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Glossary · Nouns · A

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TermTypeDefinitionClassificationsUpdated
Attachmentnounthe act of fastening things togetherverifiedMay 15, 2026
attacknounAny kind of malicious activity that attempts to collect, disrupt, deny, degrade, or destroy information system resources or the information itself.ThreatMay 9, 2026
Attack AircraftnounMWEa high-speed military or naval airplane designed to destroy enemy aircraft in the airverifiedMay 18, 2026
Attack Aircraft CarriernounMWEa large warship that carries planes and has a long flat deck for takeoffs and landingsverifiedMay 18, 2026
Attack DognounMWEa watchdog trained to attack on commandverifiedMay 18, 2026
Attack mechanismnounMWEA method used to deliver the exploit. Unless the attacker is personally performing the attack, an attack mechanism may involve a payload, or container, that delivers the exploit to the target.ThreatMay 9, 2026
attack methodnounMWEThe manner or technique and means an adversary may use in an assault on information or an information system.ThreatMay 9, 2026
attack pathnounMWEThe steps that an adversary takes or may take to plan, prepare for, and execute an attack.ThreatAug 30, 2026
attack patternnounMWESimilar cyber events or behaviors that may indicate an attack has occurred or is occurring, resulting in a security violation or a potential security violation.ThreatAug 30, 2026
Attack Sensing and WarningnounMWEDetection, correlation, identification, and characterization of intentional unauthorized activity with notification to decision makers so that an appropriate response can be developed.CapabilityMay 9, 2026
attack signaturenounMWEA characteristic byte pattern used in malicious code or an indicator, or set of indicators, that allows the identification of malicious network activities.ArtifactInternalAug 30, 2026
Attack SubmarinenounMWEa military submarine designed and armed to attack enemy shippingverifiedMay 18, 2026
attack surfacenounMWEThe set of points on the boundary of a system, a system element, or an environment where an attacker can try to enter, cause an effect on, or extract data from that system, system element, or environment. [19]VulnerabilityMay 9, 2026
Attack vectornounMWEA path or route used by the adversary to gain access to the target (asset) Scope Note: There are two types of attack vectors: ingress and egress (also known as data exfiltration)ThreatAug 30, 2026
attackernounAn individual, group, organization, or government that executes an attack.ThreatMay 9, 2026
Attainabilitynounthe state of being achievableverifiedMay 18, 2026
Attainablenessnounthe state of being achievableverifiedMay 18, 2026
Attaindernouncancellation of civil rightsverifiedMay 18, 2026
Attainmentnounan ability that has been acquired by trainingverifiedMay 18, 2026
Attarnounessential oil or perfume obtained from flowersverifiedMay 18, 2026
Attar of RosesnounMWEa volatile fragrant oil obtained from fresh roses by steam distillationverifiedMay 18, 2026
Attempternounone who triesverifiedMay 18, 2026
attendancenounThe frequency with which a person is present.MetricMay 12, 2026
Attendance ChecknounMWEa call of students' names in a classroomverifiedMay 18, 2026
Attendeenouna person who is present and participates in a meetingverifiedMay 18, 2026
Attendernounsomeone who waits on or tends to or attends to the needs of anotherverifiedMay 18, 2026
Attendingnounthe process whereby a person concentrates on some features of the environment to the (relative) exclusion of othersverifiedMay 18, 2026
Attentionnounthe process whereby a person concentrates on some features of the environment to the (relative) exclusion of othersverifiedMay 18, 2026
Attention Deficit DisordernounMWEa condition (mostly in boys) characterized by behavioral and learning disordersverifiedMay 18, 2026
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity DisordernounMWEa condition (mostly in boys) characterized by behavioral and learning disordersverifiedMay 18, 2026
Attention SpannounMWEthe length of time you can concentrate on some idea or activityverifiedMay 18, 2026
Attentivenessnounthe trait of being considerate and thoughtful of othersverifiedMay 18, 2026
AttenuationnounReduction of signal strength during transmissionControlMay 9, 2026
Attenuatornounan electrical device for attenuating the strength of an electrical signalverifiedMay 18, 2026
Attestantnoun(law) a person who attests to the genuineness of a document or signature by adding their own signatureverifiedMay 18, 2026
Attestationnounthe evidence by which something is attestedverifiedMay 18, 2026
Attestation ReportnounMWEa consulting service in which a CPA expresses a conclusion about the reliability of a written statement that is the responsibility of someone elseverifiedMay 18, 2026
Attestation ServicenounMWEa consulting service in which a CPA expresses a conclusion about the reliability of a written statement that is the responsibility of someone elseverifiedMay 18, 2026
Attestatornoun(law) a person who attests to the genuineness of a document or signature by adding their own signatureverifiedMay 18, 2026
Attesternounsomeone who affirms or vouches for the correctness or truth or genuineness of somethingverifiedMay 18, 2026
Attestornoun(law) a person who attests to the genuineness of a document or signature by adding their own signatureverifiedMay 18, 2026
Attic FannounMWEa fan that blows heated air out of the attic of a buildingverifiedMay 18, 2026
Attitudenouna complex mental state involving beliefs and feelings and values and dispositions to act in certain waysverifiedMay 18, 2026
Attorneynouna professional person authorized to practice lawverifiedMay 18, 2026
Attorney GeneralnounMWEthe chief law officer of a country or stateverifiedMay 18, 2026
Attorney-Client PrivilegenounMWEthe right of a lawyer to refuse to divulge confidential information from his clientverifiedMay 18, 2026
