{"name":"Cyber Essentials glossary","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary","count":154,"terms":[{"term":"Account lockout","title":"Account lockout","aka":["Lockout policy","Account lockout threshold","Device lockout"],"category":"Accounts and access","definition":"Account lockout is a setting that blocks further login attempts after a set number of wrong passwords or PINs, so a guesser cannot keep trying.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/account-lockout","path":"/glossary/account-lockout"},{"term":"Active Directory","title":"Active Directory (AD)","aka":["Active Directory","AD","Windows domain","Active Directory Domain Services"],"category":"Accounts and access","definition":"Active Directory is Microsoft's system, run on a Windows server in your own office or data centre, that holds the central list of staff logins, computers and permissions.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/active-directory","path":"/glossary/active-directory"},{"term":"Admin interface","title":"Admin interface","aka":["Administrative interface","Management interface","Web admin page","Remote management"],"category":"Networks and firewalls","definition":"An admin interface is the settings page or login a device offers so that someone can manage it, such as your router's web settings page.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/admin-interface","path":"/glossary/admin-interface"},{"term":"Administrator account","title":"Administrator account","aka":["Admin account","Local administrator","Domain administrator","Administrative account"],"category":"Accounts and access","definition":"An administrator account is a login with extra powers, such as installing software, changing security settings and creating other accounts.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/administrator-account","path":"/glossary/administrator-account"},{"term":"Allow listing","title":"Allow listing (application allow listing)","aka":["Application allow listing","Whitelisting"],"category":"Malware, cloud and threats","definition":"Allow listing is a malware protection option in which only approved applications, restricted by code signing, are allowed to execute on devices.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/allow-listing","path":"/glossary/allow-listing"},{"term":"Anti-malware software","title":"Anti-malware software","aka":["Antivirus","Anti-virus software","AV"],"category":"Malware, cloud and threats","definition":"Anti-malware software is a program that checks files, downloads and websites for known harmful software and stops it before it can run.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/anti-malware-software","path":"/glossary/anti-malware-software"},{"term":"Applicant","title":"Applicant","aka":[],"category":"Scheme and certification","definition":"An applicant is the organisation seeking Cyber Essentials certification, or sometimes the individual acting as its main point of contact.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/applicant","path":"/glossary/applicant"},{"term":"Application control","title":"Application control","aka":["Application allow listing","Application whitelisting","App control"],"category":"Malware, cloud and threats","definition":"Application control is a setting or tool that decides which programs are allowed to run on a device and blocks everything else.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/application-control","path":"/glossary/application-control"},{"term":"Assessor","title":"Assessor","aka":["Cyber Essentials assessor","IASME assessor"],"category":"Scheme and certification","definition":"An assessor is the qualified person at a Certification Body who marks a Cyber Essentials self-assessment or carries out the Cyber Essentials Plus tests.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/assessor","path":"/glossary/assessor"},{"term":"Attack surface","title":"Attack surface","aka":["Attack surface reduction"],"category":"Malware, cloud and threats","definition":"An attack surface is every point where an attacker could try to get into your organisation: each internet-facing service, device, account and piece of software.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/attack-surface","path":"/glossary/attack-surface"},{"term":"Authenticated scan","title":"Authenticated scan","aka":["Credentialed scan","Authenticated vulnerability scan","Patch scan"],"category":"Malware, cloud and threats","definition":"An authenticated scan is a vulnerability scan that logs in to a device, so it can see exactly which software and updates are installed.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/authenticated-scan","path":"/glossary/authenticated-scan"},{"term":"Authenticator app","title":"Authenticator app","aka":["MFA app","Microsoft Authenticator","Google Authenticator","TOTP app"],"category":"Accounts and access","definition":"An authenticator app is a phone app that confirms it is really you logging in, either by showing a short code that changes every few seconds or by asking you to tap to approve.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/authenticator-app","path":"/glossary/authenticator-app"},{"term":"Auto-run","title":"Auto-run (AutoRun and AutoPlay)","aka":["AutoRun","AutoPlay","Autorun"],"category":"Devices and software","definition":"Auto-run is a feature that opens or runs a file automatically, without asking, for example when a USB stick is plugged in or a download finishes.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/auto-run","path":"/glossary/auto-run"},{"term":"Backup","title":"Backup","aka":["Backing up","Data backup"],"category":"Malware, cloud and threats","definition":"A backup is a copy of your information saved to another device or to cloud storage, so you can recover it if the original is lost.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/backup","path":"/glossary/backup"},{"term":"Biometrics","title":"Biometrics","aka":["Biometric authentication","Fingerprint unlock","Face recognition","Face ID","Windows Hello"],"category":"Accounts and access","definition":"Biometrics means using a part of your body, such as a fingerprint or your face, to prove who you are instead of typing a password.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/biometrics","path":"/glossary/biometrics"},{"term":"Board declaration","title":"Board declaration","aka":["attestation","board sign-off","declaration"],"category":"Scheme and certification","definition":"The board declaration is the confirmation, given by a director or board-level person, that every answer in a Cyber Essentials self-assessment is accurate.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/board-declaration","path":"/glossary/board-declaration"},{"term":"Boundary firewall","title":"Boundary firewall","aka":["Perimeter firewall"],"category":"Networks and firewalls","definition":"A boundary firewall is a network device that restricts inbound and outbound traffic between an organisation's network and the internet using firewall rules.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/boundary-firewall","path":"/glossary/boundary-firewall"},{"term":"Browser extension","title":"Browser extension","aka":["Browser add-on","Add-on","Plug-in"],"category":"Devices and software","definition":"A browser extension is a small add-on program that adds a feature to a web browser, such as a password manager, ad blocker or PDF tool.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/browser-extension","path":"/glossary/browser-extension"},{"term":"Brute-force attack","title":"Brute-force attack","aka":["Brute force","Password guessing attack"],"category":"Accounts and access","definition":"A brute-force attack is an attempt to get into an account by guessing passwords over and over, usually with software that tries thousands of combinations automatically.