Glossary

Access Control The granting or withholding of a service or access to a resource to a user or service based on identity. ACL Access control list – a table that defines what access rights each user has to a particular system object, such as a file directory or individual file. Each of these objects has a security attribute that identifies its access control list. The list contains an entry for each system user with access privileges Adware Any software application in which advertising banners are displayed while the program is running. Algorithm A derivation of the name of the Arab mathematician Al-Khawarizmi, meaning a well-defined step-by-step process for solving a problem. Audit trails A log that is used to track computer activity. This is generally used to track access. Backup The process of making a copy of the data from a system that can be preserved in case of equipment failure or other catastrophe. Backup window The time or ‘window of opportunity’ given to the backup process in which to execute either scheduled or user directed backups.