Cybersecurity Terms - I
Idaho National Laboratory (INL) - (U.S. research facility focusing on nuclear reactor and nuclear energy research.)
identification (ID) - (Any method of identifying an individual electronically or digitally, such as a password or PIN number, or physical proof of an individual's identity, such as a driver's license.)
Identity-as-a-Service (IDaaS) - (Cloud-based management service which provides identity and access management functions, including provisioning (process of creating, changing, disabling, and deleting user accounts) and identity services, such as user identification, authentication, and authorization, managing passwords, sign-ons, along with logging and reporting.)
Identity and Access Management (IAM) - (The security and business discipline that addresses the need to ensure appropriate access to resources across increasingly heterogenous technology environments and meet increasingly rigorous compliance requirements.)
Identity, Credential, and Access Management (ICAM) - (A framework of policies built into an organization's information technology infrastructure that allows system owners to have assurance that the right person is accessing the right information at the right time for the right reason. A system with the capability to identify a user, to authenticate them for system access and to limit access to data that the user is authorized to access.)
Identity, Entitlement, and Access Management (IdEA) - (A solution approach that leverages directory services to provide access control, giving the right users access to the resources they are allowed to access at a particular time.)
Identity Provider (IP) (IdP) - (System entity that enables organizations to create and maintain identities for individuals across a wide range of online services or applications that require user identification. The identity provider is the party that manages the identities and creates the identity assertions used in federation (multiple activities conducted by a single entity).)
Illegal Botnet - (A network of compromised computers involved in illegal activities - A network of compromised computers is called a botnet. Each infected computer is referred to as a bot (short for robot).)
Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Bureau of (ICE) (BICE) - (Agency within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) responsible for enforcement of both immigration laws and customs laws, in addition to the protection of over 8,000 federally-owned and leased buildings within the United States and its territories.)
improvised explosive device (IED) - (An explosive device made of easily-acquired, low-tech materials.)
Incident Management Team (IMT) - (Team or unit within an organization which deals with "incidents" - events that can lead to a disruption of an organization's services or operations that impacts either internal or public users. The main intent of incident management is to quickly respond to events to prevent them from developing into major disruptions, which can involve an analysis of past events, a classification of incidents, and decisions about additional response priorities.)
Incident Object Description Exchange Format (IODEF) - (Exchange language used to share threat intelligence across different platforms.)
Incident Response (IR) - (How organizations respond to security incidents or system intrusions from first detection through analysis and investigation, to action and containment, and finally, to recovery.)
Incident Response Plan (IRP) - (Plan which establishes procedures to be followed when "incidents" which may impact a system occur, whether such incidents are actual breaches, potential attacks, or system disruptions. The plan should define the incident and the relevant response, provide for reporting procedures, delegate responsibility and assign team or staff members, and provide for follow-up and review.)
Incident Response Team (IRT) - (Unit or staff members within an organization reponsible for handling security incidents, deciding on an appropriate response, analyzing responses, and preparing for future responses. Also known as a Computer Incident Response Team (CIRT).)
Independent Computing Architecture (ICA) - (Citrix Systems proprietary protocol that allows an application running on one platform to be seen and controlled from a remote client, independent of the client platform.)
Indicators of Attack (IOA) - (Unusual or abnormal system behavior which indicate that an attack is taking place, such as intrusion detection system (IDS) alerts, outbound traffic to a particular IP address or domain name, abnormal DNS query patterns, unusually large HTTP requests and/or responses, and Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) traffic.)
Indicators of Compromise (IOC) - ( Changes in computer or network behavior which indicate that an attack has been successful and that system security has been compromised.)
Individual Participation and Redress (IP) - (A National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) category of privacy rules and guidelines required by the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) when assessing the impact of systems or functions on privacy.)
industrial control system (ICS) - (Information technology specifically designed to control phyisical devices used in industrial processes. An collective term for varied, and different digital, network, and system technologies employed in automated, industrial production systems, such as nuclear reactors, wind turbines, electrical grids, water and waste treatment, and gas production and pipe delivery systems.)
Industrial Control System - Cyber Emergency Response Team (ICS-CERT) - (U.S. organization responsible for helping to secure critical infrastructure systems.)
Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) - (Network of small embedded devices or microprocessors, capable of independently connecting to the Internet, in use in industrial systems.)
infection vector (IV) - (Method or means by which malware infects and spreads within a computer system.)