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/brute-force-attack","path":"/glossary/brute-force-attack"},{"term":"BYOD","title":"BYOD (bring your own device)","aka":["Bring your own device","Personal devices","User-owned devices"],"category":"Devices and software","definition":"BYOD, short for bring your own device, means staff using their own personal phones, tablets or computers to do work.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/byod","path":"/glossary/byod"},{"term":"Certificate expiry","title":"Certificate expiry","aka":["expiry date","certificate validity"],"category":"Scheme and certification","definition":"Certificate expiry is the date, 12 months after issue, when a Cyber Essentials certificate stops being current.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/certificate-expiry","path":"/glossary/certificate-expiry"},{"term":"Certificate register","title":"Certificate register","aka":["IASME certificate search","Cyber Essentials certificate search","Supply Check Tool"],"category":"Scheme and certification","definition":"The certificate register is the public online record of Cyber Essentials certificates, where anyone can check whether an organisation is currently certified.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/certificate-register","path":"/glossary/certificate-register"},{"term":"Certification Body","title":"Certification Body","aka":["CB"],"category":"Scheme and certification","definition":"A Certification Body is an organisation licensed by IASME, the NCSC's Delivery Partner, to assess and certify applicants for Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/certification-body","path":"/glossary/certification-body"},{"term":"Cloud service","title":"Cloud service","aka":[],"category":"Malware, cloud and threats","definition":"A cloud service is an on-demand, scalable service hosted on shared infrastructure, reached over the internet through an account, that stores or processes your organisation's data.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/cloud-service","path":"/glossary/cloud-service"},{"term":"Cloud tenant","title":"Cloud tenant","aka":["Tenant","Microsoft 365 tenant","Google Workspace account","Cloud subscription"],"category":"Accounts and access","definition":"A cloud tenant is your organisation's own private space inside a shared cloud service, such as your Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace setup, with its own users, settings and data.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/cloud-tenant","path":"/glossary/cloud-tenant"},{"term":"Commodity attacks","title":"Commodity attacks","aka":["Commodity threats","Opportunistic attacks"],"category":"Malware, cloud and threats","definition":"Commodity attacks are cheap, widely available attacks, run with off-the-shelf tools against many organisations at once, looking for anyone with an easy weakness rather than targeting you specifically.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/commodity-attacks","path":"/glossary/commodity-attacks"},{"term":"Conditional access","title":"Conditional access","aka":["Conditional Access policies","Microsoft Entra Conditional Access","Access policies"],"category":"Accounts and access","definition":"Conditional access is a set of rules in a cloud sign-in system that decides who can sign in, from where and on what device, and when to ask for extra checks such as MFA.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/conditional-access","path":"/glossary/conditional-access"},{"term":"Corporate VPN","title":"Corporate VPN","aka":["Company VPN","Virtual private network"],"category":"Networks and firewalls","definition":"A corporate VPN is a virtual private network that connects back to your office location, or to a virtual or cloud firewall, and that you administer so the firewall controls apply.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/corporate-vpn","path":"/glossary/corporate-vpn"},{"term":"Credential stuffing","title":"Credential stuffing","aka":["Password reuse attack","Credential replay"],"category":"Accounts and access","definition":"Credential stuffing is when criminals take usernames and passwords leaked from one website and try them on other websites, betting that people reuse the same password.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/credential-stuffing","path":"/glossary/credential-stuffing"},{"term":"CREST","title":"CREST","aka":["CREST accreditation","CREST accredited"],"category":"Scheme and certification","definition":"CREST is an international not-for-profit body that accredits companies providing technical security services, such as penetration testing and security operations centres.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/crest","path":"/glossary/crest"},{"term":"CVE","title":"CVE (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures)","aka":["Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures","CVE ID"],"category":"Devices and software","definition":"A CVE is a unique public reference number given to a known security flaw, so vendors, scanners and IT teams can all refer to the same problem.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/cve","path":"/glossary/cve"},{"term":"CVSS","title":"CVSS (Common Vulnerability Scoring System)","aka":["Common Vulnerability Scoring System","CVSS score"],"category":"Devices and software","definition":"CVSS, the Common Vulnerability Scoring System, is the 0 to 10 scale Cyber Essentials uses to define critical and high-risk vulnerabilities.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/cvss","path":"/glossary/cvss"},{"term":"Cyber Advisor","title":"Cyber Advisor","aka":[],"category":"Scheme and certification","definition":"A Cyber Advisor is a person assured by the NCSC to advise organisations on how to implement the Cyber Essentials controls.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/cyber-advisor","path":"/glossary/cyber-advisor"},{"term":"Cyber Essentials","title":"Cyber Essentials","aka":["CE","Cyber Essentials scheme"],"category":"Scheme and certification","definition":"Cyber Essentials is a UK government-backed certification that shows an organisation has five basic technical security controls in place to stop common internet attacks.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/cyber-essentials","path":"/glossary/cyber-essentials"},{"term":"Cyber Essentials certificate","title":"Cyber Essentials certificate","aka":["CE certificate","Cyber Essentials Plus certificate"],"category":"Scheme and certification","definition":"A Cyber Essentials certificate is the digital record, issued through a Certification Body, that an organisation has passed Cyber Essentials or Cyber Essentials Plus.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/certificate-of-assurance","path":"/glossary/certificate-of-assurance"},{"term":"Cyber Essentials Plus","title":"Cyber Essentials Plus","aka":["CE+","CE Plus"],"category":"Scheme and certification","definition":"Cyber Essentials Plus is the higher level of Cyber Essentials, where an assessor independently tests your systems instead of relying only on your written answers.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/cyber-essentials-plus","path":"/glossary/cyber-essentials-plus"},{"term":"Readiness Tool","title":"Cyber Essentials Readiness Tool","aka":["Cyber Essentials Readiness Toolkit","NCSC Readiness Tool"],"category":"Scheme and certification","definition":"The Cyber Essentials Readiness Tool is a free online questionnaire from the NCSC, run with IASME, that asks about your IT and gives a personalised action plan for meeting Cyber Essentials.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/readiness-toolkit","path":"/glossary/readiness-toolkit"},{"term":"Cyber insurance","title":"Cyber insurance","aka":["cyber liability insurance","included cyber insurance"],"category":"Scheme and certification","definition":"Cyber insurance is a policy that pays towards the costs of a cyber incident, such as a data breach or ransomware.