Term | Definition |
accounting | The ability that provides tracking of events. |
asset | An item that has value. |
authorization | The act of ensuring that an individual or element is genuine. |
authentication | The steps that ensure that the individual is who they claim to be. |
availability | Security actions that ensure that data is accessible to authorized users. |
California’s Database Security Breach Notification Act | The first state law that covers any
state agency, person, or company that does business in California. |
confidentiality | Security actions that ensure only authorized parties can view the
information. |
cybercrime | Targeted attacks against financial networks, unauthorized access to
information, and the theft of personal information. |
cybercriminals | A network of attackers, identity thieves, spammers, and financial fraudsters. |
cyberterrorism | A premeditated, politically motivated attack against information, computer
systems, computer programs, and data that results in violence. |
cyberterrorists | Attackers whose motivation may be defined as ideology, or attacking for
the sake of their principles or beliefs. |
exploiting | The act of taking advantage of a vulnerability. |
Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA) | A law that requires banks and financial institutions to
alert customers of their policies and practices in disclosing customer information. |
hacker | A term used to refer to a person who uses advanced computer skills to attack
computers |
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) | A law designed to guard
protected health information and implement policies and procedures to safeguard it. |
identity theft | Stealing another person’s personal information, such as a Social Security
number, and then using the information to impersonate the victim, generally for
financial gain. |
information security | The tasks of securing information that is in a digital format. |
integrity | Security actions that ensure that the information is correct and no unauthorized
person or malicious software has altered the data. |
risk | The likelihood that a threat agent will exploit the vulnerability. |
Sarbanes-Oxley Act (Sarbox) | A law designed to fight corporate corruption. |
script kiddies | Individuals who want to break into computers to create damage, yet lack the
advanced knowledge of computers and networks needed to do so. |
spy | A person who has been hired to break into a computer and steal information. |
threat | A type of action that has the potential to cause harm. |
threat agent | A person or element that has the power to carry out a threat. |
vulnerability | A flaw or weakness that allows a threat agent to bypass security. |