Find Terms by Topic: EA: Security Architecture
Access
The ability to use, modify, or affect an IT system or to gain entry to a physical area or location.
Application
A computer program or set of programs that meet a defined set of business needs. A program or group of programs designed for end users. These programs are divided into two classes: system software and application software. While system software consists of low-level programs that interact with computers at a basic level, application software resides above system software and includes applications such as database programs, word processors and spreadsheets. Application software may be grouped along with system software or published alone. For the purposes of integration applications consume an integration service such as a web service or API.
Application System
An interconnected set of IT resources under the same direct management control that meets a defined set of business needs.
Attack
An attempt to bypass security controls on an IT system in order to compromise the data.
Audit Trail Capture and Analysis
Authentication
The process of ensuring the identity of a connected user or participants exchanging electronic data.
Certification and Accreditation
Community Management
Continuous Monitoring
Covered Technology
All public-facing content, including websites, applications, documents and media, blog posts, and social media content. Certain non-public-facing content that must also comply. Examples include: All electronic content used for official business to communicate: emergency notifications, initial or final decisions adjudicating administrative claims or proceedings, internal or external program or policy announcements, notices of benefits, program eligibility, employment opportunities or personnel actions, formal acknowledgements or receipts, questionnaires or surveys, templates or forms, educational or training materials, and web-based intranets.
Credential Issuance and Management
Critical Issue
A known system defect or enhancement request that if left unresolved could significantly impact business operations, compliance with statute or policy, the integrity of the system or data or otherwise create a public health, safety or other significant risk areas.
Cryptography
Disaster Recovery
Restarting technology operations after an outage using processes, policies and procedures prepared for recovery or continuation of mission-essential technology infrastructure after a disaster.
These processes are found in a DR Plan. DR is a subset of business continuity and COOP.
The three principal goals of DR are to:
- Save data,
- Save hardware, software and facilities
- Resume critical processes/restore data.
Environmental Security
Physical protection against damage from fire, flood, wind, earthquake, explosion, civil unrest and other forms of natural and man-made risk.
Extranet / VPN Connection
Network-level access originating from outside the network. Examples include SSL, IPSec, “terminal service” or Citrix-like connections.
File Transfer Protocol with SSL Security
Firewall
A combination of hardware and software designed to control the types of network connections allowed to a system or combination of systems or that enforces a boundary between 2 or more networks.
Identification and Authentication
Incident Response
Information Mapping / Taxonomy / Categorization
Information Technology (IT) Assets
The processes, procedures, systems, IT infrastructure, data, and communication capabilities that allow each agency to manage, store, and share information in pursuit of its business mission, including but not limited to:
- Applications.
- All data typically associated with IT systems regardless of source (agency, partner, customer, citizen, etc.).
- All data typically associated with IT systems regardless of the medium on which it resides (disc, tape, flash drive, cell phone, personal digital assistant, etc.).
- End-user authentication systems.
- Hardware (voice, video, radio transmitters and receivers, mainframes, servers, workstations, personal computers, laptops, and all end point equipment).
- Software (operating systems, application software, middleware, microcode).
- IT infrastructure (networks, connections, pathways, servers, wireless endpoints).
- Services (data processing, telecommunications, office automation, and computerized information systems).
- Telecommunications hardware, software, and networks.
- Radio frequencies.
- Data computing and telecommunications facilities.
- Intelligent control systems such as video surveillance, HVAC, and physical security.
Information Technology (IT) Infrastructure
IT infrastructure consists of the equipment, systems, software, and services used in common across an organization, regardless of mission/program/project. IT Infrastructure also serves as the foundation upon which mission/program/project-specific systems and capabilities are built. Approaches to provisioning of IT infrastructure vary across organizations, but commonly include capabilities such as Domain Name Server (DNS), Wide Area Network (WAN), and employee locator systems. Additional common capabilities examples include IT security systems, servers, routers, workstations, networked Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems, and networked printers (multifunction devices).
Information Technology (IT) Risk Assessment
Risk assessment is a process by which to determine what IT Assets exist that require protection, and to understand and document potential risks from IT security failures that may cause loss of information confidentiality, integrity, or availability. The purpose of a risk assessment is to help management create appropriate strategies and controls for stewardship of information assets.
Internal System or Network
An IT system or network designed and intended for use only by state of Washington employees, contractors, and business partners.
