DC Security Exam – Definitions | Latest
2025/2026 Exam Prep & Study Guide
3DES - Triple Digital Encryption Standard - correct answerA symmetric algorithm used
to encrypt data and provide confidentiality. It was originally designed to be a
replacement for DES. It uses multiple keys and multiple passes and is not as efficient as
AES, but is still used in some applications, such as when hardware doesn't support
AES.
802.1x - correct answerWireless this port-based authentication protocol. For example,
WPA2-Enterprise mode uses it implemented as a RADIUS server to add authentication.
AAA - Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting - correct answerThese protocols
are used in remote access systems. For example TACACS+ is one type that uses
multiple challenges and responses during a session. They verify a user's identification,
determines if a user should have access, and tracks a user's access with logs.
ACE - Access Control Entry - correct answerIdentifies a user or group that is granted
permission to a resource. They are contained within a DACL in NTFS.
ACL - Access Control List - correct answerA list of rules used to grant access to a
resource. In NTFS, a list of ACEs makes this up for a resource. In a firewall, it identifies
traffic that is allowed or blocked based on IP addresses, network ports, and some
protocols (using the protocol ID).
AES - Advanced Encryption Standard - correct answerA symmetric algorithm used to
encrypt data and provide confidentiality. It is quick, highly secure, and used in a wide
assortment of cryptography schemes. Includes key sizes of 128 bits, 192 bits, or 256
bits.
AH - Authetication Header - correct answerIPsec includes this and ES to provide
authentication and integrity. It is identified with protocol ID number 51.
ALE - Annualized Loss Expentancy - correct answerUsed to measure risk with
annualized rate of occurance (ARO) and single loss expectancy (SLE). It identifies the
total amount of loss expected for a given risk.
AP - Access Point - correct answerShort for WAP, it provides access to a wired network
to wireless clients. Many support isolation mode to segment wireless uses from other
wireless users.
,ARO - Annualized Rate of Occurence - correct answerUsed to measure risk with
annualized loss expectancy (ALE) an single loss expectancy (SLE). It identifies how
many times a loss is expected to occur in a year.
ARP - Address Resolution Protocol - correct answerResolves IP address to MAC
addresses. Its poisoning attacks can redirect traffic through an attacker's system by
sending falcs MAC address updates. VLAN segregation helps prevent the scope of
these attacks within a network
AUP - Acceptable Use Policy - correct answerDefines proper system usage. It will often
describe the purpose of computer systems and networks, how users can access them,
and the responsibilities of users when accessing the systems.
BCP - Business Continuity Plan - correct answerA plan that helps and organization
predict and plan for potential outages of critical services or functions. It includes disaster
recovery elements that provide the steps used to return critical functions to operation
after an outage. A BIA is part of it and drives decisions to create redundancies such as
failover clusters or alternate sites.
BIA - Business Impact Analysis - correct answerIdentifies critical business or mission
requirements and includes elements such as Recovery Time Objectives (RTOs) and
Recovery Point Objectives (RPOs), but it doesn't identify solutions.
BIOS - Basic Input/Output System - correct answerA computer's firmware used to
manipulate different settings such as date and time, boot drive, and access password.
BOTS - Network Robots - correct answerAn automated program or system used to
perform one or more tasks. When malicious, is a group of computers called zombies
and controlled through a command-and-control server; attackers use malware to join
computers to them. Zombies regularly check in with the command-and-control server
and can launch DDoS attacks agains other victims. This activity often includes
hundereds of outbound connecttions, an some user Internet Relay Chat (IRC) channels.
CA - Certificate Authority - correct answerAn organization that manages, issues, and
sign certificates and is part of PKI. Certificates are an important part of asymmetric
encryption.
CAC - Common Access Card - correct answerA specialized type of smart card used by
the US DoD. It includes photo identification and provides confidentiality, integrity,
authentication, and non-repudiation for the users. Similiar to a PIV.
