ISACA® CRISC® - Glossary (EN)

Access control :  The processes, rules and deployment mechanisms that control access to information systems, resources and physical access to premises.
Access rights :  The permission or privileges granted to users, programs or workstations to create, change, delete or view data and files within a system, as defined by rules established by data owners and the information security policy.
Application controls :  The policies, procedures and activities designed to provide reasonabl
e assurance that objectives relevant to a given automated solution (application) are achieved.
Asset :  Something of either tangible or intangible value that is worth protecting, including people, information, infrastructure, finances and reputation.
Authentication :  1. The act of verifying identity (i.e., user, system) Scope Note: Risk: Can also refer to the verification of the correctness of a piece of data.

2. The act of verifying the identity of a user and the user's eligibility to access computerized information.

Scope Note: Assurance: Authentication is designed to protect against fraudulent logon activity. It can also refer to the verification of the correctness of a piece of data verification of the correctness of a piece of data.
Availability :  Ensuring timely and reliable access to and use of information.
Balanced scorecard (BSC) :  Developed by Robert S. Kaplan and David P. Norton as a coherent set of performance measures organized into four categories that includes traditional financial measures, but adds customer, internal business process, and learning and growth perspectives.
Business case :  Documentation of the rationale for making a business investment, used both to support a business decision on whether to proceed with the investment and as an operational tool to support management of the investment through its full economic life cycle
Business continuity plan (BCP) :  A plan used by an enterprise to respond to disruption of critical business processes. Depends on the contingency plan for restoration of critical systems.
Business goal :  The translation of the enterprise's mission from a statement of intention into performance targets and results.
Business impact :  The net effect, positive or negative, on the achievement of business objectives.
Business impact analysis/assessment (BIA) :  Evaluating the criticality and sensitivity of information assets.

An exercise that determines the impact of losing the support of any resource to an enterprise, establishes the escalation of that loss over time, identifies the minimum resources needed to recover, and prioritizes the recovery of processes and the supporting system.

Scope Note: This process also includes addressing:
- Income loss
- Unexpected expense
- Legal issues (regulatory compliance or contractual)
- Interdependent processes
- Loss of public reputation or public confidence
Business objective :  A further development of the business goals into tactical targets and desired results and outcomes
Business process owner :  The individual responsible for identifying process requirements, approving process design and managing process performance.

Scope Note: Must be at an appropriately high level in the enterprise and have authority to commit resources to process-specific risk management activities.
Business risk :  A probable situation with uncertain frequency and magnitude of loss (or gain).
Capability :  An aptitude, competency or resource that an enterprise may possess or require at an enterprise, business function or individual level that has the potential, or is required, to contribute to a business outcome and to create value.
Capability Maturity Model (CMM) :  1. Contains the essential elements of effective processes for one or more disciplines.

It also describes an evolutionary improvement path from ad hoc, immature processes to disciplined, mature processes with improved quality and effectiveness.

2. CMM for software, from the Software Engineering Institute (SEI), is a model used by many enterprises to identify best practices useful in helping them assess and increase the maturity of their software development processes.

Scope Note: CMM ranks software development enterprises according to a hierarchy of five process maturity levels. Each level ranks the development environment according to its capability of producing quality software. A set of standards is associated with each of the five levels. The standards for level one describe the most immature or chaotic processes and the standards for level five describe the most mature or quality processes.

A maturity model that iindicates the ddegree of reliability or dependency the business can place on a process achieving the desired goals or objectives

A collection of instructions that an enterprise can follow to gain better control over its software development process.
Compensating control :  An internal control that reduces the risk of an existing or potential control weakness resulting in errors and omissions.
Computer emergency response team (CERT) :  A group of people integrated at the enterprise with clear lines of reporting and responsibilities for standby support in case of an information systems emergency.

This group will act as an efficient corrective control, and should also act as a single point of contact for all incidents and issues related to information systems.
Confidentiality :  Preserving authorized restrictions on access and disclosure, including means for protecting privacy and proprietary information.
Control risk self-assessment :  A method/process by which management and staff of all levels collectively identify and evaluate risk and controls with their business areas. This may be under the guidance of a facilitator such as an auditor or risk manager.
Data custodian :  The individual(s) and department(s) responsible for the storage and safeguarding of computerized data.
Data owner :  The individual(s), normally a manager or director, who has responsibility for the integrity, accurate reporting and use of computerized ddaattaa
Detective control :  Exists to detect and report when errors, omissions and unauthorized uses or entries occur.
Disaster recovery plan (DRP) :  A set of human, physical, technical and procedural resources to recover, within a defined time and cost, an activity interrupted by an emergency or disaster.
Enterprise risk management (ERM) :  The discipline by which an enterprise in any industry assesses, controls, exploits, finances and monitors risk from all sources for the purpose of increasing the enterprise's short- and long-term value to its stakeholders.
ERP (enterprise resource planning) system :  A packaged business software system that allows an enterprise to automate and integrate the majority of its business processes, share common data and practices across the entire enterprise, and produce and access information in a real-time environment.

