ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity

Length of exam : 2 hours

Number of items: 100
Item format: Multiple choice
Passing grade: 700 out of 1000 points

Domain 1 - Security Principles (26%, 20 items)

1.1 Understand the security concepts of information assurance
Confidentiality
Integrity
Availability
Authentication (e.g., methods of authentication, multi-factor authentication (MFA))
Non-repudiation
Privacy
1.2 Understand the risk management process
Risk management (e.g., risk priorities, risk tolerance)
Risk identification, assessment and treatment
1.3 Understand security controls
Technical controls
Administrative controls
Physical controls
1.4 Understand (ISC)² Code of Ethics
Professional code of conduct
1.5 Understand governance processes
Policies
Procedures
Standards
Regulations and laws

1. Security commensurate with the risk and the magnitude of harm resulting from the loss, misuse or
unauthorized access to or modification of information. Source: OMB Circular A-130
Adequate Security
2. Controls implemented through policy and procedures. Examples include access control processes
and requiring multiple personnel to conduct a specific operation. Administrative controls in modern
environments are often enforced in conjunction with physical and/or technical controls, such as an
access-granting policy for new users that requires login and approval by the hiring manager.
Administrative Controls
3. The ability of computers and robots to simulate human intelligence and behaviour.
Artificial Intelligence
4. Anything of value that is owned by an organization. Assets include both tangible items such as
information systems and physical property and intangible assets such as intellectual property.
Asset
5. Access control process validating that the identity being claimed by a user or entity is known to the
system, by comparing one (single factor or SFA) or more (multi-factor authentication or MFA) factors
of identification.
Authentication
6. The right or a permission that is granted to a system entity to access a system resource. NIST 800-
82 Rev.2
Authorization
7. Ensuring timely and reliable access to and use of information by authorized users.
Availability
8. A documented, lowest level of security configuration allowed by a standard or organization.
Baseline
9. Biological characteristics of an individual, such as a fingerprint, hand geometry, voice, or iris
patterns.
Biometric
10. Malicious code that acts like a remotely controlled "robot" for an attacker, with other Trojan and
worm capabilities.
Bot
11. Information that has been determined to require protection against unauthorized disclosure and
is marked to indicate its classified status and classification level when in documentary form.
Classified or Sensitive Information
12. The characteristic of data or information when it is not made available or disclosed to
unauthorized persons or processes. NIST 800-66
Confidentiality
13. A measure of the degree to which an organization depends on the information or information
system for the success of a mission or of a business function. NIST SP 800-60 Vol. 1, Rev. 1
Criticality
14. The property that data has not been altered in an unauthorized manner. Data integrity covers
data in storage, during processing and while in transit. Source: NIST SP 800-27 Rev A
Data Integrity
15. The process and act of converting the message from its plaintext to ciphertext. Sometimes it is
also referred to as enciphering. The two terms are sometimes used interchangeably in literature and
have similar meanings.
Encryption
16. In 2016, the European Union passed comprehensive legislation that addresses personal privacy,
deeming it an individual human right.
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
17. The process of how an organization is managed; usually includes all aspects of how decisions are
made for that organization, such as policies, roles, and procedures the organization uses to make
those decisions.
Governance
18. This U.S. federal law is the most important healthcare information regulation in the United
States. It directs the adoption of national standards for electronic healthcare transactions while
protecting the privacy of individual's health information. Other provisions address fraud reduction,
protections for individuals with health insurance and a wide range of other healthcare-related
activities. Est. 1996.
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
19. The magnitude of harm that could be caused by a threat's exercise of a vulnerability.
Impact
20. The potential adverse impacts to an organization's operations (including its mission, functions
and image and reputation), assets, individuals, other organizations, and even the nation, which
results from the possibility of unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification or
destruction of information and/or information systems.
Information Security Risk
21. The property of information whereby it is recorded, used and maintained in a way that ensures
its completeness, accuracy, internal consistency and usefulness for a stated purpose.
Integrity
22. The ISO develops voluntary international standards in collaboration with its partners in
international standardization, the International Electro-technical Commission (IEC) and the
International Telecommunication Union (ITU), particularly in the field of information and
communication technologies.
International Organization of Standards (ISO)
23. The internet standards organization, made up of network designers, operators, vendors and
researchers, that defines protocol standards (e.g., IP, TCP, DNS) through a process of collaboration
and consensus. Source: NIST SP 1800-16B
Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF)
24. The probability that a potential vulnerability may be exercised within the construct of the
associated threat environment.
Likelihood