CAN - Controller Area Network - correct answerA standard that allows microcontrollers
and devices to communicate with each other without a host computer.
, CCMP - Counter Mode with Cipher Block Chaining Message Authentication Code
Protocol - correct answerAn encryption protocol based on AES use with WPA2 for
wireless security. It is more secure than TKIP, used with the original release of WPA.
CCTV - Closed-Circuit Television - correct answerThis is a detective control that
provides video surveillance to provide reliable proff of a person's location and activity.
CERT - Computer Emergency Response Team
(CIRT - Computer Incident Response Team
SIRT - Security Incident Response Team, or
IRT - Incident Response Team) - correct answerA group of experts that respond to
security incidents.
CHAP - Challenge Handshake Authentication Protocol - correct answerAuthentication
mechanism where a server challenges a client.
CIA - Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability - correct answerThe security triad.
Preventin the unauthorized disclosure of data; providing assurances that data has not
been modified, tampered with, or corrupted; indicating that data and services are
available when needed.
COOP - Continuity of Operations Plan - correct answerProvides an alternate location for
operations after a critical outage.
CRC - Cyclical Redundancy Check - correct answerAn error detection code used to
detect accidental changes that can affect the integrity of data.
CRL - Certification Revocation List - correct answerA list of certificates that have been
revoked. Certificates are commonly revoked if they are compromised. The CA that
issued the certificate publishes this list publicly.
DAC - Discretionary Access Control - correct answerAn access control model where all
objects have owners and owners can modify permissions for objects (files and folders).
Used by Microsoft's NTFS.
DACL - Discretionary Access Control - correct answerList of Access Control Entries
(ACEs) in Microsoft's NTFS. Each ACE includes a security identifier (SID) and a
permission.
DDoS - Distributed Denial-of-Service - correct answerAn attack on a system launched
from multiple sources intended to make a computer's resources or services unavailable
to users. They are often launched from zombies in botnets and typically include
sustained, abnormally high network traffic. A performance baseline helps administrators
detect it.
2025/2026 Exam Prep & Study Guide
3DES - Triple Digital Encryption Standard - correct answerA symmetric algorithm used
to encrypt data and provide confidentiality. It was originally designed to be a
replacement for DES. It uses multiple keys and multiple passes and is not as efficient as
AES, but is still used in some applications, such as when hardware doesn't support
AES.
802.1x - correct answerWireless this port-based authentication protocol. For example,
WPA2-Enterprise mode uses it implemented as a RADIUS server to add authentication.
AAA - Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting - correct answerThese protocols
are used in remote access systems. For example TACACS+ is one type that uses
multiple challenges and responses during a session. They verify a user's identification,
determines if a user should have access, and tracks a user's access with logs.
ACE - Access Control Entry - correct answerIdentifies a user or group that is granted
permission to a resource. They are contained within a DACL in NTFS.
ACL - Access Control List - correct answerA list of rules used to grant access to a
resource. In NTFS, a list of ACEs makes this up for a resource. In a firewall, it identifies
traffic that is allowed or blocked based on IP addresses, network ports, and some
protocols (using the protocol ID).
AES - Advanced Encryption Standard - correct answerA symmetric algorithm used to
encrypt data and provide confidentiality. It is quick, highly secure, and used in a wide
assortment of cryptography schemes. Includes key sizes of 128 bits, 192 bits, or 256
bits.
AH - Authetication Header - correct answerIPsec includes this and ES to provide
authentication and integrity. It is identified with protocol ID number 51.
ALE - Annualized Loss Expentancy - correct answerUsed to measure risk with
annualized rate of occurance (ARO) and single loss expectancy (SLE). It identifies the
total amount of loss expected for a given risk.
AP - Access Point - correct answerShort for WAP, it provides access to a wired network
to wireless clients. Many support isolation mode to segment wireless uses from other
wireless users.