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/cyber-insurance","path":"/glossary/cyber-insurance"},{"term":"Danzell question set","title":"Danzell question set","aka":["Danzell","2026 Cyber Essentials question set","question set v16.3"],"category":"Scheme and certification","definition":"The Danzell question set is the current list of questions every Cyber Essentials applicant answers, published by IASME and used for assessments from 27 April 2026.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/danzell-question-set","path":"/glossary/danzell-question-set"},{"term":"Def Stan 05-138","title":"Def Stan 05-138","aka":["Defence Standard 05-138","DEFCON 658","Cyber Security for Defence Suppliers"],"category":"Scheme and certification","definition":"Def Stan 05-138 is the Ministry of Defence standard setting the cyber security controls defence suppliers must meet, graded by contract risk.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/def-stan-05-138","path":"/glossary/def-stan-05-138"},{"term":"Default password","title":"Default password","aka":["Factory password","Pre-set password","Out-of-the-box password"],"category":"Networks and firewalls","definition":"A default password is the password a device or piece of software comes with from the factory, before anyone in your organisation has set their own.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/default-password","path":"/glossary/default-password"},{"term":"Device unlocking","title":"Device unlocking","aka":["Screen lock","Device lock","Lock screen"],"category":"Devices and software","definition":"Device unlocking is the check, such as a PIN, password, fingerprint or face scan, that a person must pass before they can use a laptop, phone or tablet.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/device-unlocking","path":"/glossary/device-unlocking"},{"term":"Devices","title":"Devices","aka":["Endpoints"],"category":"Devices and software","definition":"Devices, in Cyber Essentials, are all types of hosts, networking equipment, servers, networks and end user devices such as laptops, tablets and smartphones, whether physical or virtual.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/devices","path":"/glossary/devices"},{"term":"DMZ","title":"DMZ (demilitarised zone)","aka":["Demilitarised zone","Perimeter network","Screened subnet"],"category":"Networks and firewalls","definition":"A DMZ, or demilitarised zone, is a separate part of a network, walled off by a firewall, where you put servers that people on the internet need to reach.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/dmz","path":"/glossary/dmz"},{"term":"DNS","title":"DNS (Domain Name System)","aka":["Domain Name System","DNS record","DNS filtering"],"category":"Networks and firewalls","definition":"DNS, the Domain Name System, is the internet's address book that turns names people can read, such as example.co.uk, into the number addresses computers use.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/dns","path":"/glossary/dns"},{"term":"DSPT","title":"DSPT (Data Security and Protection Toolkit)","aka":["Data Security and Protection Toolkit","NHS DSPT"],"category":"Scheme and certification","definition":"The DSPT, or Data Security and Protection Toolkit, is the NHS's annual online self-assessment for organisations that have access to NHS patient data and systems.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/dspt","path":"/glossary/dspt"},{"term":"Endpoint detection and response","title":"EDR (endpoint detection and response)","aka":["EDR","Endpoint protection"],"category":"Malware, cloud and threats","definition":"Endpoint detection and response (EDR) is security software on each computer that records activity, spots suspicious behaviour and helps someone stop an attack.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/endpoint-detection-and-response","path":"/glossary/endpoint-detection-and-response"},{"term":"Encryption","title":"Encryption","aka":["Data encryption"],"category":"Malware, cloud and threats","definition":"Encryption is scrambling information with a secret key so that only someone holding the right key can read it.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/encryption","path":"/glossary/encryption"},{"term":"End of support","title":"End of support (end of life)","aka":["EOL","End of life","EOS","Unsupported software"],"category":"Devices and software","definition":"End of support is the date after which a vendor stops releasing security fixes for a product, so any new flaws found in it stay open for good.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/end-of-support","path":"/glossary/end-of-support"},{"term":"End-user device","title":"End-user device (EUD)","aka":["EUD","End user device","User device"],"category":"Devices and software","definition":"An end-user device is any computer, tablet, phone or thin client that a person uses directly to do their work.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/end-user-device","path":"/glossary/end-user-device"},{"term":"Evidence","title":"Evidence","aka":["supporting evidence","evidence pack"],"category":"Scheme and certification","definition":"Evidence is any record, screenshot, report or document that shows a security control described in your Cyber Essentials answers is really in place.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/evidence","path":"/glossary/evidence"},{"term":"Exploit","title":"Exploit","aka":["Exploitation","Exploit code"],"category":"Malware, cloud and threats","definition":"An exploit is a piece of code or a technique that takes advantage of a security flaw in software to make it do something its makers never intended, such as letting an attacker in.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/exploit","path":"/glossary/exploit"},{"term":"Extended Security Updates","title":"Extended Security Updates (ESU)","aka":["ESU","Extended support"],"category":"Devices and software","definition":"Extended Security Updates are a paid programme in which a vendor keeps sending security fixes for a product after its normal end of support.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/extended-security-updates","path":"/glossary/extended-security-updates"},{"term":"External vulnerability scan","title":"External vulnerability scan","aka":["Remote vulnerability assessment","External scan","Test case 1"],"category":"Networks and firewalls","definition":"An external vulnerability scan is an automated check, run from the internet, that looks at every public address your organisation uses for services an attacker could reach and weaknesses in them.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/external-vulnerability-scan","path":"/glossary/external-vulnerability-scan"},{"term":"FIDO2","title":"FIDO2","aka":["FIDO2 authenticator","WebAuthn","FIDO security key"],"category":"Accounts and access","definition":"FIDO2 is a set of open standards for signing in with a cryptographic key held on your device or on a physical security key, instead of typing a password.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/fido2","path":"/glossary/fido2"},{"term":"Firewall","title":"Firewall","aka":["Network firewall","Hardware firewall"],"category":"Networks and firewalls","definition":"A firewall is a device or piece of software that sits between your computers and the internet and decides, using a set of rules, which traffic is allowed through.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/firewall","path":"/glossary/firewall"},{"term":"Firewall rule","title":"Firewall rule","aka":["Firewall policy","Access rule","ACL"],"category":"Networks and firewalls","definition":"A firewall rule is a single instruction on a firewall that says which traffic to allow or block, based on where it comes from, where it is going and what type it is.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/firewall-rule","path":"/glossary/firewall-rule"},{"term":"Firmware","title":"Firmware","aka":["Router firmware","Firewall firmware"],"category":"Devices and software","definition":"Firmware is the software built into a piece of hardware, such as a router or firewall, that makes the hardware work.