25. A weighted factor based on a subjective analysis of the probability that a given threat is capable
of exploiting a given vulnerability or set of vulnerabilities.
Likelihood of Occurrence
26. Using two or more distinct instances of the three factors of authentication (something you know,
something you have, something you are) for identity verification.
Multi-Factor Authentication
27. The NIST is part of the U.S. Department of Commerce and addresses the measurement
infrastructure within science and technology efforts within the U.S. federal government. NIST sets
standards in a number of areas, including information security within the Computer Security
Resource Center of the Computer Security Divisions.
National Institutes of Standards and Technology (NIST)
28. The inability to deny taking an action such as creating information, approving information and
sending or receiving a message.
Non-repudiation
29. The National Institute of Standards and Technology, known as NIST, in its Special Publication 800-
122 defines PII as "any information about an individual maintained by an agency, including (1) any
information that can be used to distinguish or trace an individual's identity, such as name, Social
Security number, date and place of birth, mother's maiden name, or biometric records; and (2) any
other information that is linked or linkable to an individual, such as medical, educational, financial
and employment information."
Personally Identifiable Information (PII)
30. 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.
Physical Controls
31. The right of an individual to control the distribution of information about themselves.
Privacy
32. The chances, or likelihood, that a given threat is capable of exploiting a given vulnerability or a
set of vulnerabilities. Source: NIST SP 800-30 Rev. 1
Probability
33. Information regarding health status, the provision of healthcare or payment for healthcare as
defined in HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act).
Protected Health Information (PHI)
34. A method for risk analysis that is based on the assignment of a descriptor such as low, medium or
high. Source: NISTIR 8286
Qualitative Risk Analysis
35. A method for risk analysis where numerical values are assigned to both impact and likelihood
based on statistical probabilities and monetarized valuation of loss or gain. Source: NISTIR 8286
Quantitative Risk Analysis
36. A possible event which can have a negative impact upon the organization.
Risk
37. Determining that the potential benefits of a business function outweigh the possible risk
impact/likelihood and performing that business function with no other action.
Risk Acceptance
38. The process of identifying and analyzing risks to organizational operations (including mission,
functions, image, or reputation), organizational assets, individuals and other organizations. The
analysis performed as part of risk management which incorporates threat and vulnerability analyses
and considers mitigations provided by security controls planned or in place.
Risk Assessment
39. Determining that the impact and/or likelihood of a specific risk is too great to be offset by the
potential benefits and not performing a certain business function because of that determination.
Risk Avoidance
40. The process of identifying, evaluating and controlling threats, including all the phases of risk
context (or frame), risk assessment, risk treatment and risk monitoring.
Risk Management
41. A structured approach used to oversee and manage risk for an enterprise. Source: CNSSI 4009
Risk Management Framework
42. Putting security controls in place to reduce the possible impact and/or likelihood of a specific risk.
Risk Mitigation
43. The level of risk an entity is willing to assume in order to achieve a potential desired result.
Source: NIST SP 800-32. Risk threshold, risk appetite and acceptable risk are also terms used
synonymously with risk tolerance.
Risk Tolerance
44. Paying an external party to accept the financial impact of a given risk.
Risk Transference
45. The determination of the best way to address an identified risk.
Risk Treatment
46. The management, operational and technical controls (i.e., safeguards or countermeasures)
prescribed for an information system to protect the confidentiality, integrity and availability of the
system and its information. Source: FIPS PUB 199
Security Controls
47. A measure of the importance assigned to information by its owner, for the purpose of denoting
its need for protection. Source: NIST SP 800-60 Vol 1 Rev 1
Sensitivity
48. Use of just one of the three available factors (something you know, something you have,
something you are) to carry out the authentication process being requested.
Single-Factor Authentication
49. The condition an entity is in at a point in time.
State
50. The quality that a system has when it performs its intended function in an unimpaired manner,
free from unauthorized manipulation of the system, whether intentional or accidental. Source: NIST
SP 800-27 Rev. A
System Integrity
51. 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.
Technical Controls
52. 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: NIST SP 800-30 Rev 1
Threat
53. An individual or a group that attempts to exploit vulnerabilities to cause or force a threat to
occur.
Threat Actor
54. The means by which a threat actor carries out their objectives.
Threat Vector
55. A physical object a user possesses and controls that is used to authenticate the user's identity.
Source: NISTIR 7711
Token
56. Weakness in an information system, system security procedures, internal controls or
implementation that could be exploited by a threat source. Source: NIST SP 800-30 Rev 1
Vulnerability
57. IEEE is a professional organization that sets standards for telecommunications, computer
engineering and similar disciplines.
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

