This glossary gives an alphabetical-order explanation of various terms (denoted in boldface throughout this manual) that have specialized meanings within the context of LJK/Security.

assessment: An overall set of associations from tributary nodes to the policies and transport methods to be used in assessing security of those nodes.

effective privilege: Privileges a user could obtain even beyond explicit privileges and implicit privileges. Going beyond explicit privileges and implicit privileges generally involves exploiting a weakness in system administration, such as improperly protected files which are regularly executed by privileged users.

exemption: Statement within a policy that under particular circumstances a different limit is to be used for some test than the normal limit established in that policy.

explicit privilege: Privilege granted in the privilege section of the User Authorization File. This includes both default privileges and privileges which can be gained with the SET PRIVILEGE command, either individually authorized or authorized in general by the SETPRV privilege. Explicit privilege can be different from implicit privilege and effective privilege (q.v.).

implicit privilege: Privilege granted by assignment of a system UIC code to a user in the User Authorization File. Implicit privilege can be different from explicit privilege and effective privilege (q.v.).

limit: An individual value against which a particular test is made within a particular policy.

Mandatory Access Controls: Management control which cannot be subverted technically by actions of an individual user who has ownership of data.

master node: The VMS system on which LJK/Security software is initially installed. This system (possibly along with others in a cluster to which it belongs) is where data regarding policies, assessments is stored and where results are collected.

policy: A set of values for individual tests to be made by LJK/Security in assessing security. It is possible to have multiple policies and apply each to different sets of nodes or to the same nodes on different schedules.

result: An individual instance of a limit being exceeded. Results are transmitted back from tributary nodes to the master node. Only after the results have been collected are the exemptions taken into consideration for reporting purposes.

selector: An additional qualification used with certain tests to specify separate instances of limits or exemptions based on an additional factor, such as privilege or day of the week.

test: An individual comparison to be made between a security-relevant condition on a node and a limit in the relevant policy.

transport method: A mechanism used to send LJK/Security software kits and assessment requests from the master node to a tributary node and to send assessment results from a tributary node back to the master node. Available mechanisms include DECnet and removable magnetic media such as magnetic tape or diskette (depending on hardware configurations).

tributary node: A node which is to be measured by LJK/Security software. It contains only a subset of the LJK/Security software, which is installed from a kit generated on the master node rather than from the master kit delivered by LJK Software.

In most cases the master node will also be a tributary node, running evaluations of itself. It is never necessary to install on the master node the LJK/Security software kit generated for tributary nodes.

value: The numeric, boolean or other standard in a limit or an exemption, against which test results are compared.

violation: An instance where a VMS control is not in compliance with the limit and exemptions set in an LJK/Security policy.