Security Principles

Question 1

Security commensurate with the risk and the magnitude of harm resulting from the loss, misuse or unauthorized access to or modification of information. Source: OMB Circular A-130

Answer 1

Adequate Security

Question 2

Controls implemented through policy and procedures. Examples include access control processes and requiring multiple personnel to conduct a specific operation. Administrative controls in modern environments are often enforced in conjunction with physical and/or technical controls, such as an access-granting policy for new users that requires login and approval by the hiring manager.

Answer 2

Administrative Controls

Question 3

The ability of computers and robots to simulate human intelligence and behavior.

Answer 3

Artificial Intelligence

Question 4

Anything of value that is owned by an organization. Assets include both tangible items such as information systems and physical property and intangible assets such as intellectual property.

Answer 4

Asset

Question 5

Access control process validating that the identity being claimed by a user or entity is known to the system, by comparing one (single factor or SFA) or more (multi-factor authentication or MFA) factors of identification.

Answer 5

Authentication

Question 6

The right or a permission that is granted to a system entity to access a system resource. NIST 800-82 Rev.2

Answer 6

Authorization

Question 7

Ensuring timely and reliable access to and use of information by authorized users.

Answer 7

Availability

Question 8

A documented, lowest level of security configuration allowed by a standard or organization.

Answer 8

Baseline

Question 9

Malicious code that acts like a remotely controlled “robot” for an attacker, with other Trojan and worm capabilities.

Answer 9

Bot

Question 10

The characteristic of data or information when it is not made available or disclosed to unauthorized persons or processes. NIST 800-66

Answer 10

Confidentiality

Question 11

A measure of the degree to which an organization depends on the information or information system for the success of a mission or of a business function. NIST SP 800-60 Vol. 1, Rev. 1

Answer 11

Criticality

Question 12

The property that data has not been altered in an unauthorized manner. Data integrity covers data in storage, during processing and while in transit. Source: NIST SP 800-27 Rev A

Answer 12

Data Integrity

Question 13

The process and act of converting the message from its plaintext to ciphertext. Sometimes it is also referred to as enciphering. The two terms are sometimes used interchangeably in literature and have similar meanings.

Answer 13

Encryption

Question 14

In 2016, the European Union passed comprehensive legislation that addresses personal privacy, deeming it an individual human right.

Answer 14

General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

Question 15

The process of how an organization is managed; usually includes all aspects of how decisions are made for that organization, such as policies, roles, and procedures the organization uses to make those decisions.

Answer 15

Governance

Question 16

This U.S. federal law is the most important healthcare information regulation in the United States. It directs the adoption of national standards for electronic healthcare transactions while protecting the privacy of individual’s health information. Other provisions address fraud reduction, protections for individuals with health insurance and a wide range of other healthcare-related activities. Est. 1996.

Answer 16

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)

Question 17

The magnitude of harm that could be caused by a threat’s exercise of a vulnerability.

Answer 17

Impact

Question 18

The potential adverse impacts to an organization’s operations (including its mission, functions and image and reputation), assets, individuals, other organizations, and even the nation, which results from the possibility of unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification or destruction of information and/or information systems.

Answer 18

Information Security Risk

Question 19

Professional organization that sets standards for telecommunications, computer engineering and similar disciplines including Ethernet and Wi-Fi.

Answer 19

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

Question 20

The property of information whereby it is recorded, used and maintained in a way that ensures its completeness, accuracy, internal consistency and usefulness for a stated purpose.

Answer 20

Integrity

Question 21

The ISO develops voluntary international standards in collaboration with its partners in international standardization, the International Electro-technical Commission (IEC) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), particularly in the field of information and communication technologies.

Answer 21

International Organization of Standards (ISO)

Question 22

The internet standards organization, made up of network designers, operators, vendors and researchers, that defines protocol standards (e.g., IP, TCP, DNS) through a process of collaboration and consensus. Source: NIST SP 1800-16B

Answer 22

Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF)

Question 23

The probability that a potential vulnerability may be exercised within the construct of the associated threat environment.

Answer 23

Likelihood

Question 24

A weighted factor based on a subjective analysis of the probability that a given threat is capable of exploiting a given vulnerability or set of vulnerabilities.

Answer 24

Likelihood of Occurrence

Question 25

Using two or more distinct instances of the three factors of authentication (something you know, something you have, something you are) for identity verification.

Answer 25

Multi-Factor Authentication

Question 26

Institute part of the U.S. Department of Commerce and addresses the measurement infrastructure within science and technology efforts within the U.S. federal government. NIST sets standards in a number of areas, including information security within the Computer Security Resource Center of the Computer Security Divisions.

Answer 26

National Institutes of Standards and Technology (NIST)

Question 27

The inability to deny taking an action such as creating information, approving information and sending or receiving a message.