Domain 2 - Business Continuity (BC), Disaster Recovery (DR) & Incident Response Concepts (10%, 7
items)
2.1 Understand business continuity (BC)
Purpose
Importance
Components
2.2 Understand disaster recovery (DR)
Purpose
Importance
Components
2.3 Understand incident response
Purpose
Importance
Components

1. Events with a negative consequence, such as system crashes, network packet floods, unauthorized
use of system privileges, defacement of a web page or execution of malicious code that destroys
data.
Adverse Events
2. The loss of control, compromise, unauthorized disclosure, unauthorized acquisition or any similar
occurrence where: a person other than an authorized user accesses or potentially accesses
personally identifiable information; or an authorized user accesses personally identifiable
information for other than an authorized purpose. Source: NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5
Breach
3. Actions, processes and tools for ensuring an organization can continue critical operations during a
contingency.
Business Continuity (BC)
4. The documentation of a predetermined set of instructions or procedures that describe how an
organization's mission/business processes will be sustained during and after a significant disruption.
Business Continuity Plan (BCP)
5. An analysis of an information system's requirements, functions, and interdependencies used to
characterize system contingency requirements and priorities in the event of a significant disruption.
Business Impact Analysis (BIA)
6. In information systems terms, the activities necessary to restore IT and communications services
to an organization during and after an outage, disruption or disturbance of any kind or scale.
Disaster Recovery (DR)
7. The processes, policies and procedures related to preparing for recovery or continuation of an
organization's critical business functions, technology infrastructure, systems and applications after
the organization experiences a disaster. A disaster is when an organization's critical business
function(s) cannot be performed at an acceptable level within a predetermined period following a
disruption.
Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP)
8. Any observable occurrence in a network or system. Source: NIST SP 800-61 Rev 2
Event
9. A particular attack. It is named this way because these attacks exploit system vulnerabilities.
Exploit
10. An event that actually or potentially jeopardizes the confidentiality, integrity or availability of an
information system or the information the system processes, stores or transmits.
Incident
11. The mitigation of violations of security policies and recommended practices. Source: NIST SP 800-
61 Rev 2
Incident Handling
12. The mitigation of violations of security policies and recommended practices. Source: NIST SP 800-
61 Rev 2
Incident Response (IR)
13. The documentation of a predetermined set of instructions or procedures to detect, respond to
and limit consequences of a malicious cyberattack against an organization's information systems(s).
Source: NIST SP 800-34 Rev 1
Incident Response Plan (IRP)
14. A security event, or combination of security events, that constitutes a security incident in which
an intruder gains, or attempts to gain, access to a system or system resource without authorization.
Source: IETF RFC 4949 Ver 2
Intrusion
15. A centralized organizational function fulfilled by an information security team that monitors,
detects and analyzes events on the network or system to prevent and resolve issues before they
result in business disruptions.
Security Operations Center
16. Weakness in an information system, system security procedures, internal controls or
implementation that could be exploited or triggered by a threat source. Source: NIST SP 800-128.
Vulnerability
17. A previously unknown system vulnerability with the potential of exploitation without risk of
detection or prevention because it does not, in general, fit recognized patterns, signatures or
methods.
Zero Day

