Glossary
T1 Digital Carrier
A hardware specification for telecommunications trunking. A trunk is a single transmission channel between two points on the network: each point is either a switching center or a node (such as a telephone).
SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA
Tabletop Exercise
Test method that presents a limited simulation of a disruption, emergency or crisis scenario in a narrative format in which participants review and discuss, not perform, the policy, methods, procedures, coordination, and resource assignments associated with plan activation.
SOURCE: ISO 22399:2007
Tailoring (NIST)
The process by which a security control baseline is modified based on: (i) the application of scoping guidance; (ii) the specification of compensating security controls, if needed; and (iii) the specification of organization-defined parameters in the security controls via explicit assignment and selection statements.
SOURCE: SP 800-37; SP 800-53; SP 800-53A; CNSSI-4009
Tampering (NIST)
An intentional event resulting in modification of a system, its intended behavior, or data.
SOURCE: CNSSI-4009
TCO
Total Cost of Ownership – The life cycle cost of an asset (focusing on all costs of owning the asset) including acquisition, installation, support, ongoing maintenance, service and all operational expenses.
Technical Non-repudiation (NIST)
The contribution of public key mechanisms to the provision of technical evidence supporting a non-repudiation security service.
SOURCE: SP 800-32
Technical Reference Model (TRM) (NIST)
A component-driven, technical framework that categorizes the standards and technologies to support and enable the delivery of service components and capabilities.
SOURCE: CNSSI-4009
Technology Life Cycle
The technology life cycle is concerned with the time and cost of developing the technology, the timeline of recovering cost, and modes of making the technology yield a profit proportionate to the costs and risks involved. The TLC may, further, be protected during its cycle with patents and trademarks seeking to lengthen the cycle and to maximize the profit from it.
SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA
Telephone Network Protocol (TELNET)
Typically used to provide user-oriented command line login sessions to devices on a network. User credentials are transmitted in clear text.
SOURCE: PCI DSS GLOSSARY
TEM
Telecom Expense Management – The management of telecommunication expenditures for delivering cost savings through comprehensive audits, infrastructure optimization, contract review/renegotiation, consolidation efforts and process improvements.
Terminal Access Controller Access Control System (TACACS)
Remote authentication protocol commonly used in networks that communicates between a remote access server and an authentication server to determine user access rights to the network. This authentication method may be used with a token, smart card, etc., to provide two-factor authentication.
SOURCE: PCI DSS GLOSSARY
Test (NIST)
A type of assessment method that is characterized by the process of exercising one or more assessment objects under specified conditions to compare actual with expected behavior, the results of which are used to support the determination of security control effectiveness over time.
SOURCE: SP 800-53A
The Open Group
A vendor and technology-neutral industry consortium, currently with over four hundred member organizations focused on supporting a common approach to enterprise architecture.
SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA
The Open Group Architecture Framework (TOGAF)
A framework for enterprise architecture that provides a comprehensive approach for designing, planning, implementing, and governing an enterprise information architecture.
SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA
Thick Client
A computer (client) in client–server architecture or networks that typically provides rich functionality independent of the central server. Originally known as just a "client" or "thick client" the name is contrasted to thin client, which describes a computer heavily dependent on a server's applications.
SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA
Thin Client
A computer or a computer program that depends heavily on some other computer (its server) to fulfill its computational roles. This is different from the traditional fat client, which is a computer designed to take on these roles by itself. The specific roles assumed by the server may vary, from providing data persistence (for example, for diskless nodes) to actual information processing on the client's behalf.
SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA
Threat (NIST)
Any circumstance or event with the potential to adversely impact organizational operations (including mission, functions, image, or reputation), organizational assets, individuals, other organizations, or the Nation through an information system via unauthorized access, destruction, disclosure, modification of information, and/or denial of service.
SOURCE: SP 800-53; SP 800-53A; SP 800-27; SP 800-60; SP 800-37; CNSSI-4009; FIPS 200
The potential source of an adverse event.