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/firmware","path":"/glossary/firmware"},{"term":"Full-disk encryption","title":"Full-disk encryption","aka":["FDE","Device encryption","BitLocker","FileVault"],"category":"Malware, cloud and threats","definition":"Full-disk encryption scrambles everything stored on a laptop, desktop or phone so the data cannot be read without unlocking the device first.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/full-disk-encryption","path":"/glossary/full-disk-encryption"},{"term":"Gap analysis","title":"Gap analysis","aka":["readiness review","pre-assessment","Cyber Essentials gap analysis"],"category":"Scheme and certification","definition":"A gap analysis is a review of your IT against the Cyber Essentials requirements before you apply, listing each gap and how to close it.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/gap-analysis","path":"/glossary/gap-analysis"},{"term":"Global administrator","title":"Global administrator","aka":["Global Admin","Microsoft 365 global admin","Super admin","Tenant administrator"],"category":"Accounts and access","definition":"A global administrator is the most powerful account in a Microsoft 365 or Microsoft Entra ID setup: it can change every setting, reset any account and add other admins.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/global-administrator","path":"/glossary/global-administrator"},{"term":"Group policy","title":"Group policy","aka":["Group Policy","GPO","Group Policy Object"],"category":"Accounts and access","definition":"Group policy is a Windows feature that lets an administrator set rules once, such as password length or screen lock, and push them to every computer and user on an Active Directory network.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/group-policy","path":"/glossary/group-policy"},{"term":"Guest Wi-Fi","title":"Guest Wi-Fi","aka":["Guest wireless","Guest network","Visitor Wi-Fi"],"category":"Networks and firewalls","definition":"Guest Wi-Fi is a separate wireless network for visitors that lets them reach the internet without joining the network your staff and business systems use.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/guest-wi-fi","path":"/glossary/guest-wi-fi"},{"term":"Hypervisor","title":"Hypervisor","aka":["Virtual server host","Virtualisation host"],"category":"Devices and software","definition":"A hypervisor is the software that lets one physical computer run several virtual machines at once, sharing out its processor, memory and storage.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/hypervisor","path":"/glossary/hypervisor"},{"term":"IaaS","title":"IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service)","aka":["IaaS","Infrastructure as a Service","Cloud servers"],"category":"Malware, cloud and threats","definition":"Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) is renting virtual servers and networks from a cloud provider, which your organisation then sets up and looks after much as it would physical equipment.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/iaas","path":"/glossary/iaas"},{"term":"IASME","title":"IASME","aka":["Delivery Partner","Cyber Essentials Delivery Partner","IASME Consortium"],"category":"Scheme and certification","definition":"IASME is the company that runs the Cyber Essentials scheme on behalf of the NCSC, as its Delivery Partner.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/iasme","path":"/glossary/iasme"},{"term":"IASME Cyber Assurance","title":"IASME Cyber Assurance","aka":["Cyber Assurance","Cyber Assurance Level 1","Cyber Assurance Level 2"],"category":"Scheme and certification","definition":"IASME Cyber Assurance is IASME's own certification scheme for small and medium organisations that covers security governance as well as technical controls.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/iasme-cyber-assurance","path":"/glossary/iasme-cyber-assurance"},{"term":"Identity provider","title":"Identity provider (IdP)","aka":["IdP","Identity platform","Authentication service"],"category":"Accounts and access","definition":"An identity provider is the service that checks who you are when you sign in and then vouches for you to other apps, for example Microsoft Entra ID, Google Workspace or Okta.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/identity-provider","path":"/glossary/identity-provider"},{"term":"Inbound connection","title":"Inbound connection","aka":["Incoming connection","Inbound traffic"],"category":"Networks and firewalls","definition":"An inbound connection is a connection that someone on the internet starts towards a device or service inside your network, rather than one your own devices start.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/inbound-connection","path":"/glossary/inbound-connection"},{"term":"Internet service provider","title":"Internet service provider (ISP)","aka":["ISP","Broadband provider"],"category":"Networks and firewalls","definition":"An internet service provider, or ISP, is the company that supplies your internet connection and often the router that comes with it.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/internet-service-provider","path":"/glossary/internet-service-provider"},{"term":"Internet-facing","title":"Internet-facing","aka":["Public-facing","Externally exposed","Exposed service"],"category":"Networks and firewalls","definition":"Internet-facing describes a device or service that anyone on the internet can reach and try to connect to, such as a website, a VPN login page or an email server.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/internet-facing","path":"/glossary/internet-facing"},{"term":"IP address","title":"IP address","aka":["Internet Protocol address","Public IP address","IPv4","IPv6"],"category":"Networks and firewalls","definition":"An IP address is the number that identifies a device or internet connection on a network, so that traffic can be delivered to the right place.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/ip-address","path":"/glossary/ip-address"},{"term":"ISO 27001","title":"ISO 27001","aka":["ISO/IEC 27001","ISMS certification"],"category":"Scheme and certification","definition":"ISO 27001 is the international standard for running an information security management system, a documented and risk-based way of managing security.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/iso-27001","path":"/glossary/iso-27001"},{"term":"Jailbreaking and rooting","title":"Jailbreaking and rooting","aka":["Jailbreak","Jailbroken","Rooting","Rooted device"],"category":"Devices and software","definition":"Jailbreaking (on iPhones and iPads) and rooting (on Android) mean removing the maker's built-in restrictions so the owner can install anything and change system files.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/jailbreaking-and-rooting","path":"/glossary/jailbreaking-and-rooting"},{"term":"Joiners, movers and leavers","title":"Joiners, movers and leavers (JML)","aka":["JML","Starters and leavers process","Onboarding and offboarding"],"category":"Accounts and access","definition":"Joiners, movers and leavers is the everyday process of giving new staff the access they need, changing it when they change role, and removing it when they leave.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/joiners-movers-leavers","path":"/glossary/joiners-movers-leavers"},{"term":"Least privilege","title":"Least privilege","aka":["Principle of least privilege","PoLP","Need to know access"],"category":"Accounts and access","definition":"Least privilege is the rule that each person gets only the access they need to do their current job, and nothing more.