Scope Note: Examples of ERP include SAP, Oracle Financials and J.D. Edwards.
Event :  Something that happens at a specific place and/or time.
Event type :  For the purpose of IT risk management, one of three possible sorts of events: threat event, loss event and vulnerability event.

Scope Note: Being able to consistently and effectively differentiate the different types of events that contribute to risk is a critical element in developing good risk-related metrics and well-informed decisions. Unless these categorical differences are recognized and applied, any resulting metrics lose meaning and, as a result, decisions based on those metrics are far more likely to be flawed.
Evidence :  1. Information that proves or disproves a stated issue.

2. Information that an auditor gathers in the course of performing an IS audit; relevant if it pertains to the audit objectives and has a logical relationship to the findings and conclusions it is used to support.

Scope Note: Audit perspective.
Fallback procedures :  A plan of action or set of procedures to be performed if a system implementation, upgrade or modification does not work as intended.

Scope Note: May involve restoring the system to its state prior to the implementation or change. Fallback procedures are needed to ensure that normal business processes continue in the event of failure and should always be considered in system migration or implementation.
Feasibility study :  A phase of a system development life cycle (SDLC) methodology that researches the feasibility and adequacy of resources for the development or acquisition of a system solution to a user need.
Frequency :  A measure of the rate by which events occur over a certain period of time.
Governance :  Ensures that stakeholder needs, conditions and options are evaluated to determine balanced, agreed-on enterprise objectives to be achieved; setting direction through prioritization and decision making; and monitoring performance and compliance against agreed-on direction and objectives.

Scope Note: Conditions can include the cost of capital, foreign exchange rates, etc. Options can include shifting manufacturing to other locations, sub-contracting portions of the enterprise to third-parties, selecting a product mix from many available choices, etc.
Impact analysis :  A study to prioritize the criticality of information resources for the enterprise based on costs (or consequences) of adverse events.

In an impact analysis, threats to assets are identified and potential business losses determined for different time periods. This assessment is used to justify the extent of safeguards that are required and recovery time frames. This analysis is the basis for establishing the recovery strategy.
Information systems (IS) :  The combination of strategic, managerial and operational activities involved in gathering, processing, storing, distributing and using information and its related technologies.

Scope Note: Information systems are distinct from information technology (IT) in that an information system has an IT component that interacts with the process components.
Inherent risk :  1. The risk level or exposure without taking into account the actions that management has taken or might take (e.g., implementing controls).

2. The risk that a material error could occur, assuming that there are no related internal controls to prevent or detect the error.

Scope Note: Audit perspective; also see Control risk.
Integrity :  Guarding aagainst iimproper infomation modification or destruction, and includes ensuring information non--rrepudiation and authenticity.
Internal controls :  The policies, procedures, practices and organizational structures designed to provide reasonable assurance that business objectives will be achieved and undesired events will be prevented or detected and corrected.
IT architecture :  Description of the fundamental underlying design of the IT components of the business, the relationships among them, and the manner in which they support the enterprise's objectives.
IT infrastructure :  The set of hardware, software and facilities that integrates an enterprise's IT assets.

Scope Note: Specifically, the equipment (including servers, routers, switches and cabling), software, services and products used in storing, processing, transmitting and displaying all forms of information for the enterprise's users.
IT risk :  The business risk associated with the use, ownership, operation, involvement, influence and adoption of IT within an enterprise.
IT risk issue :  1. An instance of IT risk.

2. A combination of control, value and threat conditions that impose a noteworthy level of IT risk.
IT rriisskk pprrooffiillee :  A description of the overall (identified) IT risk to which the enterprise is exposed.
IT risk register :  A repository of the key attributes of potential and known IT risk issues.

Attributes may include name, description, owner, expected/actual frequency, potential/actual magnitude, potential/actual business impact, disposition.
IT risk scenario :  The description of an IT-related event that can lead to a business impact.
IT-related incident :  An IT-related event that causes an operational, developmental and/or strategic business impact.
Key performance indicator (KPI) :  A measure that determines how well the process is performing in enabling the goal to be reached.

Scope Note: A lead indicator of whether a goal will likely be reached, and a good indicator of capabilities, practices and skills. It measures an activity goal, which is an action that the process owner must take to achieve effective process performance.
Key risk indicator (KRI) :  A subset of risk indicators that are highly relevant and possess a high probability of predicting or indicating important risk Scope Note: See also Risk Indicator.
Loss event :  Any event during which a threat event results in loss.

Scope Note: From Jones, J.; "FAIR Taxonomy," Risk Management Insight, USA, 2008.
Magnitude :  A measure of the potential severity of loss or the potential gain from realized events/scenarios.
Objectivity :  The ability to exercise judgment, express opinions and present recommendations with impartiality.
Preventive control :  An internal control that is used to avoid undesirable events, errors and other occurrences that an enterprise has determined could have a negative material effect on a process or end product.
Project portfolio :  The set of projects owned by a company.

