Glossary · Nouns · N
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TermTypeDefinitionClassificationsUpdated
Nodal RhythmnounMWEthe normal cardiac rhythm when the heart is controlled by the atrioventricular nodeverified
Nodding GroundselnounMWEplant with erect leafy stems bearing clusters of rayless yellow flower heads on bent individual stalksverified
Nodding ThistlenounMWEEurasian perennial naturalized in eastern North America having very spiny white cottony foliage and nodding musky crimson flower headsverified
Nodding Wild OnionnounMWEwidely distributed North American wild onion with white to rose flowersverified
Nodenoun(botany) the small swelling that is the part of a plant stem from which one or more leaves emergeverified
Nodulenoun(mineralogy) a small rounded lump of mineral substance (usually harder than the surrounding rock or sediment)verified
Nognouna wooden block built into a masonry wall so that joinery structure can be nailed to itverified
Noisemakernouna device such as a clapper, bell, or horn used to make a loud noise at a celebrationverified
Nol ProsnounMWEan entry in the court record to the effect that the plaintiff or prosecutor will not proceedverified
Nolle ProsequinounMWEan entry in the court record to the effect that the plaintiff or prosecutor will not proceedverified
Nolo ContenderenounMWE(law) an answer of `no contest' by a defendant who does not admit guilt but that subjects him to convictionverified
Nom De GuerrenounMWEa fictitious name used when the person performs a particular social roleverified
Nomadnouna member of a people who have no permanent home but move about according to the seasonsverified
Nominal AphasianounMWEinability to name objects or to recognize written or spoken names of objectsverified
Nominal DamagesnounMWE(law) a trivial sum (usually $1.00) awarded as recognition that a legal injury was sustained (as for technical violations of a contract)verified
Nominalismnoun(philosophy) the doctrine that the various objects labeled by the same term have nothing in common but their nameverified
Nominating AddressnounMWEan address (usually at a political convention) proposing the name of a candidate to run for electionverified
Nominating SpeechnounMWEan address (usually at a political convention) proposing the name of a candidate to run for electionverified
Nominationnounan address, usually at a political convention, proposing the name of a candidate to run for electionverified
Non ProsnounMWEa judgment entered in favor of the defendant when the plaintiff has not continued his action (e.g., has not appeared in court)verified
Non VultnounMWEin law, an answer of 'no contest' by a defendant who does not admit guilt but that subjects them to convictionverified
Non-Christian PriestnounMWEa person who performs religious duties and ceremonies in a non-Christian religionverified
non-compliance informationnounMWEInformation regarding a failure to act in accordance with applicable standards and regulations.FindingRegulatedCUI
Non-Dedicated File ServernounMWE(computer science) a file server that can be used simultaneously as a workstationverified
Non-deterministic Random Bit GeneratornounMWEAn RBG that (when working properly) produces outputs that have full entropy. Contrast with a DRBG. Other names for non-deterministic RBGs are True Random Number (or Bit) Generators and, simply, Random Number (or Bit) Generators.Capability
Non-Insulin-Dependent DiabetesnounMWEmild form of diabetes mellitus that develops gradually in adultsverified
Non-Insulin-Dependent Diabetes MellitusnounMWEmild form of diabetes mellitus that develops gradually in adultsverified
Non-Ionic DetergentnounMWEa class of synthetic detergents in which the molecules do not ionize in aqueous solutionsverified
Non-Local MaintenancenounMWEMaintenance activities conducted by individuals communicating through an external network (e.g., the internet) or an internal network.ProcessRegulated
Non-Organizational UsernounMWEA user who is not an organizational user (including public users).Identity
Non-Printable CharacternounMWEA character that doesn't have a corresponding character letter to its corresponding ASCII code. Examples would be the Linefeed, which is ASCII character code 10 decimal, the Carriage Return, which is 13 decimal, or the bell sound, which is decimal 7. On a PC, you can often add non-printable characters by holding down the Alt key, and typing in the decimal value (i.e., Alt-007 gets you a bell). There are other character encoding schemes, but ASCII is the most prevalent.Data
non-privileged accessnounMWEA category of system access in which the account, role, or session carries only standard user permissions and is explicitly excluded from administrative, security-function, or other elevated capabilities reserved for privileged users. It is distinguished from privileged access by the absence of authorizations to execute security-relevant operations such as modifying system configurations, managing accounts, or administering cryptographic functions. In practice, frameworks use it both as a classification of access type and as an operational requirement — mandating that even users who hold privileged accounts switch to non-privileged accounts or roles whenever they perform ordinary, non-security functions, thereby limiting the attack surface exposed during routine work.verified
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.IdentityRegulated
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.System
non-programmable communication componentnounMWEAn element of a communication system that is not programmable.PhysicalRegulated
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.DataConfidentialPII
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.DataRegulatedPII
non-repudiationnounIs the security service by which the entities involved in a communication cannot deny having participated. Specifically, the sending entity cannot deny having sent a message (non-repudiation with proof of origin), and the receiving entity cannot deny having received a message (non-repudiation with proof of delivery).Control
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.Regulated
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.Data
non-shared user accountnounMWEA user account that is only used by one person or entity.IdentityRegulated
Non-Standard SpeechnounMWEspeech that differs from the usual accepted, easily recognizable speech of native adult members of a speech communityverified
Nonachievernouna student who does not perform as well as expected or as well as the IQ indicatesverified
Nonalinementnounpeople (or countries) who are not aligned with other people (or countries) in a pact or treatyverified