Information Assurance (IA) - (Measures that protect and defend information and information systems, by ensuring their availability, integrity, authentication, confidentiality, and non-repudiation - this includes providing for restoration of information systems by incorporating protection, detection, and reaction capabilities.)
Information Assurance Officer (IAO) - (Individual responsible for seeing that information systems are operating and secure and, in the case of a breach or failure, can be restored to operational status.)
Information Assurance Technical Framework (IATF) - (Policy document providing technical guidance for protecting the information infrastructures of the United States (U.S.) Government and industry. The information infrastructure is defined and the process for implementing a secure system is set out.)
Information Assurance Technology Analysis Center (IATAC) - (Renamed or now part of the Cybersecurity and Information Systems Information Analysis Center (CSIAC), a unit or component of the U.S. Department of Defense's (DoD's) Information Analysis Center (IAC) which provides information research and analysis for the DoD, federal agencies, and industry partners primarily in the areas of cybersecurity and information systems, supports research, and serves as a source of information for the science and technology community.)
Information Assurance Vulnerability Alert (IAVA) - (A notification that is generated when an Information Assurance vulnerability may result in an immediate and potentially severe threat to Department of Defense (DoD) systems and information. The vulnerability is serious enough that the alert requires corrective action because of the severity of the vulnerability.)
Information Life Cycle Management (ILM) - (The organizational oversight and management of information during its existence within the organization, the development of policies, establishment of goals, assignment of staff and budgeting, from creation to disposal, involving questions of classification, access, handling, and disposal.)
information management (IM) - (Function which details how an organization plans, identifies, creates, collects, receives, governs, secures, uses, exchanges, maintains, and disposes of information.)
Information Resources Management (IRM) - (Term which encompasses both information management (IM), how an organization plans, identifies, creates, collects, receives, governs, secures, uses, exchanges, maintains, and disposes of information, and resources management, how it identifies information assets, budgets, plans for, and determines the staffing requirements and the resources necessary to manage information resources.)
Information Rights Management (IRM) - (Technology or a set of technologies used to protect documents containing sensitive of confidential information from unauthorized access. Similar, but not identical to, Digital Rights Management (DRM) which are the technological measures and tools, such as anti-copying countermeasures, used in the entertainment industry to prevent digital works, such as videos or movies, from being copied.)
Information Risk Management (IRM) - (The process whereby risks to IT hardware, software, and information assets are identified and threats and vulnerabilities are reduced to an acceptable level and controls are implemented to maintain that level.)
Information Security (InfoSEC) - (The protection of information and information systems from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification or destruction. Although protecting computers and systems information has been a consideration for a long time, Information Security and InfoSEC has evolved to encompass, not just computer systems, but all security measures (physical, organizational, human, and electronic) and involves taking security into consideration at all stages of the process, from planning through development, installation, testing, and use.)
Information Security Continuous Monitoring (ISCM) - (System security function in which security controls and organizational risk are assessed and analyzed continuously or at a frequency sufficient to support risk-based security decisions to adequately protect organizational information.)
Information Security Management System (ISMS) - (Organizational system used to operate an information security program, including information gathering, analysis, and response capabilities.)
Information Security Operations Center (ISOC) - (A facility or center which monitors an organization's applications, databases, websites, servers, and networks. An ISOC generally provides real-timef situational awareness and is a primary center of network defense.)
Information Security Skills (ISS) - (Skills needed or acquired by a security professional to deal with security issues.)
Information System Contingency Plan (ISCP) - (Plan which provides information and instructions for procedures listing steps to be followed by an organization for events which disrupt system operations including recovery steps needed to support business continuity obectives. A contingency plan normally would include key information needed for system recovery, including staff assignments with designated roles and responsibilities, outage assessment procedures, hardware and software inventory, results of business impact analysis, and detailed recovery and reconstitution procedures, including testing and validation.)
Information Systems Audit (ISA) - (Organization focused on information systems auditing, which would later become the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA).)
Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA) - (Organization which focuses on infomation systems auditing and security, setting standards, educating practitioners, and offering certifications in various aspects of information systems and cybersecurity. Created COBIT (Control Objectives for Information and related Technology), a set of best practices for IT management.)
Information Systems Risk Management (ISRM) - (The management approach an organization takes in dealing with risks to its information systems, which is part of overall risk management to the organization. Risk management is the process of identifying and assessing risk, reducing it to an acceptable level, and taking measures to maintain it at that low level. ISRM will vary, depending on the organization, but should include a formal policy, the designation of a team assigned responsibility for systems risk management, an assessment of risk, and a formal written plan for management and recovery, in the event of a disaster.)
