Glossary

Banner grabbing is a technique used to gain information about a computer system on a network and the services running on its open ports. Administrators can use this to take inventory of the systems and services on their network. However, an intruder can use banner grabbing in order to find network hosts that are running versions of applications and operating systems with known exploits.

See also: Banner grabbing

A banner is a display on an information system that sets the parameters for system or data use.

Baseline security is the minimum set of security controls required for safeguarding an IT system. Baseline security is based upon a system’s identified needs for confidentiality, integrity and availability protection.

Biometrics are a security system, which takes into account the unique physiological characteristics of a person such as fingerprints, DNA, eyes, etc., for identification purposes.

A bit error rate is the ratio between the number of bits incorrectly received and the total number of bits transmitted in a telecommunications system.

A Block Cipher is a method used to cipher text, information by encrypting data in blocks, strings, or group at a time rather encrypting individual bits.

See also: Block Cipher

A Botnet is a remote controlled robotic network or a network of computers set up to further attacks such as spam, virus, etc., to the target computers or networks. Attackers use various malicious programs, viruses to take control of computers and form a botnet or robotic network; the owners of such member computers may be unaware that their computer carries and forwards such threat.

See also: Botnet 

Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) is a policy of the organization allowing its employees to use their personal devices such as smartphones, Tablet PCs, Laptops for business purposes.

A brute-force attack consists of an attacker submitting many passwords or passphrases with the hope of eventually guessing correctly. The attacker systematically checks all possible passwords and passphrases until the correct one is found. 

See also: Brute Force Attack

A Business Impact Analysis/Assessment is the process of evaluating and identifying risks and threats that a business might face in the event of an accident, disaster, or an emergency. It evaluates the possible risk to tangible and intangible assets such as personal, infrastructure, data and goodwill. In addition, it offers steps needed to recover from any such disasters.

Business Continuity Plan (or business continuity and resiliency planning) is the process of creating systems of prevention and recovery to deal with potential threats to a company.

See also: Business Continuity Plan

A Certificate Authority (CA) is an independent third party that verifies the online identity of an entity. They issue digital certificates that contains information about the owner of the certificate and details of the certificates, thus verifying the identity of the owner.

See also: CA

Challenge Response Protocol in computer security, challenge–response authentication is a family of protocols in which one party presents a question ("challenge") and another party must provide a valid answer ("response") to be authenticated.

See also: Challenge Response 

Checksum - A Numerical value that helps to check if the data transmitted is the same as the data stored and that the recipient has error-free data. It is often the sum of the numerical values of bits of digital data stored, this value should match with the value at the recipient's end, and a mismatch in the value indicates an error.

A Chief Information Security Officer is a senior level executive of an organization entrusted with the responsibilities of protecting the information assets of the businesses and making sure that the information policies of the organization align with the objectives of the organization.

A Cipher is a process to convert data into code, or encrypt, with the help of algorithm; to decipher the code a key is required.

Cipher Text is data converted from plain text into code using algorithm, making it unreadable without the key.

Cleartext is data in ASCII format or data that is not coded or encrypted. All applications and machines support plain text.

The Information Technology Management Reform Act of 1996 (ITMRA), is a United States federal law, designed to improve the way the federal government acquires, uses and disposes of information technology (IT). Together with the Federal Acquisition Reform Act of 1996, it is known as the Clinger–Cohen Act.

See also: Clinger–Cohen Act

The Information Technology Management Reform Act of 1996 (ITMRA), is a United States federal law, designed to improve the way the federal government acquires, uses and disposes of information technology (IT). Together with the Federal Acquisition Reform Act of 1996, it is known as the Clinger–Cohen Act.