Scope Note: It usually includes the main guidelines relative to each project, including objectives, costs, time lines and other information specific to the project.
Recovery point objective (RPO) :  Determined based on the acceptable data loss in case of a disruption of operations.

It indicates the earliest point in time that is acceptable to recover the data. The RPO effectively quantifies the permissible amount of data loss in case of interruption.
Recovery time objective (RTO) :  The amount of time allowed for the recovery of a business function or resource after a disaster occurs
Reputation risk :  The current and prospective effect on earnings and capital arising from negative public opinion.

Scope Note: Reputation risk affects a bank's ability to establish new relationships or services, or to continue servicing existing relationships. It may expose the bank to litigation, financial loss or a decline in its customer base. A bank's reputation can be damaged by Internet banking services that are executed poorly or otherwise alienate customers and the public. An Internet bank has a greater reputation risk as compared to a traditional brick-and-mortar bank, because it is easier for its customers to leave and go to a different Internet bank and since it cannot discuss any problems in person with the customer.
Residual risk :  The remaining risk after management has implemented a risk response.
Resilience :  The ability of a system or network to resist failure or to recover quickly from any disruption, usually with minimal recognizable effect.
Risk aggregation :  The process of integrating risk assessments at a corporate level to obtain a complete view on the overall risk for the enterprise.
Risk analysis :  1. A process by which frequency and magnitude of IT risk scenarios are estimated.

2. The initial steps of risk management: analyzing the value of assets to the business, identifying threats to those assets and evaluating how vulnerable each asset is to those threats.

Scope Note: It often involves an evaluation of the probable frequency of a particular event, as well as the probable impact of that event.
Risk appetite :  The amount of risk, on a broad level, that an entity is willing to accept in pursuit of its mission.
Risk avoidance :  The process for systematically avoiding risk, constituting one approach to managing risk.
Risk culture :  The set of shared values and beliefs that governs attitudes toward risk-taking,, care and integrity,, and determines how openly risk and losses are reported and discussed.
Risk factor :  A condition that can influence the frequency and/or magnitude and, ultimately, the business impact of IT-related events/scenarios.
Risk indicator :  A metric capable of showing that the enterprise is subject to, or has a high probability of being subject to, a risk that exceeds the defined risk appetite.
Risk management :  1. The coordinated activities to direct and control an enterprise with regard to risk.

Scope Note: In the International Standard, the term "control" is used as a synonym for "measure." (ISO/IEC Guide 73:2002)

2. One of the governance objectives. Entails recognizing risk; assessing the impact and likelihood of that risk; and developing strategies, such as avoiding the risk, reducing the negative effect of the risk and/or transferring the risk, to manage it within the context of the enterprise's risk appetite.

Scope Note: COBIT 5 perspective.
Risk map :  A (graphic) tool for ranking and displaying risk by defined ranges for frequency and magnitude.
Risk mmiittiiggaattiioonn :  The management of risk through the use of countermeasures and controls.
Risk portfolio view :  1. A method to identify interdependencies and interconnections among risk, as well as the effect of risk responses on multiple types of risk.

2. A method to estimate the aggregate impact of multiple types of risk (e.g., cascading and coincidental threat types/scenarios, risk concentration/correlation across silos) and the potential effect of risk response across multiple types of risk.
Risk tolerance :  The acceptable level of variation that management is willing to allow for any particular risk as the enterprise pursues its objectives.
Risk transfer :  The process of assigning risk to another enterprise, usually through the purchase of an insurance policy or by outsourcing the service.
System development life cycle (SDLC) :  The phases deployed in the development or acquisition of a software system.

Scope Note: SDLC is an approach used to plan, design, develop, test and implement an application system or a major modification to an application system. Typical phases of SDLC include the feasibility study, requirements study, requirements definition, detailed design, programming, testing, installation and post-implementation review, but not the service delivery or benefits realization activities.
Threat :  Anything (e..g.,, object, substance, human) that is capable of acting against an asset in a manner that can result in harm.

Scope Note: A potential cause of an unwanted incident (ISO/IEC 13335).
Threat analysis :  An evaluation of the type, scope and nature of events or actions that can result in adverse consequences; identification of the threats that exist against enterprise assets.

Scope Note: The threat analysis usually defines the level of threat and the likelihood of it materializing.
Threat event :  Any event during which a threat element/actor acts against an asset in a manner that has the potential to directly result in harm.
Vulnerability :  A weakness in the design, implementation, operation or internal control of a process that could expose the system to adverse threats from threat events.
Vulnerability event :  Any event during which a material increase in vulnerability results.

Note that this increase in vulnerability can result from changes in control conditions or from changes in threat capability/force. Scope Note: From Jones, J.; "FAIR Taxonomy," Risk Management Insight, USA, 2008.