Domain 3 - Access Controls Concepts (22%, 17 items)

3.1 Understand physical access controls
Physical security controls (e.g., badge systems, gate entry, environmental design)
Monitoring (e.g., security guards, closed-circuit television (CCTV), alarm systems, logs)
Authorized versus unauthorized personnel
3.2 Understand logical access controls
Principle of least privilege
Segregation of duties
Discretionary access control (DAC)
Mandatory access control (MAC)
Role-based access control (RBAC)
1. 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
Audit
2. An architectural approach to the design of buildings and spaces which emphasizes passive features
to reduce the likelihood of criminal activity.
Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED)
3. 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
Defense in Depth
4. 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
Discretionary Access Control (DAC)
5. To protect private information by putting it into a form that can only be read by people who have
permission to do so.
Encrypt
6. Devices that enforce administrative security policies by filtering incoming traffic based on a set of
rules.
Firewalls
7. 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
Insider Threat
8. An operating system manufactured by Apple Inc. Used for mobile devices.
iOS
9. The use of multiple controls arranged in series to provide several consecutive controls to protect
an asset; also called defense in depth.
Layered Defense
10. An operating system that is open source, making its source code legally available to end users.
Linux
11. A system irregularity that is identified when studying log entries which could represent events of
interest for further surveillance.
Log Anomaly
12. 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.
Logging
13. 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.
Logical Access Control Systems
14. Access control that requires the system itself to manage access controls in accordance with the
organization's security policies.
Mandatory Access Control
15. An entrance to a building or an area that requires people to pass through two doors with only
one door opened at a time.
Mantrap
16. 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
Object
17. 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.
Physical Access Controls
18. The principle that users and programs should have only the minimum privileges necessary to
complete their tasks. NIST SP 800-179
Principle of Least Privilege
19. An information system account with approved authorizations of a privileged user. NIST SP 800-53
Rev. 4
Privileged Account
20. 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.
Ransomware
21. An access control system that sets up user permissions based on roles.
Role-based access control (RBAC)
22. An instruction developed to allow or deny access to a system by comparing the validated identity
of the subject to an access control list.
Rule
23. 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.
Segregation of Duties
24. Generally an individual, process or device causing information to flow among objects or change
to the system state. Source: NIST SP800-53 R4
Subject
25. 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.
Technical Controls
26. A one-way spinning door or barrier that allows only one person at a time to enter a building or
pass through an area.
Turnstile
27. An operating system used in software development.
Unix
28. The process of creating, maintaining and deactivating user identities on a system.
User Provisioning

Domain 4 - Network Security (24%, 18 items)

4.1 Understand computer networking
Networks (e.g., Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model, Transmission Control Protocol/Internet
Protocol (TCP/IP) model, Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4), Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6), WiFi)
Ports
Applications
4.2 Understand network threats and attacks
Types of threats (e.g., distributed denial-of-service (DDoS), virus, worm, Trojan, man-in-the-middle
(MITM), side-channel)
Identification (e.g., intrusion detection system (IDS), host-based intrusion detection system (HIDS),
network intrusion detection system (NIDS))
Prevention (e.g., antivirus, scans, firewalls, intrusion prevention system (IPS))
4.3 Understand network security infrastructure
On-premises (e.g., power, data center/closets, Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC),
environmental, fire suppression, redundancy, memorandum of understanding
(MOU)/memorandum of agreement (MOA))
Design (e.g., network segmentation (demilitarized zone (DMZ), virtual local area network (VLAN),
virtual private network (VPN), micro-segmentation), defense in depth, Network Access Control
(NAC) (segmentation for embedded systems, Internet of Things (IoT))
Cloud (e.g., service-level agreement (SLA), managed service provider (MSP), Software as a Service
(SaaS), Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), hybrid)