Intrusion Detection Systems
Software and/or hardware designed to detect an attack on a network or computer system. A Network IDS (NIDS) is designed to support multiple hosts, whereas a Host IDS (HIDS) is set up to detect illegal actions within the host. Most IDS programs typically use signatures of known cracker attempts to signal an alert. Others look for deviations of the normal routine as indications of an attack.
Intrusion Prevention Systems
Software and/or hardware designed to prevent an attack on a network or computer system. An IPS is a significant step beyond an IDS because it stops the attack from damaging or retrieving data. Whereas an IDS passively monitors traffic by sniffing packets off of a switch port, an IPS resides inline like a firewall, intercepting and forwarding packets. It can thus block attacks in real time.
Malicious Code
Software (such as a Trojan horse) that appears to perform a useful or desirable function, but actually gains unauthorized access to system resources or tricks a user into executing other malicious logic.
Malware
A general term coined for all forms malicious software including but limited to computer viruses, worms, Trojan horses, most rootkits, spyware, dishonest adware, crimeware and other malicious and unwanted software.
Mobile Device
Any hand-portable device capable of text, voice, email, instant messaging (“IM”), photo messaging or other types of data communication. This policy is not meant to apply to: cars, boats, airplanes, laptop computers, desktop computers, unpiloted aerial vehicles (drones), gps receivers, radios
Multi-factor Authentication
A security system or mechanism in which more than one form of authentication is implemented to verify the legitimacy of a transaction. In contrast, single factor authentication involves only a UserID/password.
In 2-factor authentication, the user provides dual means of identification, one of which is typically a physical token, such as a card, and the other of which is typically something memorized, such as a security code.
Additional authentication methods that can be used in MFA include biometric verification such as keyboard cadence, finger scanning, iris recognition, facial recognition and voice ID. In addition to these methods, device identification software, smart cards, and other electronic devices can be used along with the traditional UserID and password.
Network Device
A device available to other computers on a network. Examples include servers, firewalls, routers, switches, workstations, networked Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems, and networked printers (multifunction devices).
Penetration Test
A deliberate probe of a network or system to discover security weaknesses. The test attempts to leverage identified weaknesses to penetrate into the organization. The test exploits the vulnerabilities uncovered during a vulnerability assessment to avoid false positives often reported by automated assessment tools.
Physical Security
Physical security describes measures that prevent or deter attackers from accessing a facility, resource, or information stored on physical media in an IT facility.
Resilient
The capability of remaining or returning to a normal situation after an event by having multiple ways of performing a function. This may include people, processes or technology. Generally speaking, this means there would be no single point of failure that could stop a process.
Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) (FTP over SSH)
A secure version of File Transfer Protocol (FTP), which facilitates data access and data transfer over a Secure Shell (SSH) data stream. It is part of the SSH Protocol. This term is also known as SSH File Transfer Protocol.
Secure Segmentation
Secure segmentation is defined as implementing methods that allow for secure communication between various levels of segmented environments. These environments typically involve 4 basic segment groups:
- Outside (Trust no one)
- Services (Trust limited to defined segmentation lines)
- Internal (Trust limited to defined group)
- External users (Trust limited to defined group)
The methods for securing these segments may include but are not limited to firewall and switch/router configurations and router/switch ACLs.
Security Controls
The security requirements and methods applied by agencies to manage IT security risk including but not limited those defined in the OCIO IT security standards.
Security Domain
An environment or context that is defined by security policy, a security model, or security architecture to include a set of system resources and the set of system entities that have the right to access the resources.
Threat and Vulnerability Management
Threat and Vulnerability Management involves all functions pertaining to the protection of federal information and information systems from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruptions, modification, or destruction, as well as the creation and implementation of security policies, procedures and controls. It includes all risk and controls tracking for IT systems.
Trusted Agency, System or Network
An IT system or network that is recognized automatically as reliable, truthful, and accurate without continual validation or testing.
Untrusted
Characterized by absence of trusted status. Assumed to be unreliable, untruthful, and inaccurate unless proven otherwise.
Vulnerability
Relates to risk of attack. In IT terms, vulnerability describes points of risk to penetration of security barriers. Awareness of potential vulnerability is very important to designing ever more effective defenses against attack by unauthorized parties.
Vulnerability Assessment
A comprehensive analysis that attempts to define, identify, and classify the security holes (vulnerabilities) in a system, network, or communications infrastructure within the assessment scope.
Web Services Security
An OASIS specification that proposes a standard set of SOAP extensions that can be used when building secure Web services to implement message content integrity and confidentiality.