Information Systems Security Association (ISSA) - (Nonprofit organization of information system security professionals which sponsors conferences, holds monthly meetings, provides speakers for educational programs, and serves as an information source for developments in the cybersecurity field.)
Information Systems Security Officer (ISSO) - (Individual responsible for security involving computer systems and networks at an organization.)
Information Technology (IT) - (The development, implementation, and maintenance of computer hardware and software systems to organize and communicate information electronically.)
Information Technology Governance Institute (ITGI) - (An organization created by the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA) in 1998, with the goal of providing research, publications, best practices guidelines, and standards in the area of IT governance.)
Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) - (A framework of standards and best practices for managing information technology (IT) infrastructure, development and operations, developed in the 1980s by the UK's Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency (later the Office of Government Commerce (OGC)).)
Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) - (A cloud computing service model in which the IaaS cloud provider will host the infrastructure components traditionally found in an on-premises data center, including servers, storage, and networking hardware, as well as the virtualization or hypervisor level, while the customer creates their own applications and is responsibility for security.)
initial secure device identity (iDevID) - (A single built-in device identification which identifies a device.)
initial sequence number (ISN) - (The first sequence number to be used in the SYN flag, part of the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) three-way handshake establishing a communication transmission connection.)
initialization vector (IV) - (Random value used with algorithms to ensure patterns are not created during the encryption process.)
Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) - (A nonprofit nuclear nonproliferation grroup that traces nuclear activities in Iran and other countries.)
Instruction Pointer (IP) - (In computer program code execution, a register which points to the current instruction the processor is reading.)
integrated development environment (IDE) - (A software suite that consolidates basic tools to write and test software.)
integrated product team (IPT) - (An approach to software development involving a multidisciplinary development team with representatives from many or all the stakeholders involved, such as business executives, managers, departments, and end users.)
Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) - (A technology provided by telephone companies and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) which allows transmission of data, voice, and other traffic to be transmitted digitally even over copper wires connecting houses and businesses, which are remnants of the old telephone networks which tranamitted data in analog form.)
Intellectual Property (IP) - (The area of law that protects a person's creative ideas, inventions, and innovations. It is divided into the fields of patents, copyrights, trade secrets, and trademarks.)
Intelligence Community (IC) - (Agencies and individuals involved in collecting and analyzing information involving national security.)
intelligent electronic device (IED) - (A device with computing capabilities such as a "smart" sensor/actuator containing the intelligence required to acquire data, communicate with other devices, and perform local processing and control.)
Interactive Application Security Testing (IAST) - (A testing process that analyzes the behavior of an application in the testing phase, using a combination of RASP (Runtime Application Self-Protection) and DAST (Dynamic Application Security Testing) procedures to aid in identifying vulnerabilities within an application, enabling developers, during the development process, to take steps to reduce risk.)
Interactive Connectivity Establishment (ICE) - (Framework designed to provide a methodfor browers to communicate directly with other browsers.)
InterAsterisk eXchange (IAX) - (A Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) communications protocol for the Asterisk Private Branch Exchange (PBX) software, mainly designed for IP voice calls, although it can accomodate streaming media, including video.)
Interconnection Security Agreement (ISA) - (Agreement used by federal agencies which documents the technical requirements, including security requirements, for establishing interconnections (connections between different information systems).)
Intermediate System to Intermediate System (IS-IS) - (A protocol that allows each router to independently build a database of a network's topology, compute the best path for traffic to travel, but does not use IP addresses.)
Internal Segmentation Firewall (ISFW) -
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) - (Agency established in 1957 to promote the peaceful development of nuclear technology, and later has served as a nuclear watchdog to oversee and prevent nuclear weapons development.)
International Data Encryption Algorithm (IDEA) - (Data encryption method considered stronger than Data Encryption Standard (DES) due to its longer key size and number of rounds (re-encryption cycles) used.)
International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium, Inc. (ISC)2 - (Largest not-for-profit membership body of certified information and software security professionals worldwide which offers certification credentials for security professionals in various specialized areas of security, as well as offering educational programs and services. The 2 stands for squared, for the duplicated words in the name.)
International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) - (A unique number, usually fifteen digits in length, stored in the Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card inside a mobile phone.)
International Organization for Standardization (ISO) - (Nongovernmental organization formed in 1946, based in Geneva, Switzerland, overseeing a network of over 160 national standards institutes, both governmental and private sector. While the standards involve a variety of areas, including meteorology, food technology, agriculture, and mining, ISO has worked with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) to develop security standards as part of an information security management system (ISMS), collectively grouped under the ISO/IEC 27000 series. (ISO is not an acronmym, but a derivation of ISOS, the Greek word for equal.))
International Standard Book Number (ISBN) - (ISO (International Organization for Standardization) numbering system used to identify published books based on different categories.)
Internet Architecture Board (IAB) - (Subcommittee of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), composed of independent researchers and professionals, which develops and promotes Internet standards in the engineering area.)
Internet Control Management Protocol (ICMP) - (alternative term for Internet Control Message Protocol) (A protocol intended primarily to provide information on network connections and system status, such as error reporting, routing information, and remote host status or existence, through the ping utility, which asks for an echo reply from the other system.)
Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) - (A protocol intended primarily to provide information on network connections and system status, such as error reporting, routing information, and remote host status or existence, through the ping utility, which asks for an echo reply from the other system.)
Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) - (Organization founded in 1986 which focuses on the techical and engineering aspects of Internet communications and works to provide guidance, promote best practices, serve as an information source, and set development standards for Internet functions.)
Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP) - (A protocol that routers use to communicate with hosts to determine a "group" membership in order to determine which computers want to receive a multicast (type of transmission to a select group) transmission. Once a multicast transmission has started, IGMP is responsible for maintaining the multicast and terminating it at completion.)
Internet Key Exchange (IKE) - (A security protocol within the Internet Protocol Security (IPSec) which provides encryption keys or keying materials in a communications exchange session between two parties.)
Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) - (Protocol which enables users to access mail on a mail server - retrieves e-mail from an e-mail server.)
Internet Message Access Protocol Version 4 (IMAP4) -
Internet of Everything (IoE) - (Term loosely used to describe the collecion of people, processes, things, and data involved in activities on the Internet, or a combination of the connectivity of people, the processing of data, the Internet of Things (IoT), the physical devices and objects connected to the Internet.)
Internet of Things (IoT) - (The expansion of the Internet to allow connection/connectivity of devices to the Internet, allowing them to function through the Internet - concept can be applied to home appliances, thermostats, sensors, lighting fixtures, and health devices and monitors.)
Internet Protocol (IP) - (Connectionless (does not establish or maintain a transmission connection) protocol that provides the addressing and routing capabilities for each data packet.)
Internet Protocol Security (IPSec) - (A set of protocols developed to specifically protect IP traffic, allowing sites to connect securely using IP networks.)
Internet Relay Chat (IRC) - (Refers either to the protocol that enables text conversations over the Internet or to the Chat room conversations, the multi-user conversations conducted in various forums over the Internet in real time.)
Internet Research Task Force (IRTF) -
Internet Security Association and Key Management Protocol (ISAKMP) - (An IP security protocol providing a set of mechanisms for communication authentication, creating and managing security associations (data storage area holding information history associated with individual authentication attempts), key generation and exchange, and threat mitigation.)
Internet security systems (ISS) - (Term for a system or systems designed to provide security from threats to data or systems arising from Internet-related activities or use.)
Internet service provider (ISP) - (A firm that provides access to the Internet, usually for a subscription fee. ISPs can provide a range of services, such as e-mail, along with the hosting (running) of personal and corporate web sites.)
Internet Small Computer System Interface (iSCSI) - (An IP-based protocol used to communicate with storage devices, involving a set of technologies. In practice, this allows peripherals to be connected to computers.)
Intra-Site Automatic Tunnel Addressing Protocol (ISATAP) - (Automatic tunneling technique where the routing infrastructure automatically determines the tunnel endpoints so that protocol tunneling can take place without preconfiguration. ISATAP refers to automatic tunneling within (intra-site) a specific network (intranet), in contrast to tunneling between different networks.)
Intrusion Detection (ID) - (Process of detecting an unauthorized use of, or attack on, a computer, network, or telecommunications infrastructure component.)
Intrusion Detection and Prevention System (IDPS) - (A security system with the capability (or which as been configured) to serve as both an intrusion detection system (IDS) which can monitor a network or system activities for indications of malicious behavior or policy violations and an intrusion prevention system (IPS) with the capability to stop or block an attack.)
Intrusion Detection System (IDS) - (A system sensor tool designed to detect malicious activity on a system and report or alert incident teams of the activity, which can then be investigated.)
intrusion prevention system (IPS) - (A security system with the ability to stop or block a cyber attack.)