Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

    Glossary
A  |  B  |  C  |  D  |  E  |  F  |  G  |  H  |  I  |  J  |  K  |  L  |  M  |  N  |  O  |  P  |  Q  |  R  |  S  |  T  |  U  |  V  |  W  |  X  |  Y  |  Z

Cyber Threat

Abbreviations / Acronyms / Synonyms:

threat
Threat

Definitions:

  Any circumstance or event with the potential to adversely impact organizational operations (including mission, functions, image, or reputation), organizational assets, or individuals through an information system via unauthorized access, destruction, disclosure, modification of information, and/or denial of service. Also, the potential for a threat-source to successfully exploit a particular information system vulnerability.
Sources:
NIST SP 1800-15B under Threat from FIPS 200

  Any circumstance or event with the potential to adversely impact organizational operations (including mission, functions, image, or reputation), organizational assets, individuals, other organizations, or the Nation through an information system via unauthorized access, destruction, disclosure, modification of information, and/or denial of service.
Sources:
CNSSI 4009-2015 under threat from NIST SP 800-30 Rev. 1
NIST SP 800-128 under Threat from CNSSI 4009
NIST SP 800-137 under Threat from CNSSI 4009 - Adapted
NIST SP 800-39 under Threat from CNSSI 4009
NISTIR 7621 Rev. 1 under Threat
NISTIR 7622 under Threat from CNSSI 4009
NISTIR 8170 under Threat from CNSSI 4009

  Any circumstance or event with the potential to adversely impact organizational operations (including mission, functions, image, or reputation), organizational assets, individuals, other organizations, or the Nation through an information system via unauthorized access, destruction, disclosure, or modification of information, and/or denial of service.
Sources:
NIST SP 1800-21B under Threat from NIST SP 800-30 Rev. 1
NIST SP 800-150 under Threat from NIST SP 800-30 Rev. 1
NIST SP 800-30 Rev. 1 under Threat from CNSSI 4009

  Any circumstance or event with the potential to adversely impact organizational operations (including mission, functions, image, or reputation), organizational assets, individuals, other organizations, or the Nation through a system via unauthorized access, destruction, disclosure, modification of information, and/or denial of service.
Sources:
NIST SP 800-12 Rev. 1 under Threat

  Any circumstance or event with the potential to adversely impact organizational operations, organizational assets, individuals, other organizations, or the Nation through a system via unauthorized access, destruction, disclosure, modification of information, and/or denial of service.
Sources:
NIST SP 800-128 under threat
NIST SP 800-161r1 under threat from NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5
NIST SP 800-172 under threat from NIST SP 800-30 Rev. 1
NIST SP 800-172A under threat from NIST SP 800-30 Rev. 1
NIST SP 800-37 Rev. 2 under threat from NIST SP 800-30 Rev. 1
NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5 under threat from NIST SP 800-30 Rev. 1
NIST SP 800-53A Rev. 5 under threat from NIST SP 800-30 Rev. 1
NIST SP 800-171 Rev. 2 under threat

  Any circumstance or event with the potential to adversely impact agency operations (including mission, functions, image, or reputation), agency assets, or individuals through an information system via unauthorized access, destruction, disclosure, modification of information, and/or denial of service.
Sources:
NIST SP 800-18 Rev. 1 under Threat from CNSSI 4009 - Adapted

  an activity, deliberate or unintentional, with the potential for causing harm to anautomated information system or activity.
Sources:
NIST SP 800-16 under Threat

  A possible danger to a computer system, which may result in the interception, alteration, obstruction, or destruction of computational resources, or other disruption to the system.
Sources:
NIST SP 800-28 Version 2 under Threat

  The potential source of an adverse event.
Sources:
NIST SP 800-61 Rev. 2 under Threat

  Any circumstance or event with the potential to adversely impact operations (including mission function, image, or reputation), agency assets or individuals through an information system via unauthorized access, destruction, disclosure, modification of data, and/or denial of service.
Sources:
NIST SP 800-57 Part 2 Rev.1 under Threat

  An event or condition that has the potential for causing asset loss and the undesirable consequences or impact from such loss.
Sources:
NIST SP 1800-17b under Threat

  Any circumstance or event with the potential to adversely impact agency operations (including mission, functions, image, or reputation), agency assets, individuals, other organizations, or the Nation through an information system via unauthorized access, destruction, disclosure, modification of information, and/or denial of service.
Sources:
NIST SP 800-60 Vol. 1 Rev. 1 under Threat from CNSSI 4009 - Adapted
NIST SP 800-60 Vol. 2 Rev. 1 under Threat from CNSSI 4009 - Adapted

  Any circumstance or event with the potential to adversely impact organizational operations (including mission, functions, image, or reputation), organizational assets, or individuals through an information system via unauthorized access, destruction, disclosure, modification of information, and/or denial of service. Also, the potential for a threat source to successfully exploit a particular information system vulnerability.
Sources:
NIST SP 1800-15C under Threat from FIPS 200

  Any circumstance or event with the potential to adversely impact organizational operations and assets, individuals, other organizations, or the Nation through an information system via unauthorized access, destruction, disclosure, or modification of information, and/or denial of service.
Sources:
NIST SP 1800-30B under threat from NIST SP 800-30 Rev. 1 - adapted

  Potential cause of unacceptable asset loss and the undesirable consequences or impact of such a loss.
Sources:
NIST SP 800-160v1r1 under threat

  Any circumstance or event with the potential to adversely impact agency operations (including safety, mission, functions, image, or reputation), agency assets, or individuals through an information system via unauthorized access, destruction, disclosure, modification of information, and/or denial of service.
Sources:
NIST SP 800-82r3 under threat from FIPS 200 - adapted

  Any circumstance or event with the potential to adversely impact organizational operations.
Sources:
NIST SP 800-221 under threat

  potential cause of an unwanted incident, which may result in harm to a system or organization
Sources:
NISTIR 8053 under threat

  Any circumstance or event with the potential to cause the security of the system to be compromised.
Sources:
NISTIR 4734 under Threat

  the likelihood or frequency of a harmful event occurring
Sources:
NISTIR 7435 under Threat

  Any circumstance or event with the potential to adversely impact organizational operations (a negative risk).
Sources:
NISTIR 8286 under Threat

  Any circumstance or event with the potential to adversely impact organizational operations, organizational assets, individuals, other organizations, or the Nation through a system via unauthorized access, destruction, disclosure, modification of information, or denial of service.
Sources:
NIST IR 8323r1 under threat from NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5
NIST IR 8401 under threat from NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5 - adapted
NIST IR 8441 under threat from NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5

  Any circumstance or event with the potential to adversely impact organizational operations (including mission, functions, image, or reputation), organizational assets, or individuals through an information system via unauthorized access, destruction, disclosure, modification of information, and/or denial of service; the potential for a threat source to successfully exploit a particular information system vulnerability.
Sources:
NIST IR 8270 under threat