Glossary of Key Information Security Terms (NIST) part 26 / F

Failover –

The capability to switch over automatically (typically without human intervention or warning) to a redundant or standby information system upon the failure or abnormal termination of the previously active system.

Failure Access –

Type of incident in which unauthorized access to data results from hardware or software failure.

Failure Control –

Methodology used to detect imminent hardware or software failure and provide fail safe or fail soft recovery.

False Acceptance –

When a biometric system incorrectly identifies an individual or incorrectly verifies an impostor against a claimed identity. In biometrics, the instance of a security system incorrectly verifying or identifying an unauthorized person. It typically is considered the most serious of biometric security errors as it gives unauthorized users access to systems that expressly are trying to keep them out.

False Acceptance Rate (FAR) –

The probability that a biometric system will incorrectly identify an individual or will fail to reject an impostor. The rate given normally assumes passive impostor attempts.

False Positive –

An alert that incorrectly indicates that malicious activity is occurring.

False Rejection –

When a biometric system fails to identify an applicant or fails to verify the legitimate claimed identity of an applicant. In biometrics, the instance of a security system failing to verify or identify an authorized person. It does not necessarily indicate a flaw in the biometric system; for example, in a fingerprint-based system, an incorrectly aligned finger on the scanner or dirt on the scanner can result in the scanner misreading the fingerprint, causing a false rejection of the authorized user.

False Rejection Rate (FRR) –

The probability that a biometric system will fail to identify an applicant, or verify the legitimate claimed identity of an applicant. The measure of the likelihood that the biometric security system will incorrectly reject an access attempt by an authorized user. A system’s false rejection rate typically is stated as the ratio of the number of false rejections divided by the number of identification attempts.

Federal Bridge Certification Authority (FBCA) –

The Federal Bridge Certification Authority consists of a collection of Public Key Infrastructure components (Certificate Authorities, Directories, Certificate Policies and Certificate Practice Statements) that are used to provide peer-to-peer interoperability among Agency Principal Certification Authorities.

Federal Bridge Certification Authority Membrane –

The Federal Bridge Certification Authority Membrane consists of a collection of Public Key Infrastructure components including a variety of Certification Authority PKI products, Databases, CA specific Directories, Border Directory, Firewalls, Routers, Randomizers, etc.

Federal Bridge Certification Authority Operational Authority –

The Federal Bridge Certification Authority Operational Authority is the organization selected by the Federal Public Key Infrastructure Policy Authority to be responsible for operating the Federal Bridge Certification Authority.

Federal Enterprise Architecture –

A business-based framework for governmentwide improvement developed by the Office of Management and Budget that is intended to facilitate efforts to transform the federal government to one that is citizen-centered, results-oriented, and market-based.

Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) –

A standard for adoption and use by federal departments and agencies that has been developed within the Information Technology Laboratory and published by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, a part of the U.S. Department of Commerce. A FIPS covers some topic in information technology in order to achieve a common level of quality or some level of interoperability.

Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) –

A statute (Title III, P.L. 107-347) that requires agencies to assess risk to information systems and provide information security protections commensurate with the risk. FISMA also requires that agencies integrate information security into their capital planning and enterprise architecture processes, conduct annual information systems security reviews of all programs and systems, and report the results of those reviews to OMB. Title III of the E-Government Act requiring each federal agency to develop, document, and implement an agency-wide program to provide information security for the information and information systems that support the operations and assets of the agency, including those provided or managed by another agency, contractor, or other source.

Federal Information System –

An information system used or operated by an executive agency, by a contractor of an executive agency, or by another organization on behalf of an executive agency. SOURCE: SP 800-53; FIPS 200; FIPS 199; 40 U.S.C., Sec. 11331; CNSSI-4009

Federal Information Systems Security Educators’ Association – (FISSEA)

An organization whose members come from federal agencies, industry, and academic institutions devoted to improving the IT security awareness and knowledge within the federal government and its related external workforce.

Federal Public Key Infrastructure Policy Authority (FPKI PA) –

The Federal PKI Policy Authority is a federal government body responsible for setting, implementing, and administering policy decisions regarding interagency PKI interoperability that uses the FBCA.

File Encryption –

The process of encrypting individual files on a storage medium and permitting access to the encrypted data only after proper authentication is provided.

File Name Anomaly –

1. A mismatch between the internal file header and its external extension; or 2. A file name inconsistent with the content of the file (e.g., renaming a graphics file with a non-graphical extension.

File Protection –

Aggregate of processes and procedures designed to inhibit unauthorized access, contamination, elimination, modification, or destruction of a file or any of its contents.