PRINTABLE FIELD NOTES
Security acronyms
Use this before an interview or during a focused review.
Security acronyms
Controls have scopes. A WAF rule, identity decision and network filter do not protect the same boundary.
| WAF | Web Application Firewall inspects HTTP traffic using rules and signals. It complements secure code and authorization. |
|---|---|
| DDoS | Distributed Denial of Service overwhelms service capacity using distributed sources; distinguish L3/L4 volume from L7 work. |
| IAM / IdP | Identity and Access Management governs identities and permissions. The identity provider authenticates and supplies identity claims. |
| MFA / SSO | Multifactor authentication combines factor categories. Single sign-on reuses identity sessions across applications; session policy still matters. |
| SWG / ZTNA | Secure Web Gateway governs outbound web use. Zero Trust Network Access applies identity-aware access to private resources. |
| TLS / mTLS | Transport Layer Security protects a connection; mutual TLS authenticates both peers with certificates. |
| RTO / RPO | Recovery Time Objective bounds target restoration time; Recovery Point Objective bounds acceptable data loss in time. Neither is a guarantee without tested recovery. |