Chapter 3: Access Controls Concepts

Audit

Independent review and examination of records and activities to assess the adequacy of system controls, to ensure compliance with established policies and operational procedures. NIST SP 1800-15B

Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED)

An architectural approach to the design of buildings and spaces which emphasizes passive features to reduce the likelihood of criminal activity.

Defense in Depth

Information security strategy integrating people, technology, and operations capabilities to establish variable barriers across multiple layers and missions of the organization. Source: NIST SP 800-53 Rev 4

Discretionary Access Control (DAC)

A certain amount of access control is left to the discretion of the object's owner, or anyone else who is authorized to control the object's access. The owner can determine who should have access rights to an object and what those rights should be. NIST SP 800-192

Encrypt

To protect private information by putting it into a form that can only be read by people who have permission to do so.

Firewalls

Devices that enforce administrative security policies by filtering incoming traffic based on a set of rules.

Insider Threat

An entity with authorized access that has the potential to harm an information system through destruction, disclosure, modification of data, and/or denial of service. NIST SP 800-32

iOS

An operating system manufactured by Apple Inc. Used for mobile devices.

Layered Defense

The use of multiple controls arranged in series to provide several consecutive controls to protect an asset; also called defense in depth.

Linux

An operating system that is open source, making its source code legally available to end users.

Log Anomaly

A system irregularity that is identified when studying log entries which could represent events of interest for further surveillance.

Logging

Collecting and storing user activities in a log, which is a record of the events occurring within an organization's systems and networks. NIST SP 1800-25B.

Logical Access Control Systems

An automated system that controls an individual's ability to access one or more computer system resources, such as a workstation, network, application or database. A logical access control system requires the validation of an individual's identity through some mechanism, such as a PIN, card, biometric or other token. It has the capability to assign different access privileges to different individuals depending on their roles and responsibilities in an organization. NIST SP 800-53 Rev.5.

Mandatory Access Control

Access control that requires the system itself to manage access controls in accordance with the organization's security policies.

Mantrap

An entrance to a building or an area that requires people to pass through two doors with only one door opened at a time.

Object

Passive information system-related entity (e.g., devices, files, records, tables, processes, programs, domains) containing or receiving information. Access to an object (by a subject) implies access to the information it contains. See subject. Source: NIST SP 800-53 Rev 4

Physical Access Controls

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.

Principle of Least Privilege

The principle that users and programs should have only the minimum privileges necessary to complete their tasks. NIST SP 800-179

Privileged Account

An information system account with approved authorizations of a privileged user. NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 4

Ransomware

A type of malicious software that locks the computer screen or files, thus preventing or limiting a user from accessing their system and data until money is paid.

Role-based access control (RBAC)

An access control system that sets up user permissions based on roles.

Rule

An instruction developed to allow or deny access to a system by comparing the validated identity of the subject to an access control list.

Segregation of Duties

The practice of ensuring that an organizational process cannot be completed by a single person; forces collusion as a means to reduce insider threats. Also commonly known as Separation of Duties.

Subject

Generally an individual, process or device causing information to flow among objects or change to the system state. Source: NIST SP800-53 R4

Technical Controls

The 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.

Turnstile

A one-way spinning door or barrier that allows only one person at a time to enter a building or pass through an area.

Unix

An operating system used in software development.

User Provisioning

The process of creating, maintaining and deactivating user identities on a system.