Open-AudIT Glossary

  • Agent

    A software component installed on a device to collect data and send it back to Open-AudIT.

  • Agentless

    A method of collecting device data without installing any software on the target device.

  • SNMP

    Simple Network Management Protocol, used to communicate with network devices.

  • Network Discovery

    The process of automatically identifying all devices on a network, including their configurations and relationships.

  • Change Detection

    Scheduled comparison of device configurations over time to detect any changes in the network environment.

  • Configuration Management

    The practice of handling device settings and policies to maintain network integrity and compliance.

  • Credential Management

    The process of securely storing and rotating login credentials used to access network devices for auditing.

  • Baselining

    Establishing a reference point of device configurations or network state to compare future changes.

  • Collector

    An instance of Open-AudIT used to gather data from a specific network segment, often in distributed or MSP environments.

  • Audit Report

    A compiled record of discovered assets, changes, and compliance checks generated by Open-AudIT.

  • SOX Compliance

    Refers to adherence to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, requiring visibility and control over financial IT systems.

  • ISO 27001

    An international standard outlining best practices for information security management systems (ISMS).

  • Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)

    A system of assigning permissions to users based on their roles within the organization.

  • Air-Gapped Network

    A physically isolated network not connected to the internet, often used in secure environments like government and defence.

  • Remediation

    The process of addressing and resolving detected issues, such as security risks or misconfigurations. In Open-AudIT, this is limited to detection and reporting, not automated rollback or push configuration.

  • Asset Inventory

    A comprehensive listing of all hardware, software, and network devices discovered and cataloged by Open-AudIT.

  • Device Uptime

    The total time a device has been running without interruption, often used to assess stability and performance.

  • Vulnerability Scan

    A security process that identifies known vulnerabilities in network devices, often integrated via external tools.

  • Syslog

    A standard for message logging that allows network devices to send log data to a central server.

  • CMDB

    Configuration Management Database – a repository that acts as a data warehouse for IT installations, populated via Open-AudIT.

  • Discovery Schedule

    A recurring task in Open-AudIT that scans for new devices and changes to existing ones on the network.

  • Cloud Asset

    Any virtual resource hosted in a cloud environment, such as AWS EC2 or Azure VMs, and monitored by Open-AudIT.

  • Golden Baseline

    An approved device configuration state used as a reference to detect configuration drift.

  • Compliance Template

    Predefined rulesets in Open-AudIT used to measure devices against regulatory or organizational standards.

  • SSH

    Secure Shell, a protocol used to securely access and audit Unix/Linux devices over a network.

  • Configuration Drift

    The divergence of a device’s current state from its intended, documented, or baseline configuration.