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/least-privilege","path":"/glossary/least-privilege"},{"term":"Licensed and supported software","title":"Licensed and supported software","aka":["Supported software"],"category":"Devices and software","definition":"Licensed and supported software is software you have a legal right to use and that a vendor supports with regular vulnerability fixes until a published end date.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/licensed-and-supported-software","path":"/glossary/licensed-and-supported-software"},{"term":"Long-term support","title":"Long-term support (LTS)","aka":["LTS","LTSC","Long-Term Servicing Channel"],"category":"Devices and software","definition":"Long-term support is a version of a product that the vendor commits to keep fixing for several years, rather than the shorter period a normal release gets.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/long-term-support","path":"/glossary/long-term-support"},{"term":"Macro","title":"Macros","aka":["Office macros","VBA macros"],"category":"Devices and software","definition":"A macro is a small program saved inside a document or spreadsheet that automates tasks, and it can run as soon as the file is opened.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/macros","path":"/glossary/macros"},{"term":"Malware","title":"Malware","aka":["Malicious software","Computer virus"],"category":"Malware, cloud and threats","definition":"Malware is software that someone has written and spread on purpose to cause harm, such as computer viruses, worms and ransomware.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/malware","path":"/glossary/malware"},{"term":"Managed service provider","title":"Managed service provider (MSP)","aka":["MSP","IT support company","Outsourced IT"],"category":"Malware, cloud and threats","definition":"A managed service provider (MSP) is an outside company you pay to run or support your IT.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/managed-service-provider","path":"/glossary/managed-service-provider"},{"term":"Mobile device management","title":"Mobile device management (MDM)","aka":["MDM","Unified endpoint management","UEM"],"category":"Devices and software","definition":"Mobile device management is software that lets an organisation set up, secure and track its phones, tablets and laptops remotely from one console.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/mobile-device-management","path":"/glossary/mobile-device-management"},{"term":"Multi-factor authentication","title":"Multi-factor authentication (MFA)","aka":["MFA","2FA","Two-factor authentication"],"category":"Accounts and access","definition":"Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is a method of authenticating a user which uses two or more verification factors.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/multi-factor-authentication","path":"/glossary/multi-factor-authentication"},{"term":"NAT","title":"NAT (network address translation)","aka":["Network address translation","Carrier-grade NAT","CGNAT"],"category":"Networks and firewalls","definition":"NAT, network address translation, is the way a router lets many devices on your network share one public internet address by swapping addresses as traffic passes through.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/nat","path":"/glossary/nat"},{"term":"NCSC","title":"NCSC (National Cyber Security Centre)","aka":["National Cyber Security Centre"],"category":"Scheme and certification","definition":"The NCSC, or National Cyber Security Centre, is the UK government's cyber security authority and the owner of the Cyber Essentials scheme.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/ncsc","path":"/glossary/ncsc"},{"term":"Network segregation","title":"Network segregation","aka":["Network segmentation","Network separation"],"category":"Networks and firewalls","definition":"Network segregation is splitting a network into separate parts, so that devices in one part cannot freely reach devices in another.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/network-segregation","path":"/glossary/network-segregation"},{"term":"Open-source software","title":"Open-source software","aka":["OSS","Free and open-source software","FOSS"],"category":"Devices and software","definition":"Open-source software is software whose source code is published for anyone to use, change and share under the terms of its licence, often at no cost.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/open-source-software","path":"/glossary/open-source-software"},{"term":"Operating system","title":"Operating system (OS)","aka":["OS"],"category":"Devices and software","definition":"An operating system is the core software that runs a device and lets every other program work, such as Windows, macOS, iOS or Android.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/operating-system","path":"/glossary/operating-system"},{"term":"Organisational data","title":"Organisational data","aka":[],"category":"Scheme and certification","definition":"Organisational data is any electronic data belonging to your organisation, for example emails, documents, database data and financial data.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/organisational-data","path":"/glossary/organisational-data"},{"term":"Organisational service","title":"Organisational service","aka":[],"category":"Scheme and certification","definition":"An organisational service is any software application, cloud application, cloud service, user interactive desktop or mobile device management system your organisation owns or subscribes to.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/organisational-service","path":"/glossary/organisational-service"},{"term":"Outbound connection","title":"Outbound connection","aka":["Outgoing connection","Outbound traffic"],"category":"Networks and firewalls","definition":"An outbound connection is a connection that one of your own devices starts towards something on the internet, such as a laptop opening a website.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/outbound-connection","path":"/glossary/outbound-connection"},{"term":"PaaS","title":"PaaS (Platform as a Service)","aka":["PaaS","Platform as a Service"],"category":"Malware, cloud and threats","definition":"Platform as a Service (PaaS) is a cloud service where the provider runs the servers underneath and your organisation supplies and manages its own applications.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/paas","path":"/glossary/paas"},{"term":"Passkey","title":"Passkey","aka":["Passkeys","FIDO2 passkey"],"category":"Accounts and access","definition":"A passkey is a way to sign in without a password: your phone or computer holds a secret digital key, and you unlock it with your fingerprint, face or device PIN.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/passkey","path":"/glossary/passkey"},{"term":"Passphrase","title":"Passphrase","aka":["Three random words","Multi-word password"],"category":"Accounts and access","definition":"A passphrase is a password made of several ordinary words strung together, such as three random words, which is long and hard to guess but easy to remember.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/passphrase","path":"/glossary/passphrase"},{"term":"Password","title":"Password","aka":["Passcode","Login password"],"category":"Accounts and access","definition":"A password is a secret string of characters that you type to prove you are the person an account belongs to.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/password","path":"/glossary/password"},{"term":"Password manager","title":"Password manager","aka":["Password vault","Password safe"],"category":"Accounts and access","definition":"A password manager is an app that stores all your passwords in one locked, encrypted place and can create strong new ones for you, so you only need to remember one.