1. A set of routines, standards, protocols, and tools for building software applications to access a
web-based software application or web tool.
Application programming interface (API)
2. The most essential representation of data (zero or one) at Layer 1 of the Open Systems
Interconnection (OSI) model.
Bit
3. Broadcast transmission is a one-to-many (one-to-everyone) form of sending internet traffic.
Broadcast
4. The byte is a unit of digital information that most commonly consists of eight bits.
Byte
5. A model for enabling ubiquitous, convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of
configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, servers, storage, applications, and services) that
can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service provider
interaction. NIST 800-145
Cloud computing
6. A system in which the cloud infrastructure is provisioned for exclusive use by a specific community
of consumers from organizations that have shared concerns (e.g., mission, security requirements,
policy and compliance considerations). It may be owned, managed and operated by one or more of
the organizations in the community, a third party or some combination of them, and it may exist on
or off premises. NIST 800-145
Community cloud
7. The opposite process of encapsulation, in which bundles of data are unpacked or revealed.
De-encapsulation
8. The prevention of authorized access to resources or the delaying of time-critical operations. (Time-
critical may be milliseconds or it may be hours, depending upon the service provided.) Source: NIST
SP 800-27 Rev A
Denial-of-Service (DoS)
9. This acronym can be applied to three interrelated elements: a service, a physical server and a
network protocol.
Domain Name Service (DNS)
10. Enforcement of data hiding and code hiding during all phases of software development and
operational use. Bundling together data and methods is the process of encapsulation; its opposite
process may be called unpacking, revealing, or using other terms. Also used to refer to taking any set
of data and packaging it or hiding it in another data structure, as is common in network protocols
and encryption.
Encapsulation
11. The process and act of converting the message from its plaintext to ciphertext. Sometimes it is
also referred to as enciphering. The two terms are sometimes used interchangeably in literature and
have similar meanings.
Encryption
12. The internet protocol (and program) used to transfer files between hosts.
File Transfer Protocol (FTP)
13. In a fragment attack, an attacker fragments traffic in such a way that a system is unable to put
data packets back together.
Fragment attack
14. The physical parts of a computer and related devices.
Hardware
15. A combination of public cloud storage and private cloud storage where some critical data resides
in the enterprise's private cloud while other data is stored and accessible from a public cloud storage
provider.
Hybrid cloud
16. The provider of the core computing, storage and network hardware and software that is the
foundation upon which organizations can build and then deploy applications. IaaS is popular in the
data center where software and servers are purchased as a fully outsourced service and usually
billed on usage and how much of the resource is used.
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
17. An IP network protocol standardized by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) through RFC
792 to determine if a particular service or host is available.
Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP)
18. Standard protocol for transmission of data from source to destinations in packet-switched
communications networks and interconnected systems of such networks. CNSSI 4009-2015
Internet Protocol (IPv4)
19. An attack where the adversary positions himself in between the user and the system so that he
can intercept and alter data traveling between them. Source: NISTIR 7711
Man-in-the-Middle
20. Part of a zero-trust strategy that breaks LANs into very small, highly localized zones using firewalls
or similar technologies. At the limit, this places firewall at every connection point.
Microsegmentation
21. Purposely sending a network packet that is larger than expected or larger than can be handled by
the receiving system, causing the receiving system to fail unexpectedly.
Oversized Packet Attack
22. Representation of data at Layer 3 of the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model.
Packet
23. The primary action of a malicious code attack.
Payload
24. An information security standard administered by the Payment Card Industry Security Standards
Council that applies to merchants and service providers who process credit or debit card
transactions.
Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS)
25. The web-authoring or application development middleware environment that allows applications
to be built in the cloud before they're deployed as SaaS assets.
Platform as a Service (PaaS)
26. The phrase used to describe a cloud computing platform that is implemented within the
corporate firewall, under the control of the IT department. A private cloud is designed to offer the
same features and benefits of cloud systems, but removes a number of objections to the cloud
computing model, including control over enterprise and customer data, worries about security, and
issues connected to regulatory compliance.
Private cloud
27. A set of rules (formats and procedures) to implement and control some type of association (that
is, communication) between systems. NIST SP 800-82 Rev. 2
Protocols
28. The cloud infrastructure is provisioned for open use by the general public. It may be owned,
managed, and operated by a business, academic, or government organization, or some combination
of them. It exists on the premises of the cloud provider. NIST SP 800-145
Public cloud
29. The standard communication protocol for sending and receiving emails between senders and
receivers.
Simple Mail Transport Protocol (SMTP)
30. Computer programs and associated data that may be dynamically written or modified during
execution. NIST SP 80--37 Rev. 2
Software
31. The cloud customer uses the cloud provider's applications running within a cloud infrastructure.
The applications are accessible from various client devices through either a thin client interface, such
as a web browser or a program interface. The consumer does not manage or control the underlying
cloud infrastructure including network, servers, operating systems, storage, or even individual
application capabilities, with the possible exception of limited user-specific application configuration
settings. Derived from NIST 800-145
Software as a Service (SaaS)
32. Faking the sending address of a transmission to gain illegal entry into a secure system. CNSSI
4009-2015
Spoofing
33. Internetworking protocol model created by the IETF, which specifies four layers of functionality:
Link layer (physical communications), Internet Layer (network-to-network communication), Transport
Layer (basic channels for connections and connectionless exchange of data between hosts), and
Application Layer, where other protocols and user applications programs make use of network
services.
Transport Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) Model
34. A virtual local area network (VLAN) is a logical group of workstations, servers, and network
devices that appear to be on the same LAN despite their geographical distribution.
VLAN
35. A virtual private network (VPN), built on top of existing networks, that can provide a secure
communications mechanism for transmission between networks.
VPN
36. A wireless area network (WLAN) is a group of computers and devices that are located in the same
vicinity, forming a network based on radio transmissions rather than wired connections. A Wi-Fi
network is a type of WLAN.
WLAN
37. The graphical user interface (GUI) for the Nmap Security Scanner, an open-source application that
scans networks to determine everything that is connected as well as other information.
Zenmap
38. Removing the design belief that the network has any trusted space. Security is managed at each
possible level, representing the most granular asset. Microsegmentation of workloads is a tool of the
model.
Zero Trust

