Computer/System Terms - F
Facilitated Risk Analysis Process (FRAP) - (Risk assessment methodology which focuses only on the systems considered most in need of assessing in order to reduce costs and time obligations. It stresses prescreening activities and relies more on team members' experience, than probability calculations, to determine the criticality and priority of risks chosen for assessment.)
Factor Analysis of Information Risk (FAIR) - (Risk model developed by the FAIR Institute which provides a framework for quantitatively assessing risk based on specific probabilities of loss from specific kinds of threats.)
Failure Modes and Effect Analysis (FMEA) - (A methodology commonly used in product development or operational environments, which involves a determination of product functions, identifying functional failures, and assessing the causes of failure, and their failure effects, using a structured process, with the goal of identifying weaknesses and fixing flaws before they happen.)
fair access plan (FAP) - (Feature of satellite broadband services policy setting out various policy terms, such as download and upload capabilities and schedules, usage limits, and bandwidth limits.)
Fair Access Policy (FAP) - (Satellite broadband subscription service offered by provider WildBlue.)
false acceptance rate (FAR) - (The level of errors generated by a biometric system in which unauthorized users or unknown individuals are mistakenly identified and authenticated, and allowed entry. The term "false acceptance rate" is similar to the term "false positive rate" (FPR), although it is generally associated with biometric system errors, whereas FPR is likely to be used to describe error rates in other (non-biometric) detection systems.)
false negative rate (FNR) - (In a malware detection system, or any security system, the percentage of incorrect detections/identifications saying malware was not malware (or benign) when it was in fact malicious (acceptance of activity which turned out to be malicious or failure to warn of or act on intrusions which occured).)
false positive rate (FPR) - (In a malware detection system, or any security system, the percentage of incorrect detections/identifications (warnings of malicious activity which was not malicious or warnings of intrusions which did not occur).)
False Rejection Rate (FRR) - (The level of errors generated by a biometric system in which authorized users or known individuals are mistakenly rejected and denied entry. The term "false rejection rate" is similar to the term "false negative rate" (FNR), although it is generally associated with biometric system errors, whereas FNR is likely to be used to describe error rates in non-biometric detection systems.)
Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI) -
Fast Page Mode (FPM) -
Fast Page Mode Dynamic Random Access Memory (FPM DRAM) -
fear, uncertainty, and doubt (FUD) - (sales tactic)
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) - (U.S. federal agency which regulates telecommunication systems, including voice and data transmissions.)
Federal Computer Incident Response Capability (Fed CIRC) - (The ability of federal agencies to respond to adverse events, attacks, or disruptions impacting computer and information systems, including identification, mitigationg, and recovery capabilities.)
Federal Desktop Core Configuration (FDCC) - (Secure configuration standards for government agencies in the use of operating systems, Web browsers, and other computer workstation features.)
Federal Enterprise Architecture (FEA) - (A business-based framework for government-wide improvement developed by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) that is intended to facilitate efforts to transform the federal government into an organization that is citizen-centered, results-oriented, and market-based.)
Federal Enterprise Architecture Framework (FEAF) - (A model intended to bring consistency among federal agencies in the implementation and operation of Federal Enterprise Architecture (FEA) by providing guidance for the design, development, and operation of federal information systems.)
Federal Information Processing Standard(s) (FIPS) - (Standards to be used by federal agencies in evaluating and developing federal information systems, other than national security systems.)
Federal Information Security Management Act of 2002 (FISMA) - (Title III of the E-Government Act) (Federal law requiring federal agencies to create, document, and implement an agency-wide security program to provide protection for the information and information systems that support the operations and assets of the agency, including those of other agencies and contractors.)
Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (Fed RAMP) - (A multi-agency collaborative program providing a process for cloud service providers to attain certification of their compliance with FISMA (Federal Information Security Management Act) requirements and receive security authorization. Once certified, they can be listed for federal agencies interested in using cloud services on system projects.)
Federation Against Software Theft (FAST) - (Organization promoting the enforcement of software proprietary rights.)
Fiber Distributed Data Interface (FDDI) - (A high-speed, token-passing, media access technology with a data transmission speed of up to 100 Mbps, usually used as a backbone network using fiberoptic cabling.)
fiber to the curb (FTTC) -
fiber to the home (FTTH) -
fiber to the neighborhood (FTTN) -
fiber to the premises (FTTP) -
Fibre Channel (FC) - (A technology that transmits data of up to a projected 4 Gbps and uses special optical cables to connect the shared storage devices to servers.)
Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) - (Technology which allows Fibre Channel (FC) - fiber-optic cable - links to use Ethernet to carry FC communications where an Ethernet connection exists.)
Fibre Channel Protocol (FCP) - (Protocol governing transport communications of Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) commands over a Fibre Channel (FC) network, consisting of ports and fabric (an interconnected switching system).)
field-effect transistor (FEC) -
field-programmable gate array (FPGA) - (programmable chip)
file activity monitor (FAM) - (Security control tool which monitors system file activity for large data migration (transfers of a large number of files or large amounts of data) or unusual activity.)
