Access Control Concepts

Question 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

Answer 1

Audit

Question 2

An architectural approach to the design of buildings and spaces which emphasizes passive features to reduce the likelihood of criminal activity.

Answer 2

Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED)

Question 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

Answer 3

Defense in Depth

Question 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

Answer 4

Discretionary Access Control (DAC)

Question 5

To protect private information by putting it into a form that can only be read by people who have permission to do so.

Answer 5

Encrypt

Question 6

Devices that enforce administrative security policies by filtering incoming traffic based on a set of rules.

Answer 6

Firewalls

Question 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

Answer 7

Insider Threat

Question 8

An operating system manufactured by Apple Inc. Used for mobile devices.

Answer 8

iOS

Question 9

The use of multiple controls arranged in series to provide several consecutive controls to protect an asset; also called defense in depth. 

Answer 9

Layered Defense

Question 10

An operating system that is open source, making its source code legally available to end users.

Answer 10

Linux

Question 11

A system irregularity that is identified when studying log entries which could represent events of interest for further surveillance.

Answer 11

Log Anomaly

Question 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.

Answer 12

Logging

Question 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.

Answer 13

Logical Access Control Systems

Question 14

Access control that requires the system itself to manage access controls in accordance with the organization’s security policies.

Answer 14

Mandatory Access Control

Question 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.

Answer 15

Mantrap

Question 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

Answer 16

Object

Question 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.

Answer 17

Physical Access Controls

Question 18

The principle that users and programs should have only the minimum privileges necessary to complete their tasks. NIST SP 800-179

Answer 18

Principle of Least Privilege

Question 19

An information system account with approved authorizations of a privileged user. NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 4

Answer 19

Privileged Account

Question 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.

Answer 20

Ransomware

Question 21

An access control system that sets up user permissions based on roles.

Answer 21

Role-based access control (RBAC)

Question 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.

Answer 22

Rule

Question 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.

Answer 23

Segregation of Duties

Question 24

Generally an individual, process or device causing information to flow among objects or change to the system state. Source: NIST SP800-53 R4

Answer 24

Subject

Question 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.

Answer 25

Technical Controls

Question 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.

Answer 26

Turnstile

Question 27

An operating system used in software development.

Answer 27

Unix

Question 28

The process of creating, maintaining and deactivating user identities on a system.

Answer 28

User Provisioning