Answer 27

Non-repudiation

Question 28

The National Institute of Standards and Technology, known as NIST, in its Special Publication 800-122 defines PII as “any information about an individual maintained by an agency, including (1) any information that can be used to distinguish or trace an individual’s identity, such as name, Social Security number, date and place of birth, mother’s maiden name, or biometric records; and (2) any other information that is linked or linkable to an individual, such as medical, educational, financial and employment information.”

Answer 28

Personally Identifiable Information (PII)

Question 29

Controls implemented through a tangible mechanism. Examples include walls, fences, guards, locks, etc. In modern organizations, many physical control systems are linked to technical/logical systems, such as badge readers connected to door locks.

Answer 29

Physical Controls

Question 30

The right of an individual to control the distribution of information about themselves.

Answer 30

Privacy

Question 31

The chances, or likelihood, that a given threat is capable of exploiting a given vulnerability or a set of vulnerabilities. Source: NIST SP 800-30 Rev. 1

Answer 31

Probability

Question 32

Information regarding health status, the provision of healthcare or payment for healthcare as defined in HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act).

Answer 32

Protected Health Information (PHI)

Question 33

A method for risk analysis that is based on the assignment of a descriptor such as low, medium or high. Source: NISTIR 8286

Answer 33

Qualitative Risk Analysis

Question 34

A method for risk analysis where numerical values are assigned to both impact and likelihood based on statistical probabilities and monetarized valuation of loss or gain. Source: NISTIR 8286

Answer 34

Quantitative Risk Analysis

Question 35

A measure of the extent to which an entity is threatened by a potential circumstance or event.

Answer 35

Risk

Question 36

Determining that the potential benefits of a business function outweigh the possible risk impact/likelihood and performing that business function with no other action.

Answer 36

Risk Acceptance

Question 37

The process of identifying and analyzing risks to organizational operations (including mission, functions, image, or reputation), organizational assets, individuals and other organizations. The analysis performed as part of risk management which incorporates threat and vulnerability analyses and considers mitigations provided by security controls planned or in place.

Answer 37

Risk Assessment

Question 38

Determining that the impact and/or likelihood of a specific risk is too great to be offset by the potential benefits and not performing a certain business function because of that determination.

Answer 38

Risk Avoidance

Question 39

The process of identifying, evaluating and controlling threats, including all the phases of risk context (or frame), risk assessment, risk treatment and risk monitoring.

Answer 39

Risk Management

Question 40

A structured approach used to oversee and manage risk for an enterprise. Source: CNSSI 4009

Answer 40

Risk Management Framework

Question 41

Putting security controls in place to reduce the possible impact and/or likelihood of a specific risk.

Answer 41

Risk Mitigation

Question 42

Paying an external party to accept the financial impact of a given risk.

Answer 42

Risk Transference

Question 43

The determination of the best way to address an identified risk.

Answer 43

Risk Treatment

Question 44

The management, operational and technical controls (i.e., safeguards or countermeasures) prescribed for an information system to protect the confidentiality, integrity and availability of the system and its information. Source: FIPS PUB 199

Answer 44

Security Controls

Question 45

A measure of the importance assigned to information by its owner, for the purpose of denoting its need for protection. Source: NIST SP 800-60 Vol 1 Rev 1

Answer 45

Sensitivity

Question 46

Use of just one of the three available factors (something you know, something you have, something you are) to carry out the authentication process being requested.

Answer 46

Single-Factor Authentication

Question 47

The condition an entity is in at a point in time.

Answer 47

State

Question 48

The quality that a system has when it performs its intended function in an unimpaired manner, free from unauthorized manipulation of the system, whether intentional or accidental. Source: NIST SP 800-27 Rev. A

Answer 48

System Integrity

Question 49

Security controls (i.e., safeguards or countermeasures) for an information system that are primarily implemented and executed by the information system through mechanisms contained in the hardware, software or firmware components of the system.

Answer 49

Technical Controls

Question 50

Any circumstance or event with the potential to adversely impact organizational operations (including mission, functions, image or reputation), organizational assets, individuals, other organizations or the nation through an information system via unauthorized access, destruction, disclosure, modification of information and/or denial of service.

Answer 50

Threat

Question 51

An individual or a group that attempts to exploit vulnerabilities to cause or force a threat to occur.

Answer 51

Threat Actor

Question 52

The means by which a threat actor carries out their objectives.

Answer 52

Threat Vector

Question 53

A physical object a user possesses and controls that is used to authenticate the user’s identity. Source: NISTIR 7711

Answer 53

Token

Question 54

Weakness in an information system, system security procedures, internal controls or implementation that could be exploited by a threat source. Source: NIST SP 800-30 Rev 1

Answer 54

Vulnerability