA control implementation — realized as hardware, software (e.g., access control lists, access control matrices), firmware, cryptography, or combinations thereof — that carries out an organization's access control policy by permitting or denying subjects (users or processes) the ability to interact with objects (files, records, devices, domains, programs). It is distinguished from the policy itself by being the operative, runtime layer that actually applies decisions; the policy declares what is authorized, while the mechanism enforces it. In practice, the field uses the term to denote the full range of such implementations deployed at multiple tiers — system, network boundary, application, and service levels — with the understanding that mechanisms at deeper tiers (e.g., application-level) supplement rather than replace system-level enforcement.Control
Access ListnounMWERoster of individuals authorized admittance to a controlled area.ArtifactRestrictedPII
access lognounMWEA log that lists who has been permitted to physically or logically gain access.ArtifactRegulatedCUI
Access Management AccessnounMWEManagement is the maintenance of access information which consists of four tasks: account administration, maintenance, monitoring, and revocation.ProcessRegulated
Access MatrixnounMWEAn Access Matrix uses rows to represent subjects and columns to represent objects with privileges listed in each cell.ArtifactConfidential
Access pathnounMWEThe logical route that an end user takes to access computerized information Scope Note: Typically includes a route through the operating system, telecommunications software, selected application software and the access control systemNetwork
Access PointnounMWEA device that logically connects wireless client devices operating in infrastructure to one another and provides access to a distribution system, if connected, which is typically an organization’s enterprise wired network.Network
access privilegenounMWEA specific permission, right or authorization granted to a system account that determines which system resources, functions and data the account may access or act upon. Access privileges are specified per account or per account type, alongside the account's authorized users and its group and role membership, and are expected to reflect the requirements stated elsewhere in a system's security plan. Under the principle of least privilege they are restricted to the minimum necessary for an account's assigned tasks, and they are reviewed and revoked as part of account management. The phrase is a term of art in access control rather than the loose sum of "access" and "privilege": it names the enumerable unit of authorization that account management specifies.ControlRegulated
Access ProfilenounMWEAssociation of a user with a list of protected objects the user may access.Control
access revocation programnounMWEA documented listing of procedures, schedules, roles and responsibilities, and plans to be performed to revoke access privileges.ProcessRegulatedCDI
Access TimenounMWEin computer science, the interval between the time data is requested by the system and the time the data is provided by the driveverified
access to personal informationnounMWEThe ability to view personal information held by an organization. This ability may be complemented by an ability to update or correct the information. Access defines the intersection of identity and data, that is, who can do what to which data. Access is one of the fair information practice principles. Individuals need to be able to find out what personal information an entity has on file about them and how the information is being used. Individuals need to be able to correct erroneous information in such records.CapabilityRegulatedPII
Access TypenounMWEPrivilege to perform action on an object. Read, write, execute, append, modify, delete, and create are examples of access types. See Write.Requirement
Accessory After the FactnounMWEa person who gives assistance or comfort to someone known to be a felon or known to be sought in connection with the commission of a felonyverified
Accessory Before the FactnounMWEa person who procures or advises or commands the commission of a felony but who is not present at its perpetrationverified
Accessory Cephalic VeinnounMWEa vein that passes along the radial edge of the forearm and joins the cephalic vein near the elbowverified
Accessory During the FactnounMWEa person who witnesses a crime but does not try to prevent itverified
Accessory Hemiazygos VeinnounMWEa vein formed by the union of the 4th to 7th posterior intercostal veinsverified
Accessory NervenounMWEarises from two sets of roots (cranial and spinal) that unite to form the nerveverified
Accessory Vertebral VeinnounMWEa vein that accompanies the vertebral vein but passes through the foramen of the transverse process of the 7th cervical vertebra and empties into the brachiocephalic veinverified
Accident of BirthnounMWEfact, situation, or personal characteristic, which may be desirable or undesirable, resulting from the circumstances into which a person was bornverified
Accident SurgerynounMWEthe branch of medicine that deals with the surgical repair of injuries and wounds arising from accidentsverified
Accident Waiting to HappennounMWEthing or situation which is almost certain to eventually lead to an accidentverified
Acclimatisationnounadaptation to a new climate (a new temperature or altitude or environment)verified
Acclimatizationnounadaptation to a new climate (a new temperature or altitude or environment)verified
Accommodating IolnounMWEa lens implant containing a hinge that allows for both near and far vision (thus mimicking the natural lens of a young person)verified
Accommodating Lens ImplantnounMWEa lens implant containing a hinge that allows for both near and far vision (thus mimicking the natural lens of a young person)verified
Accommodationnounin the theories of Jean Piaget: the modification of internal representations in order to accommodate a changing knowledge of realityverified
Accommodation EndorsernounMWEan entity who endorses a promissory note without compensation or insurance from the borrowerverified
Accommodation LaddernounMWE(nautical) a portable ladder hung over the side of a vessel to give access to small boats alongsideverified
Accommodation ReflexnounMWEreflex changes in the eyes that enable an object to be focused on the retinaverified
Accompanimentnouna musical part (vocal or instrumental) that supports or provides background for other musical partsverified
Accomplicenouna person who joins with another in carrying out some plan, usually an unethical or illegal planverified
Accord and SatisfactionnounMWEthe settlement of a debt by paying less than the amount demanded in exchange for extinguishing the debtverified
Accordion DoornounMWEan interior door that opens by folding back in sections (rather than by swinging on hinges)verified
Account Balancing Monitoring System (ABMS)nounMWEThe Federal Reserve's computing system providing reserve account information to the Federal Reserve Banks and depository institutions on an intraday basis. ABMS serves both as an informational source and a monitoring tool. This information includes opening balances, funds and securities transfers, accounting activity, and depository institutions cap and collateral limits.SystemRegulatedCUI
Account ExecutivenounMWEsomeone in charge of a client's account for an advertising agency or brokerage or other service businessverified
Account HarvestingnounMWEAccount Harvesting is the process of collecting all the legitimate account names on a system.Threat