File Allocation Table (FAT) - (The part of the disk that contains information about the sizes and locations of files. FAT is, essentially, an index system, which tracks the location of stored/saved files, portions of files, and data. Used in DOS and Windows systens.)
File Allocation Table, 32 bit (FAT32) - (A modified form of the FAT file system that was introduced in Windows 98 and some later releases of Windows 95. FAT32 uses 32-bit numbers to identify clusters (allocation units), which allows for a larger maximum volume and file size. Designed to support disk drives larger than 2 gigabytes.)
File Allocation Table, 64 bit (FAT64) (aka exFAT) - (An optional file system supported by Windows XP and by Vista SP!, which uses 64-bit numbers to identify clusters (allocation units). Allows for larger volume and file size.)
file system (FS) -
File Transfer Protocol (FTP) -
File Transfer Protocol Secure (FTPS) -
Final Customer Shipment (FCS) - (Term used in software product development, referring to the stage at which a product has completed the beta-testing phase (second stage of testing, usually done by volunteers, of a new software product that is almost ready for market) and is available to be shipped to customers.)
Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) - (Bureau of the U.S. Treasury Department established in 1990 to provide a government-wide, multisource financial intelligence and analysis network - in 1994 its operations were broadened when it was given regulatory responsibility for administering the Bank Secrecy Act.)
Financial Intelligence (FININT) - (Financial information related to the targeted organization or individual, such as acquisitions, quarterly financial reports, bank statements, or SEC filings.)
first-in, first-out (FIFO) -
first in, last out (FILO) -
Flat Panel Display-Link (FPD-Link) - (laptop connection)
flex interconnect cable (FIC) -
Flexible Display Interface (FDI) - (In an integrated graphics system, the FDI carries digital display data from the Graphical Processing Unit (GPU) in the processor to the display interface circuitry in the platform controller.)
flip-chip pin grid array (FC-PGA) - (Type of chip packaging with a grid-like array of pins on the bottom of the package, in which the processor die is mounted upside down (flipped).)
floating-point operations per second (FLOPS) -
Floating Point Unit (FPU) - (math coprocessors)
floppy drive connector (FDC) - (Connector (plug-in socket) on a motherboard which allows a cable connection to a spare (external) floppy drive.)
fog computing - (A new term or type of computer operations dealing with aspects of a distributed computing structure, similar to edge computing, but involving a larger network of devices and sensors. Although it is associated with the increase in the use of cloud services, it is also related to the development of miniaturized computing capabilities, such as microcontrollers used in industrial control systems and microprocessors.)
Foreign Agent (FA) - (In the area of mobile communications 4G technology, a router with additional capabilities beyond those of standard routers, connecting to another network (other than that of the local Home Agent (HA) network).)
form feed (FF) - (printing)
Formula Translation (FORTRAN) - (programming language)
Fortron Source Power (FSP) - (company)
frame check sequence (FCS) - (Numbers coded into packets by a sending computer, used in packet switching transmissions, which allow packets to be reassembled by the destination computer according to their FCS numbers.)
Frames Per Second (FPS) -
free-space optics (FSO) - (optical wireless)
frequency division multiple access (FDMA) - (Subscriber cell phone transmission method using frequency-division multiplexing (FDM) which divides a medium's frequency range into sub-bands (channels), allowing different communication sessions to transmit their data over different channels. The cell phone subscriber has exclusive use of the channel while the call is made, or until the call is terminated or handed off, preventing other calls or conversations from being made during that call.)
frequency-division multiplexing (FDM) - (Transmission method which divides a medium's frequency range into sub-bands (channels), allowing different communication sessions to transmit their data over different channels. This approach is called broadband.)
frequency hopping spread spectrum (FHSS) -
frequency modulation (FM) -
frequency timing generator (FTG) - (speed conversion)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) - (A file or listing of commonly-asked questions or often-needed information in question-and-answer format, intended to limit calls to staff relating to information that is easily answered or readily available.)
Front Side Bus (FSB) -
full disk encryption (FDE) - (Computer/system protection method in which an entire disk is encrypted.)
Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN) - (A website address written as, or consisting of, a series of strings (programming term for sequences of printable characters) delimited by a period. In practical terms, it is simply the fully spelled out address for a website - "www.mywebsite.com" or "www.agency.gov")
Function-as-a-Service (FaaS) - (Cloud service in which the provider delivers a platform which the customer/client uses to create and run their own applications.)
Function Level Reset (FLR) -
Functionality, Usability, Reliability, Performance, Supportability (FURPS) - (Summary of the primary requirements, or core considerations needed in an information system.)
Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) - (Method of system authentication using two authentication methods or factors. The term "Two-factor authentication" was used because only two factors were used and has been replaced by "multifactor authentication." Factor types generally involved "something you know," such as a username and password, "something you have," such as a smart card or token, or "something you are," such as a biometric characteristic, such as a fingerprint or eye retina pattern. Using two factors of the same type, such as a username and password, is considered single-factor authentication.)