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/password-manager","path":"/glossary/password-manager"},{"term":"Passwordless authentication","title":"Passwordless authentication","aka":["Passwordless"],"category":"Accounts and access","definition":"Passwordless authentication is a method to establish a user's identity that uses a factor other than knowledge, such as FIDO2 authenticators, biometrics, security keys, one-time codes, QR codes or push notifications.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/passwordless-authentication","path":"/glossary/passwordless-authentication"},{"term":"Patch management","title":"Patch management","aka":["Patching","Update management","Security update management"],"category":"Devices and software","definition":"Patch management is the routine an organisation follows to find, install and check software updates on every device and service it uses.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/patch-management","path":"/glossary/patch-management"},{"term":"Penetration test","title":"Penetration test","aka":["Pen test","Pentest","Ethical hacking"],"category":"Malware, cloud and threats","definition":"A penetration test is an authorised, simulated attack in which skilled testers try to break into your systems the way a real attacker would.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/penetration-test","path":"/glossary/penetration-test"},{"term":"Phishing","title":"Phishing","aka":["Phishing email","Spear phishing"],"category":"Malware, cloud and threats","definition":"Phishing is a trick in which a criminal sends a message pretending to be someone you trust, to get you to click a link, open an attachment or hand over details.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/phishing","path":"/glossary/phishing"},{"term":"Port","title":"Port (network port)","aka":["Network port","TCP port","UDP port","Open port"],"category":"Networks and firewalls","definition":"A port is a numbered doorway on a device that a particular kind of network traffic uses, for example secure web pages usually arrive on port 443.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/port","path":"/glossary/port"},{"term":"Port forwarding","title":"Port forwarding","aka":["Port mapping","Opening a port","Virtual server rule"],"category":"Networks and firewalls","definition":"Port forwarding is a router setting that sends a particular kind of traffic arriving from the internet on to one chosen device inside your network, such as a CCTV recorder.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/port-forwarding","path":"/glossary/port-forwarding"},{"term":"PPN 014","title":"PPN 014 (Procurement Policy Note 014)","aka":["Procurement Policy Note 014","PPN 09/14","PPN 09/23"],"category":"Scheme and certification","definition":"PPN 014 is the Cabinet Office procurement policy note that tells central government bodies to require Cyber Essentials from suppliers in relevant contracts.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/ppn-014","path":"/glossary/ppn-014"},{"term":"Privileged access","title":"Privileged access","aka":["Special access privileges","Elevated privileges","Admin rights"],"category":"Accounts and access","definition":"Privileged access is any level of access above that of a normal user, such as admin rights that let someone change settings, install software or see everyone's data.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/privileged-access","path":"/glossary/privileged-access"},{"term":"Question set versions","title":"Question set versions","aka":["Evendine","Montpellier","Willow","Danzell"],"category":"Scheme and certification","definition":"Question set versions are the named releases of the Cyber Essentials question set, which IASME updates when the NCSC revises the requirements.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/question-set-versions","path":"/glossary/question-set-versions"},{"term":"Ransomware","title":"Ransomware","aka":["Crypto-ransomware"],"category":"Malware, cloud and threats","definition":"Ransomware is malware that locks or scrambles your files so you cannot open them, then demands payment to unlock them.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/ransomware","path":"/glossary/ransomware"},{"term":"Re-mark","title":"Re-mark","aka":["remark","resubmission"],"category":"Scheme and certification","definition":"A re-mark is a second marking of a failed Cyber Essentials self-assessment after the applicant has corrected the answers.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/re-mark","path":"/glossary/re-mark"},{"term":"Recertification","title":"Recertification","aka":["renewal","Cyber Essentials renewal"],"category":"Scheme and certification","definition":"Recertification is the yearly renewal of Cyber Essentials, done by completing a full new self-assessment before the current certificate expires.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/recertification","path":"/glossary/recertification"},{"term":"Remediation","title":"Remediation","aka":["remediate","fixing gaps","remediation report"],"category":"Scheme and certification","definition":"Remediation is the work of fixing security gaps, such as replacing unsupported software or turning on MFA, so a control meets the standard.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/remediation","path":"/glossary/remediation"},{"term":"Remote Desktop Protocol","title":"Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP)","aka":["RDP","Remote desktop","Remote Desktop Services"],"category":"Networks and firewalls","definition":"Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) is Microsoft's way of letting someone see and control a Windows computer or server from another device over a network.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/remote-desktop-protocol","path":"/glossary/remote-desktop-protocol"},{"term":"Remote monitoring and management","title":"Remote monitoring and management (RMM)","aka":["RMM","RMM tool"],"category":"Devices and software","definition":"Remote monitoring and management is software that lets an IT team or provider check, update and fix an organisation's computers from a distance.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/remote-monitoring-and-management","path":"/glossary/remote-monitoring-and-management"},{"term":"Requirements for IT Infrastructure","title":"Requirements for IT Infrastructure","aka":["Cyber Essentials: Requirements for IT Infrastructure","NCSC requirements v3.3","Cyber Essentials requirements"],"category":"Scheme and certification","definition":"Cyber Essentials: Requirements for IT Infrastructure is the NCSC document that sets out exactly what an organisation must do to meet Cyber Essentials.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/requirements-for-it-infrastructure","path":"/glossary/requirements-for-it-infrastructure"},{"term":"Retest","title":"Retest","aka":["re-test","Cyber Essentials Plus retest"],"category":"Scheme and certification","definition":"A retest is a repeat of failed Cyber Essentials Plus tests, carried out after the organisation has fixed the problems the assessor found.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/retest","path":"/glossary/retest"},{"term":"Router","title":"Router","aka":["Broadband router","Internet router","Hub"],"category":"Networks and firewalls","definition":"A router is the box that connects your office or home network to the internet and passes traffic between the two.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/router","path":"/glossary/router"},{"term":"SaaS","title":"SaaS (Software as a Service)","aka":["SaaS","Software as a Service","Cloud software"],"category":"Malware, cloud and threats","definition":"Software as a Service (SaaS) is software you use over the internet through a subscription and a login, such as Microsoft 365 or Gmail, where the provider runs everything behind it.