Domain 5 - Security Operations (18%, 13 items)

5.1 Understand data security
Encryption (e.g., symmetric, asymmetric, hashing)
Data handling (e.g., destruction, retention, classification, labeling)
Logging and monitoring security events
5.2 Understand system hardening
Configuration management (e.g., baselines, updates, patches)
5.3 Understand best practice security policies
Data handling policy
Password policy
Acceptable Use Policy (AUP)
Bring your own device (BYOD) policy
Change management policy (e.g., documentation, approval, rollback)
Privacy policy
5.4 Understand security awareness training
Purpose/concepts (e.g., social engineering, password protection)
Importance

1. A computer responsible for hosting applications to user workstations. NIST SP 800-82 Rev.2
Application Server
2. An algorithm that uses one key to encrypt and a different key to decrypt the input plaintext.
Asymmetric Encryption
3. A digit representing the sum of the correct digits in a piece of stored or transmitted digital data,
against which later comparisons can be made to detect errors in the data.
Checksum
4. The altered form of a plaintext message so it is unreadable for anyone except the intended
recipients. In other words, it has been turned into a secret.
Ciphertext
5. Classification identifies the degree of harm to the organization, its stakeholders or others that
might result if an information asset is divulged to an unauthorized person, process or organization. In
short, classification is focused first and foremost on maintaining the confidentiality of the data, based
on the data sensitivity.
Classification
6. A process and discipline used to ensure that the only changes made to a system are those that
have been authorized and validated.
Configuration management
7. One who performs cryptanalysis which is the study of mathematical techniques for attempting to
defeat cryptographic techniques and/or information systems security. This includes the process of
looking for errors or weaknesses in the implementation of an algorithm or of the algorithm itself.
Cryptanalyst
8. The study or applications of methods to secure or protect the meaning and content of messages,
files, or other information, usually by disguise, obscuration, or other transformations of that content
and meaning.
Cryptography
9. System capabilities designed to detect and prevent the unauthorized use and transmission of
information.
Data Loss Prevention (DLP)
10. The reverse process from encryption. It is the process of converting a ciphertext message back
into plaintext through the use of the cryptographic algorithm and the appropriate key for decryption
(which is the same for symmetric encryption, but different for asymmetric encryption). This term is
also used interchangeably with the "deciphering."
Decryption
11. A technique of erasing data on disk or tape (including video tapes) that, when performed
properly, ensures that there is insufficient magnetic remanence to reconstruct data.
Degaussing
12. The result of a cryptographic transformation of data which, when properly implemented,
provides the services of origin authentication, data integrity, and signer non-repudiation. NIST SP
800-12 Rev. 1
Digital Signature
13. Monitoring of outgoing network traffic.
Egress Monitoring
14. The process and act of converting the message from its plaintext to ciphertext. Sometimes it is
also referred to as enciphering. The two terms are sometimes used interchangeably in literature and
have similar meanings.
Encryption
15. The total set of algorithms, processes, hardware, software, and procedures that taken together
provide an encryption and decryption capability.
Encryption System
16. A reference to the process of applying secure configurations (to reduce the attack surface) and
locking down various hardware, communications systems, and software, including operating system,
web server, application server, application, etc. Hardening is normally performed based on industry
guidelines and benchmarks, such as those provided by the Center for Internet Security (CIS).
Hardening