Attorney-Client RelationnounMWEthe responsibility of a lawyer to act in the best interests of the clientverifiedMay 18, 2026
Attorneyshipnounthe position of attorneyverifiedMay 18, 2026
Attosecondnounone quintillionth of a second, which can be written as 10^-18verifiedMay 18, 2026
Attracternoun(physics) a point in the ideal multidimensional phase space that is used to describe a system toward which the system tends to evolve regardless of the starting conditions of the systemverifiedMay 18, 2026
Attractionnouna characteristic that provides pleasure and attractsverifiedMay 18, 2026
Attractive FeaturenounMWEa characteristic that provides pleasure and attractsverifiedMay 18, 2026
Attractive ForcenounMWEthe force by which one object attracts anotherverifiedMay 18, 2026
Attractive NuisancenounMWEanything on your premises that might attract children into danger or harmverifiedMay 18, 2026
Attractivenessnounthe quality of arousing interestverifiedMay 18, 2026
Attractornoun(physics) a point in the ideal multidimensional phase space that is used to describe a system toward which the system tends to evolve regardless of the starting conditions of the systemverifiedMay 18, 2026
Attributenounproperty or characteristic of an object that can be distinguished quantitatively or qualitatively by human or automated meansDataMay 18, 2026
Attribute AuthoritynounMWEAn entity, recognized by the Federal Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) Policy Authority or comparable agency body as having the authority to verify the association of attributes to an identity.OrganizationRegulatedCUIMay 9, 2026
Attribute-Based Access ControlnounMWEAccess control based on attributes associated with and about subjects, objects, targets, initiators, resources, or the environment. An access control rule set defines the combination of attributes under which an access may take place.ControlMay 9, 2026
Attribute-Based AuthorizationnounMWEA structured process that determines when a user is authorized to access information, systems, or services based on attributes of the user and of the information, system, or service.ControlMay 9, 2026
Attributionnounassigning some quality or character to a person or thingverifiedMay 18, 2026
Attributive Genitive CasenounMWEa word in the genitive case that is used as an attributive adjectiveverifiedMay 18, 2026
Attritionnounthe wearing down of rock particles by friction due to water or wind or iceverifiedMay 18, 2026
Attrition RatenounMWEthe rate of shrinkage in size or numberverifiedMay 18, 2026
Atypical PneumonianounMWEan acute respiratory disease marked by high fever and coughingverifiedMay 18, 2026
Atypicalitynounany state that is not typicalverifiedMay 18, 2026
Aunouna unit of length used for distances within the solar systemverifiedMay 18, 2026
Au PairnounMWEa young foreigner who lives with a family in return for doing light houseworkverifiedMay 18, 2026
Au Pair GirlnounMWEa foreign girl serving as an au pairverifiedMay 18, 2026
Au RevoirnounMWEa farewell remarkverifiedMay 18, 2026
Aubergenouna hotel providing overnight lodging for travelersverifiedMay 18, 2026
Auberginenounhairy upright herb native to southeastern Asia but widely cultivated for its large glossy edible fruit commonly used as a vegetableverifiedMay 18, 2026
Auction BlocknounMWEa platform from which an auctioneer sellsverifiedMay 18, 2026
Auction BridgenounMWEa variety of bridge in which tricks made in excess of the contract are scored toward gameverifiedMay 18, 2026
Auction HousenounMWEa firm that conducts auctionsverifiedMay 18, 2026
Auction PitchnounMWEan all-fours game in which the first card led is a trumpverifiedMay 18, 2026
Auction SalenounMWEthe public sale of something to the highest bidderverifiedMay 15, 2026
Audaciousnessnounaggressive boldness or unmitigated effronteryverifiedMay 18, 2026
Audacitynounaggressive boldness or unmitigated effronteryverifiedMay 18, 2026
Audadnounwild sheep of northern AfricaverifiedMay 18, 2026
Audibilitynounquality or fact or degree of being audible or perceptible by the earverifiedMay 18, 2026
Audiblenessnounthe quality, fact, or degree of being audible or perceptible by the earverifiedMay 18, 2026
Audiencenounthe part of the general public interested in a source of information or entertainmentverifiedMay 18, 2026
Audionounthe audible part of a transmitted signalverifiedMay 18, 2026
Audio AmplifiernounMWEan amplifier that increases the amplitude of reproduced soundverifiedMay 18, 2026
Audio CDnounMWEcompact discs used to reproduce sound (voice and music)verifiedMay 18, 2026
Audio Compact DiscnounMWEcompact discs used to reproduce soundverifiedMay 18, 2026
Audio FrequencynounMWEan audible acoustic wave frequencyverifiedMay 18, 2026
Audio Lingual AcquisitionnounMWEsystem of language acquisition focusing intensively on listening and speakingverifiedMay 18, 2026
Audio RecordingnounMWEa recording of acoustic signalsverifiedMay 18, 2026
Audio SystemnounMWEa system of electronic equipment for recording or reproducing soundverifiedMay 18, 2026
Audiocassettenouna cassette for audiotapeverifiedMay 18, 2026
Audiogramnouna graphical representation of a person's auditory sensitivity to soundverifiedMay 18, 2026
Audiologynounthe measurement of hearingverifiedMay 18, 2026
Audiometernounan instrument used to measure the sensitivity of hearingverifiedMay 18, 2026
Audiometrynounmeasuring sensitivity of hearingverifiedMay 18, 2026
Audiotapenounmagnetic tape for use in recording soundverifiedMay 18, 2026
Audiovisual AidnounMWEmaterials using sight or sound to present informationverifiedMay 18, 2026
auditnounIndependent review and examination of records and activities to assess the adequacy of system controls, to ensure compliance with established policies and operational procedures, and to recommend necessary changes in controls, policies, or procedures.ProcessMay 12, 2026
audit activitynounMWEThose activities and procedures through which information is obtained to verify conformance to regulatory or organizational requirementsProcessRegulatedMay 9, 2026