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/saas","path":"/glossary/saas"},{"term":"Sampling","title":"Sampling","aka":["sample testing","sample size","representative sample"],"category":"Scheme and certification","definition":"Sampling is how a Cyber Essentials Plus assessor tests a representative selection of devices and accounts rather than every one in scope.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/sampling","path":"/glossary/sampling"},{"term":"Sandboxing","title":"Sandboxing","aka":["Sandbox","Application sandboxing"],"category":"Malware, cloud and threats","definition":"Sandboxing is running a program inside a sealed-off space on a device, so that anything it does cannot reach the rest of the system or your data.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/sandboxing","path":"/glossary/sandboxing"},{"term":"Scope","title":"Scope","aka":["Certification scope"],"category":"Scheme and certification","definition":"Scope is the networks, hardware and software assets, and cloud services that are included in a Cyber Essentials assessment.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/scope","path":"/glossary/scope"},{"term":"Secure configuration","title":"Secure configuration","aka":["Hardening","Device hardening"],"category":"Devices and software","definition":"Secure configuration means changing the factory settings on computers, phones, servers and cloud services so they only do what the business needs and have no easy ways in.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/secure-configuration","path":"/glossary/secure-configuration"},{"term":"Security operations centre","title":"Security operations centre (SOC)","aka":["SOC","Security operations center"],"category":"Malware, cloud and threats","definition":"A security operations centre (SOC) is a team, in-house or outsourced, that watches an organisation's systems for signs of attack and responds when something suspicious happens.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/security-operations-centre","path":"/glossary/security-operations-centre"},{"term":"Security update","title":"Security update (security patch)","aka":["Security patch","Patch","Hotfix"],"category":"Devices and software","definition":"A security update is a fix released by a software maker to close a known weakness that attackers could use to break in.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/security-update","path":"/glossary/security-update"},{"term":"Self-assessment questionnaire","title":"Self-assessment questionnaire","aka":["SAQ","self-assessment","Cyber Essentials self-assessment"],"category":"Scheme and certification","definition":"The self-assessment questionnaire is the set of written questions an organisation answers about its own IT to apply for Cyber Essentials.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/self-assessment-questionnaire","path":"/glossary/self-assessment-questionnaire"},{"term":"Servers","title":"Servers","aka":[],"category":"Devices and software","definition":"Servers, in Cyber Essentials, are devices that provide organisational data or services to other devices as part of your organisation's business.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/servers","path":"/glossary/servers"},{"term":"Service account","title":"Service account","aka":["Non-human account","System account","Application account"],"category":"Accounts and access","definition":"A service account is a login used by a program or automated process, rather than by a person, for example the account a backup tool uses to reach your files.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/service-account","path":"/glossary/service-account"},{"term":"Shared account","title":"Shared account","aka":["Shared login","Generic account","Group account"],"category":"Accounts and access","definition":"A shared account is a single login that more than one person uses, such as one office email login whose password the whole team knows.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/shared-account","path":"/glossary/shared-account"},{"term":"Shared responsibility model","title":"Shared responsibility model","aka":["Shared responsibility"],"category":"Malware, cloud and threats","definition":"A shared responsibility model is a cloud provider's written explanation of which security tasks it handles and which ones remain the customer's job.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/shared-responsibility-model","path":"/glossary/shared-responsibility-model"},{"term":"Signature-based detection","title":"Signature-based detection","aka":["Signature detection","Virus definitions","Malware signatures"],"category":"Malware, cloud and threats","definition":"Signature-based detection is the way anti-malware software recognises known malware, by comparing files against a list of fingerprints, called signatures or definitions, supplied by the vendor.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/signature-based-detection","path":"/glossary/signature-based-detection"},{"term":"Single sign-on","title":"Single sign-on (SSO)","aka":["SSO","Sign in with Microsoft","Sign in with Google"],"category":"Accounts and access","definition":"Single sign-on (SSO) lets staff use one work login, such as their Microsoft or Google account, to get into many different apps instead of having a separate password for each.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/single-sign-on","path":"/glossary/single-sign-on"},{"term":"SMS verification codes","title":"SMS verification codes","aka":["Text message codes","SMS one-time passcodes","SMS OTP","SMS MFA"],"category":"Accounts and access","definition":"SMS verification codes are one-time numbers sent to your mobile phone by text message, which you type in after your password to prove it is you.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/sms-verification-codes","path":"/glossary/sms-verification-codes"},{"term":"Social engineering","title":"Social engineering","aka":["Pretexting","Confidence trickery"],"category":"Malware, cloud and threats","definition":"Social engineering is manipulating people, rather than hacking computers, to get them to hand over information, money or access, usually by pretending to be someone they trust.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/social-engineering","path":"/glossary/social-engineering"},{"term":"Software","title":"Software","aka":[],"category":"Devices and software","definition":"In Cyber Essentials, software is any operating system, off-the-shelf application, extension, interpreter, script, library, network software or firewall and router firmware.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/software","path":"/glossary/software"},{"term":"Software firewall","title":"Software firewall","aka":["Host-based firewall","Personal firewall"],"category":"Networks and firewalls","definition":"A software firewall is a firewall configured on a device that works like a boundary firewall but only protects the single device on which it is configured.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/software-firewall","path":"/glossary/software-firewall"},{"term":"SSH","title":"SSH (Secure Shell)","aka":["Secure Shell","SSH key"],"category":"Networks and firewalls","definition":"SSH, or Secure Shell, is an encrypted way for IT staff to log in to a server, firewall or other network device from another computer and type commands to manage it.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/ssh","path":"/glossary/ssh"},{"term":"Standard user account","title":"Standard user account","aka":["Standard user","Non-admin account","Normal user account"],"category":"Accounts and access","definition":"A standard user account is an everyday login that can run programs and open files but cannot install software or change system-wide settings without an administrator's approval.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/standard-user-account","path":"/glossary/standard-user-account"},{"term":"Static IP address","title":"Static IP address","aka":["Fixed IP address","Dynamic IP address"],"category":"Networks and firewalls","definition":"A static IP address is a public internet address that stays the same over time, unlike a dynamic address that your broadband provider can change without notice.