,ARO - Annualized Rate of Occurence - correct answerUsed to measure risk with
annualized loss expectancy (ALE) an single loss expectancy (SLE). It identifies how
many times a loss is expected to occur in a year.
ARP - Address Resolution Protocol - correct answerResolves IP address to MAC
addresses. Its poisoning attacks can redirect traffic through an attacker's system by
sending falcs MAC address updates. VLAN segregation helps prevent the scope of
these attacks within a network
AUP - Acceptable Use Policy - correct answerDefines proper system usage. It will often
describe the purpose of computer systems and networks, how users can access them,
and the responsibilities of users when accessing the systems.
BCP - Business Continuity Plan - correct answerA plan that helps and organization
predict and plan for potential outages of critical services or functions. It includes disaster
recovery elements that provide the steps used to return critical functions to operation
after an outage. A BIA is part of it and drives decisions to create redundancies such as
failover clusters or alternate sites.
BIA - Business Impact Analysis - correct answerIdentifies critical business or mission
requirements and includes elements such as Recovery Time Objectives (RTOs) and
Recovery Point Objectives (RPOs), but it doesn't identify solutions.
BIOS - Basic Input/Output System - correct answerA computer's firmware used to
manipulate different settings such as date and time, boot drive, and access password.
BOTS - Network Robots - correct answerAn automated program or system used to
perform one or more tasks. When malicious, is a group of computers called zombies
and controlled through a command-and-control server; attackers use malware to join
computers to them. Zombies regularly check in with the command-and-control server
and can launch DDoS attacks agains other victims. This activity often includes
hundereds of outbound connecttions, an some user Internet Relay Chat (IRC) channels.
CA - Certificate Authority - correct answerAn organization that manages, issues, and
sign certificates and is part of PKI. Certificates are an important part of asymmetric
encryption.
CAC - Common Access Card - correct answerA specialized type of smart card used by
the US DoD. It includes photo identification and provides confidentiality, integrity,
authentication, and non-repudiation for the users. Similiar to a PIV.
CAN - Controller Area Network - correct answerA standard that allows microcontrollers
and devices to communicate with each other without a host computer.
, CCMP - Counter Mode with Cipher Block Chaining Message Authentication Code
Protocol - correct answerAn encryption protocol based on AES use with WPA2 for
wireless security. It is more secure than TKIP, used with the original release of WPA.
CCTV - Closed-Circuit Television - correct answerThis is a detective control that
provides video surveillance to provide reliable proff of a person's location and activity.
CERT - Computer Emergency Response Team
(CIRT - Computer Incident Response Team
SIRT - Security Incident Response Team, or
IRT - Incident Response Team) - correct answerA group of experts that respond to
security incidents.
CHAP - Challenge Handshake Authentication Protocol - correct answerAuthentication
mechanism where a server challenges a client.
CIA - Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability - correct answerThe security triad.
Preventin the unauthorized disclosure of data; providing assurances that data has not
been modified, tampered with, or corrupted; indicating that data and services are
available when needed.
COOP - Continuity of Operations Plan - correct answerProvides an alternate location for
operations after a critical outage.
CRC - Cyclical Redundancy Check - correct answerAn error detection code used to
detect accidental changes that can affect the integrity of data.
CRL - Certification Revocation List - correct answerA list of certificates that have been
revoked. Certificates are commonly revoked if they are compromised. The CA that
issued the certificate publishes this list publicly.
DAC - Discretionary Access Control - correct answerAn access control model where all
objects have owners and owners can modify permissions for objects (files and folders).
Used by Microsoft's NTFS.
DACL - Discretionary Access Control - correct answerList of Access Control Entries
(ACEs) in Microsoft's NTFS. Each ACE includes a security identifier (SID) and a
permission.
DDoS - Distributed Denial-of-Service - correct answerAn attack on a system launched
from multiple sources intended to make a computer's resources or services unavailable
to users. They are often launched from zombies in botnets and typically include
sustained, abnormally high network traffic. A performance baseline helps administrators
detect it.