SOURCE: SP 800-61
Threat and Vulnerability Analysis (NIST)
The examination of threat sources against system vulnerabilities to determine the threats for a particular system in a particular operational environment.
SOURCE: SP 800-27
Threat Assessment (NIST)
Formal description and evaluation of threat to an information system.
SOURCE: SP 800-53; SP 800-18
Process of formally evaluating the degree of threat to an information system or enterprise and describing the nature of the threat.
SOURCE: CNSSI-4009; SP 800-53A
Threat Event (NIST)
An event or situation that has the potential for causing undesirable consequences or impact.
SOURCE: SP 800-30
Threat Monitoring (NIST)
Analysis, assessment, and review of audit trails and other information collected for the purpose of searching out system events that may constitute violations of system security.
SOURCE: CNSSI-4009
Threat Scenario (NIST)
A set of discrete threat events, associated with a specific threat source or multiple threat sources, partially ordered in time.
SOURCE: SP 800-30
Threat Shifting (NIST)
Response from adversaries to perceived safeguards and/or countermeasures (i.e., security controls), in which the adversaries change some characteristic of their intent to do harm in order to avoid and/or overcome those safeguards/countermeasures.
SOURCE: SP 800-30
Threat Source (NIST)
The intent and method targeted at the intentional exploitation of a vulnerability or a situation and method that may accidentally trigger a vulnerability. Synonymous with Threat Agent.
SOURCE: FIPS 200; SP 800-53; SP 800-53A; SP 800-37; CNSSI-4009
Time Division Multiplexing (TDM)
A method of transmitting and receiving independent signals over a common signal path by means of synchronized switches at each end of the transmission line so that each signal appears on the line only a fraction of time in an alternating pattern.
SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA
Timestamp
A sequence of characters or encoded information identifying when a certain event occurred, usually giving date and time of day, sometimes accurate to a small fraction of a second. Typically refers to digital date and time information attached to digital data.
SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA
Tipping Point
Tipping Point – An intrusion prevention security system that provides network protection from malicious attacks and misuse. Application protection, performance protection and infrastructure protection are provided at gigabit speeds through total packet inspection.
Token (NIST)
Something that the Claimant possesses and controls (typically a key or password) that is used to authenticate the Claimant’s identity.
SOURCE: SP 800-63
Something that the claimant possesses and controls (such as a key or password) that is used to authenticate a claim. See also Cryptographic Token.
SOURCE: CNSSI-4009
TONE AT THE TOP
Explicit or implicit messages sent by an organization’s leadership. To be successful, compliance and governance programs generally require a strong tone from the top about expectations for participation.
SOURCE: Data Governance Institute
Topology Converged Services
Interaction of existing services in a seamless manner to create new value added services using existing infrastructure.
Total Risk (NIST)
The potential for the occurrence of an adverse event if no mitigating action is taken (i.e., the potential for any applicable threat to exploit a system vulnerability).
SOURCE: SP 800-16
TPO
Telecommunications Program Office – The program responsible for the management of the Telecommunications Service Provider (TSP) of the outsourced telecommunications services. The program is charged with overseeing the TSP to ensure contract oversight and performance with regards to daily operations and network architecture projects that result in wise investments and savings.
Tracking Cookie (NIST)
A cookie placed on a user’s computer to track the user’s activity on different Web sites, creating a detailed profile of the user’s behavior.
SOURCE: SP 800-83
Traffic Analysis (NIST)
A form of passive attack in which an intruder observes information about calls (although not necessarily the contents of the messages) and makes inferences, e.g., from the source and destination numbers, or frequency and length of the messages.
SOURCE: SP 800-24
The analysis of patterns in communications for the purpose of gaining intelligence about a system or its users. It does not require examination of the content of the communications, which may or may not be decipherable. For example, an adversary may be able to detect a signal from a reader that could enable it to infer that a
particular activity is occurring (e.g., a shipment has arrived, someone is entering a facility) without necessarily learning an identifier or associated data.
