Glossary terms starting with H

Terms

HIPAAPrivacy

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, a US federal law that establishes standards for protecting sensitive health information. Includes the Privacy Rule and Security Rule.Used in: HIPAA Security Rule, GDPR, ISO 27001:2022

HIPAA Breach Notification RuleCompliance and Regulatory

Requirements under HIPAA for covered entities and business associates to notify affected individuals, HHS, and media of breaches of unsecured PHI.Used in: HIPAA Security Rule, ISO 27001:2022, NIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0

HIPAA Privacy RuleCompliance and Regulatory

HIPAA regulations that establish standards for the protection of individually identifiable health information held by covered entities and business associates.Used in: HIPAA Security Rule, GDPR, ISO 27001:2022

HIPAA Security RuleCompliance and Regulatory

HIPAA regulations requiring covered entities to implement administrative, physical, and technical safeguards to protect electronic protected health information.Used in: HIPAA Security Rule, ISO 27001:2022, NIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0

HTTP Strict Transport SecurityInformation Security

A web security policy mechanism that forces browsers to interact with websites only over HTTPS connections, preventing protocol downgrade attacks.Used in: ISO 27001:2022, NIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0, CIS Controls v8

HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure)Information Security

The secure version of HTTP that uses TLS/SSL to encrypt communication between a web browser and a web server. HTTPS protects the confidentiality and integrity of data exchanged between the user and the site.Used in: ISO 27001:2022, NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5

HardeningInformation Security

The process of securing a system by reducing its attack surface through removing unnecessary software, disabling unused services, applying patches, and configuring security settings according to established baselines such as CIS Benchmarks.Used in: CIS Controls v8, ISO 27001:2022, NIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0

Hardening GuideInformation Security

A detailed document providing step-by-step instructions for configuring a specific system or application to meet security requirements.Used in: ISO 27001:2022, NIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0, CIS Controls v8

Hardware AttestationInformation Security

A security mechanism where hardware provides cryptographic proof of its identity, configuration, and integrity to verify system trustworthiness.Used in: ISO 27001:2022, NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5

Hardware Security ModuleInformation Security

A dedicated cryptographic processor that provides secure generation, storage, and management of digital keys and performs encryption operations in a tamper-resistant device.Used in: ISO 27001:2022, NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5

Hardware Security Module (HSM)Information Security

A dedicated physical computing device that safeguards and manages cryptographic keys, performs encryption and decryption, and provides authentication services. HSMs are tamper-resistant and used in high-security environments.Used in: ISO 27001:2022, NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5

Hash CollisionInformation Security

A situation where two different inputs produce the same hash output, which can be exploited in cryptographic attacks if the hash function is weak.Used in: ISO 27001:2022, NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5, NIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0

Hash FunctionInformation Security

A mathematical algorithm that maps data of arbitrary size to a fixed-size output, used for data integrity verification and password storage.Used in: ISO 27001:2022, NIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0, CIS Controls v8

Hash ValueInformation Security

A fixed-size string produced by a hash function from input data of any size. Hash values are used for data integrity verification, password storage, digital signatures, and blockchain technology.Used in: ISO 27001:2022, NIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0, CIS Controls v8

Health CheckInformation Security

A periodic assessment of the health and security posture of systems, applications, or programs to identify issues before they become critical.Used in: HIPAA Security Rule, ISO 27001:2022, NIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0

Health DataPrivacy

Personal data related to the physical or mental health of a natural person, including the provision of health care services. Health data is treated as special category data under GDPR and regulated by HIPAA in the United States.Used in: GDPR, HIPAA Security Rule, ISO 27001:2022

Health Information ExchangePrivacy and Data Protection

The electronic sharing of health-related information between healthcare organizations, requiring strict privacy and security controls.Used in: GDPR, ISO 27001:2022, HIPAA Security Rule

Healthcare ComplianceCompliance and Regulatory

Adherence to laws and regulations specific to the healthcare industry, including patient privacy, billing practices, and clinical standards.Used in: GDPR, ISO 27001:2022, HIPAA Security Rule

