Key Information Security Services and Definitions

Essential Information Security Services

Information security relies on several core services to ensure the protection and reliability of data and systems. Below are the primary concepts and their definitions:

• Privacy or Confidentiality: Keeping information secret from all but those who are authorized to see it.
• Data Integrity: Ensuring information has not been altered by unauthorized or unknown means.
• Entity Authentication or Identification: Corroboration of the identity of an entity (e.g., a person, a computer terminal, a credit card, etc.).
• Message Authentication: Corroborating the source of information; also known as data origin authentication.
• Signature: A means to bind information to an entity.
• Authorization: Conveyance, to another entity, of official sanction to do or be something.
• Validation: A means to provide timeliness of authorization to use or manipulate information or resources.
• Access Control: Restricting access to resources to privileged entities.
• Certification: Endorsement of information by a trusted entity.
• Timestamping: Recording the time of creation or existence of information.
• Witnessing: Verifying the creation or existence of information by an entity other than the creator.
• Receipt: Acknowledgement that information has been received.
• Confirmation: Acknowledgement that services have been provided.
• Ownership: A means to provide an entity with the legal right to use or transfer a resource to others.
• Anonymity: Concealing the identity of an entity involved in some process.
• Non-repudiation: Preventing the denial of previous commitments or actions.
• Revocation: Retraction of certification or authorization.