ITCS-3320 Week 1 Security of Data & Applications Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards covering core cybersecurity principles, CIA triad components, threat vectors, security frameworks, authentication mechanisms, and defense techniques based on Week 1 lecture notes.

Cybersecurity

The art of protecting our digital world, with the primary goal of defending systems against intentional attacks and unauthorized access.

CIA Triad

The three fundamental principles of information security — Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability.

Confidentiality

A principle of the CIA Triad ensuring that information is accessed only by those who are authorized to have access.

Integrity

A principle of the CIA Triad that maintains data consistency, accuracy, and trustworthiness, ensuring information has not been tampered with.

Availability

A principle of the CIA Triad ensuring that information and systems are accessible when users need them.

Threat

The potential for a threat source to exploit a vulnerability to cause harm to an asset.

Vulnerability

A weakness or flaw in a system, process, or control that could be exploited by a threat actor.

Malware

Software designed to disrupt operations, steal data, or gain unauthorized access to systems (includes viruses, worms, trojans, ransomware, and spyware).

Social Engineering

A threat mechanism targeting human psychology by manipulating people into giving out information or performing actions that compromise security.

Ransomware

A type of malware that encrypts a victim's files and demands ransom payment in order for them to restore access.

Phishing

A type of social engineering where attackers send fake communications designed to make them look real in order to reveal sensitive info or download malware.

Cybersecurity Frameworks

A collection of documented best practices, standards, and guidelines that help an organization build and improve its security program.

NIST Cybersecurity Framework

The most influential security framework, structured around a logical lifecycle of Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, and Recover.

NIST Lifecycle: Identify

Understanding the organizational context, the systems and assets that support the mission, and the risks to those systems and assets.

NIST Lifecycle: Protect

Developing and implementing the correct safeguards to ensure delivery of critical infrastructure services.

NIST Lifecycle: Detect

Developing and implementing correct activities to identify the occurrence of a cybersecurity event in a timely manner.

NIST Lifecycle: Respond

Developing and implementing correct activities to take action regarding a detected cybersecurity event.

NIST Lifecycle: Recover

Developing and implementing appropriate activities to maintain plans for resilience and restore anything that was impacted.

ISO/IEC 27001

A standard that specifies the requirements for establishing, implementing, maintaining, and continually improving an Information Security Management System (ISMS).

Authentication

The process of verifying the identity of a user, device, or system.

Authorization

The process of determining what an authenticated user can do.

Encryption

A two-way mathematical process used to ensure data confidentiality by converting readable data into unreadable form using a key.

Hashing

A one-way mathematical process used to ensure data integrity by creating unique, fixed-length fingerprints of data that cannot be reversed.

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

An authentication method requiring two or more verification factors — something you know, something you have, or something you are — to grant access.

Defense in Depth

A security strategy that uses multiple layers of controls so that if one fails, others continue to provide protection.