Healthcare IT SecurityInformation Security

Security measures specific to healthcare information technology systems, protecting electronic health records and medical devices from cyber threats.Used in: HIPAA Security Rule, ISO 27001:2022, NIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0

Heat MapRisk Management

A visual representation of risks plotted on a matrix by likelihood and impact, using colors to indicate severity levels for prioritization.Used in: NIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0, ISO 27001:2022

Help Desk SecurityInformation Security

Security protocols for help desk operations including identity verification procedures and protection against social engineering attacks.Used in: ISO 27001:2022, NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5, NIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0

High AvailabilityBusiness Continuity

System design and implementation that ensures a predetermined level of operational performance and uptime, typically 99.9% or higher.Used in: NIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0, ISO 27001:2022

High-Risk AI SystemAI & Technology

Under the EU AI Act, an AI system that poses significant risks to health, safety, or fundamental rights. High-risk AI systems are subject to mandatory requirements including risk management, data governance, transparency, human oversight, and accuracy.Used in: EU AI Act, NIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0, HIPAA Security Rule

High-Risk ProcessingPrivacy and Data Protection

Data processing activities that pose a significant risk to the rights and freedoms of individuals, requiring enhanced safeguards and impact assessments.Used in: GDPR, ISO 27001:2022, NIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0

Homomorphic EncryptionAI & Technology

A form of encryption that permits computations on encrypted data without first decrypting it. Homomorphic encryption enables data to be processed in its encrypted form, preserving privacy while allowing analysis.Used in: ISO 27001:2022, NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5, GDPR

HoneypotInformation Security

A security mechanism set to detect, deflect, or counteract attempts at unauthorised use of information systems. Honeypots are decoy systems designed to lure attackers and study their methods.Used in: ISO 27001:2022, NIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0, CIS Controls v8

Horizontal Privilege EscalationInformation Security

An attack where a user gains access to resources belonging to another user with the same privilege level.Used in: ISO 27001:2022, NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5

Hospitality ComplianceCompliance and Regulatory

Regulations governing the hospitality industry including guest data protection, payment card security, food safety, and accessibility requirements.Used in: PCI DSS v4.0, GDPR, ISO 27001:2022

Host FirewallInformation Security

A software-based firewall running on individual endpoints that controls network traffic to and from that specific device based on security rules.Used in: NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5, CIS Controls v8

Host-Based Intrusion DetectionInformation Security

A security system installed on individual hosts that monitors system calls, file modifications, and logs to detect suspicious activity on that specific device.Used in: NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5, CIS Controls v8

Hot FixInformation Security

An urgent software update released outside the normal patch cycle to address a critical vulnerability or severe bug that needs immediate remediation.Used in: NIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0, CIS Controls v8

Hot SiteInformation Security

A fully equipped backup facility with hardware, software, and data replication already in place, ready to assume operations within minutes to hours of a disaster. Hot sites are the most expensive but fastest disaster recovery option.Used in: NIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0, ISO 27001:2022, NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5

Household DataPrivacy and Data Protection

Information that relates to a household rather than a specific individual, with varying classification under different privacy laws.Used in: GDPR, ISO 27001:2022

Human FactorInformation Security

The element of cybersecurity risk related to human behavior, decision-making, and susceptibility to social engineering attacks.Used in: NIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0, CIS Controls v8

Human-in-the-LoopAI & Technology

An AI system design pattern where human oversight is integrated into the decision-making process. Human-in-the-loop ensures that critical decisions receive human review and is required for high-risk AI systems under the EU AI Act.Used in: EU AI Act

Hybrid Cloud SecurityCloud Security

Security strategies and controls designed to protect environments that combine on-premises infrastructure with public and private cloud services.Used in: Cloud Security Alliance Cloud Controls Matrix (CCM) v4.0.1, ISO 27001:2022

Hybrid EncryptionInformation Security

A cryptographic approach that combines the efficiency of symmetric encryption with the key management advantages of asymmetric encryption.Used in: ISO 27001:2022, NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5

Hypervisor SecurityInformation Security

Measures to protect the software layer that creates and manages virtual machines from attacks that could compromise all hosted virtual environments.Used in: ISO 27001:2022, NIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0, CIS Controls v8