# Glossary

**Access Control (AC):** The process of regulating who can access what resources within a system or application.

**API (Application Programming Interface):** A set of instructions that allows applications to communicate with each other.

**Authentication:** The process of verifying a user's identity before granting access to a system or application.

**Authorization:** The process of determining what actions a user is allowed to perform after their identity has been verified.

**Cloud Security:** The practices and technologies used to protect data, applications, and infrastructure in the cloud.

**Compliance:** Adherence to a set of industry standards or regulations.

**Data Breach:** An incident where unauthorized access to sensitive data occurs.

**Encryption:** The process of transforming data into a scrambled format that can only be read by authorized users.

**Horizontal SaaS (HaaS):** Cloud-based applications that address general business needs across various departments or functions, such as CRM, marketing automation, or HR software.

**Identity and Access Management (IAM):** A framework for managing user identities and access controls.

**Least Privilege:** The security principle of granting users only the minimum permissions necessary to perform their job duties.

**Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA):** An authentication method that requires two or more verification factors to access a system or application.

**OAuth:** An open-standard authorization framework that allows users to grant third-party applications access to their data on another service.

**Onboarding:** The process of integrating new users or applications into a system or platform. In the context of SaaS, this refers to getting users set up with access and familiar with the application.

**Risk Management:** The process of identifying, assessing, and mitigating security risks.

**SaaS (Software as a Service):** A cloud-based software delivery model where applications are hosted by a provider and accessed over the internet.

**Security Posture:** The overall security state of an organization's IT infrastructure, including its cloud environment.

**Security Misconfiguration:** An incorrect or insecure configuration of a security setting or system.

**Single Sign-On (SSO):** An authentication method that allows users to access multiple applications with a single login.

**Threat Actor:** An individual or group that attempts to gain unauthorized access to a system or network.

**Third-Party Application:** A software application developed by a company outside of your organization.

**User Provisioning:** The process of creating and managing user accounts in a system or application.

**Vertical SaaS (VaaS):** Cloud-based applications designed to meet the specific needs of a particular industry or department, such as healthcare software for hospitals or legal practice management software for law firms.

**Vulnerability:** A weakness in a system or application that can be exploited by attackers.


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