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/static-ip-address","path":"/glossary/static-ip-address"},{"term":"Sub-set","title":"Sub-set","aka":["Subset"],"category":"Scheme and certification","definition":"A sub-set is part of an organisation whose network is segregated from the rest of the organisation by a firewall or VLAN.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/sub-set","path":"/glossary/sub-set"},{"term":"Supply chain security","title":"Supply chain security","aka":["Supplier assurance","Third-party risk"],"category":"Malware, cloud and threats","definition":"Supply chain security is making sure the suppliers and service providers you rely on do not become the weak link that lets an attacker in.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/supply-chain-security","path":"/glossary/supply-chain-security"},{"term":"Test case","title":"Test case","aka":["Cyber Essentials Plus test","sub-test"],"category":"Scheme and certification","definition":"A test case is one of five practical checks an assessor runs in a Cyber Essentials Plus audit, each with set pass and fail criteria.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/test-case","path":"/glossary/test-case"},{"term":"Thin client","title":"Thin client","aka":[],"category":"Devices and software","definition":"A thin client is a simple, low-powered computer that mainly acts as a screen and keyboard for a virtual desktop running somewhere else.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/thin-client","path":"/glossary/thin-client"},{"term":"Throttling","title":"Throttling","aka":["Login throttling","Rate limiting","Progressive delay"],"category":"Accounts and access","definition":"Throttling is a setting that makes you wait longer after each wrong password or PIN, so guessing becomes slow enough to be pointless.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/throttling","path":"/glossary/throttling"},{"term":"Unnecessary software","title":"Unnecessary software","aka":["Bloatware","Unused software"],"category":"Devices and software","definition":"Unnecessary software is any program, built-in tool or background service on a device or cloud account that the business does not use.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/unnecessary-software","path":"/glossary/unnecessary-software"},{"term":"User account","title":"User account","aka":["Login","User login","Account"],"category":"Accounts and access","definition":"A user account is the named login, usually a username plus a password or other credential, that lets one person into a computer, phone or online service.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/user-account","path":"/glossary/user-account"},{"term":"User Account Control","title":"User Account Control (UAC)","aka":["UAC","User Account Control","Windows elevation prompt"],"category":"Accounts and access","definition":"User Account Control (UAC) is the Windows feature that asks for permission, or for an administrator's password, before a program can make changes that affect the whole computer.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/user-account-control","path":"/glossary/user-account-control"},{"term":"Vendor","title":"Vendor","aka":["Software vendor","Supplier","Manufacturer"],"category":"Devices and software","definition":"A vendor is the company or organisation that supplies a piece of software or hardware and is responsible for fixing its security flaws.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/vendor","path":"/glossary/vendor"},{"term":"Virtual desktop infrastructure","title":"Virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI)","aka":["VDI","Virtual desktop","Hosted desktop"],"category":"Devices and software","definition":"Virtual desktop infrastructure is a way of running staff desktops on central servers or in the cloud, so the user's own device only displays the desktop.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/virtual-desktop-infrastructure","path":"/glossary/virtual-desktop-infrastructure"},{"term":"Virtual machine","title":"Virtual machine (VM)","aka":["VM","Virtual server"],"category":"Devices and software","definition":"A virtual machine is a complete computer, with its own operating system, that runs as software inside another physical computer.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/virtual-machine","path":"/glossary/virtual-machine"},{"term":"VLAN","title":"VLAN (virtual local area network)","aka":["Virtual local area network","Virtual LAN"],"category":"Networks and firewalls","definition":"A VLAN, or virtual local area network, is a way of splitting one physical office network into separate networks that cannot talk to each other unless you allow it.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/vlan","path":"/glossary/vlan"},{"term":"VPN","title":"VPN (virtual private network)","aka":["Virtual private network","Remote access VPN","Site-to-site VPN"],"category":"Networks and firewalls","definition":"A VPN, or virtual private network, is an encrypted link over the public internet that lets a device or office connect to another network as if it were plugged in there.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/vpn","path":"/glossary/vpn"},{"term":"Vulnerability fixes","title":"Vulnerability fixes","aka":["Patches"],"category":"Devices and software","definition":"Vulnerability fixes are patches, updates, registry fixes, configuration changes, scripts or any other mechanism approved by the vendor to fix a known vulnerability.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/vulnerability-fixes","path":"/glossary/vulnerability-fixes"},{"term":"Vulnerability scan","title":"Vulnerability scan","aka":["Vulnerability scanning","Vulnerability assessment"],"category":"Malware, cloud and threats","definition":"A vulnerability scan is an automated check in which software examines your devices or internet connections for known security weaknesses.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/vulnerability-scan","path":"/glossary/vulnerability-scan"},{"term":"Whole-organisation scope","title":"Whole-organisation scope","aka":["whole organisation","full scope","whole company certification"],"category":"Scheme and certification","definition":"A whole-organisation scope means the Cyber Essentials assessment covers all the networks, user accounts and devices that access the organisation's data and services.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/whole-organisation-scope","path":"/glossary/whole-organisation-scope"},{"term":"LAPS","title":"Windows LAPS","aka":["Local Administrator Password Solution","Windows LAPS","Local admin password management"],"category":"Accounts and access","definition":"LAPS is a Microsoft feature built into Windows that gives the local administrator account on every PC its own random password, changes it automatically and stores it securely.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/laps","path":"/glossary/laps"},{"term":"WPA2 and WPA3","title":"WPA2 and WPA3","aka":["Wi-Fi Protected Access","WPA2","WPA3","Wi-Fi encryption"],"category":"Networks and firewalls","definition":"WPA2 and WPA3 are the security settings that scramble Wi-Fi traffic and control who can join a wireless network, with WPA3 being the newer and stronger of the two.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/wpa2-and-wpa3","path":"/glossary/wpa2-and-wpa3"},{"term":"Zero-day","title":"Zero-day vulnerability","aka":["0-day","Zero-day exploit"],"category":"Devices and software","definition":"A zero-day is a security flaw that attackers know about and can use before the software maker has released a fix, so defenders have had zero days to patch it.","url":"https://cyberessentialspreparation.com/glossary/zero-day","path":"/glossary/zero-day"}]}