17. An algorithm that computes a numerical value (called the hash value) on a data file or electronic
message that is used to represent that file or message and depends on the entire contents of the file
or message. A hash function can be considered to be a fingerprint of the file or message. NIST SP
800-152
Hash Function
18. The process of using a mathematical algorithm against data to produce a numeric value that is
representative of that data. Source CNSSI 4009-2015
Hashing
19. The requirements for information sharing by an IT system with one or more other IT systems or
applications, for information sharing to support multiple internal or external organizations, missions,
or public programs. NIST SP 800-16
Information Sharing
20. Monitoring of incoming network traffic.
Ingress Monitoring
21. A digital signature that uniquely identifies data and has the property such that changing a single
bit in the data will cause a completely different message digest to be generated. NISTIR-8011 Vol.3
Message Digest
22. The software "master control application" that runs the computer. It is the first program loaded
when the computer is turned on, and its main component, the kernel, resides in memory at all times.
The operating system sets the standards for all application programs (such as the Web server) that
run in the computer. The applications communicate with the operating system for most user
interface and file management operations. NIST SP 800-44 Version 2
Operating System
23. A software component that, when installed, directly modifies files or device settings related to a
different software component without changing the version number or release details for the related
software component. Source: ISO/IEC 19770-2
Patch
24. The systematic notification, identification, deployment, installation and verification of operating
system and application software code revisions. These revisions are known as patches, hot fixes, and
service packs. Source: CNSSI 4009
Patch Management
25. A message or data in its natural format and in readable form; extremely vulnerable from a
confidentiality perspective.
Plaintext
26. The recordings (automated and/or manual) of evidence of activities performed or results
achieved (e.g., forms, reports, test results), which serve as a basis for verifying that the organization
and the information system are performing as intended. Also used to refer to units of related data
fields (i.e., groups of data fields that can be accessed by a program and that contain the complete set
of information on particular items). NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 4
Records
27. A practice based on the records life cycle, according to which records are retained as long as
necessary, and then are destroyed after the appropriate time interval has elapsed.
Records Retention
28. Residual information remaining on storage media after clearing. NIST SP 800-88 Rev. 1
Remanence
29. The first stage of change management, wherein a change in procedure or product is sought by a
stakeholder.
Request for change (RFC)
30. The entirety of the policies, roles, and processes the organization uses to make security decisions
in an organization.
Security Governance
31. Tactics to infiltrate systems via email, phone, text, or social media, often impersonating a person
or agency in authority or offering a gift. A low-tech method would be simply following someone into
a secure building.
Social engineering
32. An algorithm that uses the same key in both the encryption and the decryption processes.
Symmetric encryption
33. A computer that provides World Wide Web (WWW) services on the Internet. It includes the
hardware, operating system, Web server software, and Web site content (Web pages). If the Web
server is used internally and not by the public, it may be known as an "intranet server." NIST SP 800-
44 Version 2
Web Server
34. Phishing attacks that attempt to trick highly placed officials or private individuals with sizable
assets into authorizing large fund wire transfers to previously unknown entities.
Whaling Attack