SOURCE: SP 800-98
Gaining knowledge of information by inference from observable characteristics of a data flow, even if the information is not directly available (e.g., when the data is encrypted). These characteristics include the identities and locations of the source(s) and destination(s) of the flow, and the flow's presence, amount, frequency, and duration of occurrence.
SOURCE: CNSSI-4009
Transmission Security – (TRANSEC) (NIST)
Measures (security controls) applied to transmissions in order to prevent interception, disruption of reception, communications deception, and/or derivation of intelligence by analysis of transmission characteristics such as signal parameters or message externals.
Note: TRANSEC is that field of COMSEC that deals with the security of communication transmissions, rather than that of the information being communicated.
SOURCE: CNSSI-4009
Transport Layer Security (TLS) (NIST)
An authentication and security protocol widely implemented in browsers and Web servers.
SOURCE: SP 800-63
Trap Door (NIST)
1. A means of reading cryptographically protected information by the use of private knowledge of weaknesses in the cryptographic algorithm used to protect the data.
2. In cryptography, one-to-one function that is easy to compute in one direction, yet believed to be difficult to invert without special information.
SOURCE: CNSSI-4009
Trojan Horse (NIST)
A computer program that appears to have a useful function, but also has a hidden and potentially malicious function that evades security mechanisms, sometimes by exploiting legitimate authorizations of a system entity that invokes the program.
SOURCE: CNSSI-4009
Trunk
Trunk – A physical path or link in a communications system that is designed to handle many transmissions simultaneously and that interconnects major switching centers or nodes. Depending on the system, a trunk may carry transmissions in analog or digital form. Transmission content may include voice (as in the conventional telephone system), text, computer programs, images, video signals or control signals.
Trust Anchor (NIST)
A public key and the name of a certification authority that is used to validate the first certificate in a sequence of certificates. The trust anchor’s public key is used to verify the signature on a certificate issued by a trust anchor certification authority. The security of the validation process depends upon the authenticity and integrity of the trust anchor. Trust anchors are often distributed as self-signed certificates.
SOURCE: SP 800-57 Part 1
An established point of trust (usually based on the authority of some person, office, or organization) from which an entity begins the validation of an authorized process or authorized (signed) package. A "trust anchor" is sometimes defined as just a public key used for different purposes (e.g., validating a Certification Authority, validating a signed software package or key, validating the process [or person] loading the signed software or key).
SOURCE: CNSSI-4009
A public or symmetric key that is trusted because it is directly built into hardware or software, or securely provisioned via out-of-band means, rather than because it is vouched for by another trusted entity (e.g. in a public key certificate).
SOURCE: SP 800-63
Trusted Agent (NIST)
Entity authorized to act as a representative of an agency in confirming Subscriber identification during the registration process. Trusted Agents do not have automated interfaces with Certification Authorities.
SOURCE: SP 800-32; CNSSI-4009
Trusted Computer System (NIST)
A system that employs sufficient hardware and software assurance measures to allow its use for processing simultaneously a range of sensitive or classified information.
SOURCE: CNSSI-4009
Trustworthiness (NIST)
The attribute of a person or organization that provides confidence to others of the qualifications, capabilities, and reliability of that entity to perform specific tasks and fulfill assigned responsibilities.
SOURCE: SP 800-79; CNSSI-4009; SP 800-39
Security decisions with respect to extended investigations to determine and confirm qualifications, and suitability to perform specific tasks and responsibilities.
SOURCE: FIPS 201
TSP
Telecommunications Service Provider – A company providing and managing telecommunications services.
Tunneling (NIST)
Technology enabling one network to send its data via another network’s connections. Tunneling works by encapsulating a network protocol within packets carried by the second network.
SOURCE: CNSSI-4009
An online social networking and microblogging service that enables users to send and read short 140-character text messages, called "tweets". Registered users can read and post tweets, but unregistered users can only read them. Users access Twitter through the website interface, SMS, or mobile device app.
SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA
Two Factor Authentication
An approach that provides unambiguous identification of users by means of the combination of two different components. These components may be something that the user knows, something that the user possesses or something that is inseparable from the user.
SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA
