Glossary

A virtual space in which new, untrusted or untested software or coding can be run safely without risking harm to the hosting computer.

A fraudulent scheme performed by a dishonest or deceitful individual, group or company in an attempt to obtain money or something else of value.

An email that intentionally deceives for personal gain or to damage another individual.

A person who commits fraud or participates in a dishonest scheme.

A type of malware written using a scripting language. Common forms of scripting language include JavaScript, HTML, Visual Basic Script, PowerShell, Perl, Python and Shell Scripting.

The process of increasing website traffic by increasing the visibility or ranking of a website or a web page to users of a search engine.

The people who are the second most likely to purchase products and services, and are thus targeted for marketing purposes.

A representative of a foreign government on exchange or long-term posting.

An area that has been authorised to process, store or communicate SECRET data. Such areas are not necessarily tied to a specific level of security zone.

A hardened workstation, or virtualised privileged operating environment, used specifically in the performance of administrative activities.

A software development principle whereby products and services are configured for maximum security by default.

When a customer requests that their suppliers provide evidence of their commitment to security and transparency for their products and services.

A software development principle whereby security is designed into every stage of a product or service’s development.

A path for transferring data between two entities that ensures confidentiality and integrity, as well as mutual authentication, between the two entities.

A network protocol that can be used to securely log into, execute commands on, and transfer files between remote workstations and servers.

A networking protocol designed for securing connections between web clients and web servers over an insecure network, such as the internet.

A protocol which allows the encryption and signing of email messages.

An area certified to the physical security requirements for a Security Zone Two to Security Zone Five area, as defined in the Department of Home Affairs’ Protective Security Policy Framework.

An activity designed to provide assurance in the security posture of a system and its operating environment. Security assessments can include security control assessments, vulnerability scanning, vulnerability assessments and penetration tests.

A document that describes the agreed scope, type and extent of assessment activities as part of a security control assessment.

A document that describes the outcomes of a security control assessment and contributes to the development of a plan of action and milestones.

A collection of connection-specific parameters used for IPsec connections.

The duration a security association is valid for.

An act that leads to damage of a system or unauthorised access to the system.

An Australian Government interdepartmental committee responsible for the evaluation and endorsement of security equipment and services. The committee is chaired by the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation.

A safeguard implemented for a system or its operating environment to protect the confidentiality, integrity or availability of data.

A security assessment activity undertaken to assess security controls for a system and its environment to determine if they have been implemented correctly and are operating as intended.

An organisation’s cyber security strategy; system-specific security documentation; and any supporting diagrams, plans, policies, processes, procedures and registers.

A system or collection of systems operating under a consistent security policy that defines the classification, releasability and special handling caveats for data processed within the domain.

A weakness in a system that gives a threat agent the opportunity to mount an attack.

The level of security risk to which a system is exposed. A system with a strong security posture is exposed to a low level of security risk while a system with a weak security posture is exposed to a high level of security risk.

The likelihood and consequence of an event that could result in the compromise, loss of integrity or unavailability of systems, their resources or data, or deliberate harm to people.

Statements that communicate the expectations of an organisation’s senior management about their security risk tolerance. These criteria help an organisation identify security risks, prepare appropriate treatments and provide a benchmark against which the success of mitigations can be measured.

The process of identifying, assessing and taking steps to reduce security risks to an acceptable level.

An artefact of Common Criteria evaluations that specifies conformance claims, threats and assumptions, security objectives, and security requirements for an evaluated product.

Updates to the security on your system.

Security Equipment Guide

Any device or system that has the ability to perceive that it is not operating correctly and to make the necessary adjustments to restore itself to normal operation.

An email authentication method designed to detect forged sender addresses during the delivery of email.

Data that would cause damage to an organisation or an individual if compromised.

A computer that provides services to users or other systems. For example, a file server, email server or database server.

User accounts used by non-human users to perform automated tasks without manual intervention, such as machine-to-machine communications. Service accounts will typically be configured to disallow interactive logins.

A company which allows its subscribers access to the internet.

The name given to identify a particular Wi-Fi network. The SSID is broadcast by the wireless access point (wireless router) and can be detected by other wireless-enabled devices in range of the wireless access point (WAP). In some cases, SSIDs are hidden, making them invisible to Wi-Fi clients.

Mechanisms used to maintain authenticated access to cloud services after a user, application or non-person identity has successfully authenticated.

A form of blackmail in which sexual information or images are used to extort money or sexual favours from the victim in return for not releasing the information or images publicly.

Secure Hashing Algorithm 1

Secure Hashing Algorithm 2

A framework that describes the management and operational responsibilities between different parties for a system. Where responsibilities relating to specific security controls are shared between multiple parties, enough detail is documented to provide clear demarcation between the parties.

The program that gives your commands to your computer's operating system.

A text messaging service component of most telephone, internet and mobile device systems. It uses standardised communication protocols to enable mobile devices to exchange short text messages.

A distinct pattern in network traffic that can be identified to a specific tool or exploit. Signatures are used by security software to determine if a file has been previously determined to be malicious or not.

Session Initiation Protocol

The theft of credit card information using card readers, or skimmers, to record and store victims' data.

Stateless Address Autoconfiguration

A legally independent company with less than a certain number of employees or financial turnover. The Australian Taxation Office defines Australian SMEs as having less than $250 million turnover.

Appliances that are able to connect to the internet via Wi-Fi or another protocol such as the Zigbee specification and can be accessed and controlled remotely from any internet-connected computer or mobile device.

An electronic device, generally connected to other devices or networks via different wireless protocols such as Bluetooth, Zigbee, NFC, Wi-Fi, LiFi, 3G, etc, that can operate to some extent interactively and autonomously.

Vehicles equipped with system driven forms of artificial intelligence.

A handheld electronic device that provides connection to a cellular network. Smartphones allow people to make phone calls, send text messages and access the internet.

A fraudulent text message sent by a deceitful or dishonest person in order to obtain money or something else of value.

Simple Network Management Protocol

The methods used to manipulate people into carrying out specific actions, or divulging information.

Websites and applications that enable users to create and share content or to participate in social networking.

An act of deception and fraud committed through social media websites or applications.

An application that allows a workstation to act as a phone using a built-in or externally-connected microphone and speaker.

An element of a system including, but not limited to, an application or operating system.

 A free download for an application, operating system, or software suite that provides fixes for features that aren't working as intended or adds minor software enhancements and compatibility.

A cloud service model in which the provider operates the application, platform and underlying infrastructure, while the customer manages its users, data, access, integrations and service configurations.

Non-volatile media that uses non-volatile flash memory media to retain its data when power is removed and, unlike non-volatile magnetic media, contains no moving parts.

Special Publication

Unsolicited electronic messages, especially containing advertising, indiscriminately transmitted to a large number of people.

A form of phishing that targets a specific person or group.

Functionality that enables a device to access public network infrastructure and a VPN connection at the same time.

A type of attack where a message is made to look like it comes from a trusted source. For example, an email that looks like it comes from a legitimate business, but is actually trying to spread malware.

A program that collects information on the user’s activities without their consent. Spyware may be installed on a system illegitimately, or as a part of other software without the user’s knowledge.

Exploitation of a vulnerability in a database application that does not properly validate or encode user input, allowing the manipulation, exfiltration or deletion of data.

A standardised build of an operating system and associated applications that can be used for servers, workstations and mobile devices.

A user who can, with their normal privileges, make only limited changes to a system and generally cannot bypass security measures.

A private actor that conducts activity on behalf of a state, for example, a contracted hacker or company.

A special-purpose programming language designed for managing data held in a relational database management system.

An individual or a business that signs a contract to perform part or all of the obligations of another's contract.

A person who is an authority in a particular area or topic. In computer science, also called a domain expert.

A cable laid on the sea bed between land-based stations to carry telecommunication signals across stretches of sea and ocean.

A control system architecture comprising computers, networked data communications and graphical user interfaces for high-level process supervisory management. It also comprises other peripheral devices like programmable logic controllers and discrete proportional-integral-derivative controllers used to interface with process plant or machinery.

Organisations, such as software developers, IT equipment manufacturers, OT equipment manufacturers, service providers and data brokers, that provide products and services. Suppliers can also include other organisations involved in distribution channels.

The act of browsing the internet by going from one web page to another web page using hyperlinks in a web browser.

An email that is potentially malicious.

A message that is potentially malicious.

A video that is potentially malicious.

Cryptographic algorithms that use the same key for encryption and decryption. Block ciphers and stream ciphers are common types of symmetric cryptographic algorithms.

Symmetric encryption algorithms are algorithms for cryptography that use the same cryptographic keys for both the encryption of plaintext and the decryption of ciphertext data. Symmetric encryption algorithms may operate in various modes which apply either stream or block ciphers.

The cyber supply chain, infrastructure, operating systems and applications supporting the processing, storage or communication of data, including the governance framework within which they operate.

System administration refers to the management of one or more hardware and software systems. Also referred to as 'sys admin'.

A system administration role performed by a human user with privileged access.

The classification of a system is the highest classification of data which the system is authorised to store, process or communicate.

Critical infrastructure or essential service

The executive responsible for a system.

A document that describes a system and its associated security controls.

A system’s system security plan, cybersecurity incident response plan, change and configuration management plan, continuous monitoring plan, security assessment report, and plan of action and milestones.

A facility shared by multiple tenants. For example, a single floor, or part of a floor, within a multi-tenanted building.