CISSP Practice

Advantages include (1) reduced transmission costs, reduced latency, and improved quality-of-service (QoS) due to a decrease in data volume that must be moved across the network, (2) improved security due to data encryption and firewalls, and (3) limited bottlenecks and single point of failure due to replicated information across distributed networks of Web servers and de-emphasized central network points. Other names for mesh computing include peer-to-peer computing

Mesh topology

Mesh topology is a network topology in which there are at least two nodes with two or more paths between them. The mesh topology is made up of multiple, high-speed paths between several end-points, and provides a high degree of fault tolerance due to many redundant interconnections between nodes. In a true mesh topology, every node has a connection to every other node in the network.

Message authentication code

(1) A cryptographic checksum on data that uses a symmetric key to detect both accidental and intentional modifications of the data. (2) A cryptographic checksum that results from passing data through a message authentication algorithm.

Message digest (MD)

(1) A digital signature that uniquely identifies data and has the property that changing a single bit in the data will cause a completely different message digest to be generated. (2) The result of applying a hash function to a message; also known as hash value. (3) A cryptographic checksum typically generated for a file that can be used to detect changes to the file. Secure Hash Algorithm-1 (SHA-1) is an example of a message digest algorithm. (4) It is the fixed size result of hashing a message.

Message identifier (MID)

A field that may be used to identify a message. Typically, this field is a sequence number.

Message modification

Altering a legitimate message by deleting, adding to, changing, or reordering it.

Message passing

The means by which objects communicate. Individual messages may consist of the name of the message, the name of the target object to which it is being sent, and arguments, if any. When an object receives a message, a method is invoked which performs an operation that exhibits some part of the object’s behavior.

Message passing systems

Used in object-oriented application systems.

Message replay

Passively monitoring transmissions and retransmitting messages, acting as if the attacker were a legitimate user.

Messaging interface

The linkage from the service component to various external software modules (e.g., enterprise component, external system, and gateway) through the use of message middleware (i.e., performing message-routing, data-transformation, and directory-services) and other service components.

Metadata

(1) Information used to describe specific characteristics, constraints, acceptable uses, and parameters of another data item such as cryptographic key. (2) It is data referring to other data; data (e.g., data structures, indices, and pointers) that are used to instantiate an abstraction (e.g., process, task, segment, file, or pipe). (3) A special database, also referred to as a data dictionary, containing descriptions of the elements (e.g., relations, domains, entities, or relationships) of a database. (4) Information regarding files and folders themselves, such as file and folder names, creation dates and times, and sizes.

Metrics

Tools designed to facilitate decision making and improve performance and accountability through collection, analyses, and reporting of relevant performance-related data. A “metric” is designed to organize data into meaningful information to support decision making (for example, dashboards).

Metropolitan-area network (MAN)

A network concept aimed at consolidating business operations and computers spread out in a town or city. Wired MANs are mainly used by cable television networks. MANs and LANs are non-switched networks, meaning they do not use routers. The scope of a MAN falls between a LAN and a WAN.

Middleware

Software that sits between two or more types of software and translates information between them. For example, it can sit between an application system and an operating system, a network operating system, or a database management system.

Migration

A term generally referring to the moving of data from an online storage device to an off-line or low-priority storage device, as determined by the system or as requested by the system user.

Mimicking

An attempt to gain access to a computer system by posing as an authorized user. Synonymous with impersonating, masquerading, and spoofing.

Min-entropy