Vocabulary — Computers & Technology
Words are tools. This page holds every key word for this part of the school, drawn from the lessons themselves: how to spell each word, what it means in plain language, and one sentence to remember it by.
See every vocabulary page in this school
All
Spells: A-l-l
What it means: party consent — a stricter state rule requiring every party's consent before a communication may lawfully be recorded or intercepted.
A sentence to remember it by: 272, § 99 prohibits without all parties' prior authority.
Approver
Spells: A-p-p-r-o-v-e-r
What it means: the named person who authorises statements for release, with a named backup.
A sentence to remember it by: Approver — the named person who authorises statements for release, with a named backup.
Breach notification
Spells: Breach notification
What it means: formal notice to affected people that their information was exposed; duties vary by law.
A sentence to remember it by: Roles — Spokesperson, Approver, and Monitor Confusion about roles is where crisis communication usually breaks.
Cell
Spells: C-e-l-l
What it means: site location information (CSLI) — time-stamped carrier records of which cell sites a phone connected to, revealing the phone's movements over time.
A sentence to remember it by: The question: Does the government need a warrant to acquire historical cell-site records covering seven days or more?
Contents
Spells: C-o-n-t-e-n-t-s
What it means: what was actually said or sent in a communication — its substance — not just records that a communication occurred.
A sentence to remember it by: Contents — what was actually said or sent in a communication — its substance — not just records that a communication occurred.
Decision log
Spells: D-e-c-i-s-i-o-n-l-o-g
What it means: the running record of decisions: what, by whom, when.
A sentence to remember it by: Decision log — the running record of decisions: what, by whom, when.
Geofence warrant
Spells: Geofence warrant
What it means: a warrant asking a provider to identify devices present within a defined area and time window; also called a reverse-location warrant.
A sentence to remember it by: Geofence warrant — a warrant asking a provider to identify devices present within a defined area and time window; also called a reverse-location warrant.
Holding statement
Spells: Holding statement
What it means: a first message acknowledging an incident and promising the next update.
A sentence to remember it by: What a holding statement must never do is just as important.
Interception
Spells: I-n-t-e-r-c-e-p-t-i-o-n
What it means: acquiring the contents of a wire, oral, or electronic communication while it is happening, through a device or other means.
A sentence to remember it by: Code) — interception prohibitions and consent.
Minimization
Spells: M-i-n-i-m-i-z-a-t-i-o-n
What it means: the duty, under a Title III order, to limit interception of communications not subject to the order.
A sentence to remember it by: Code) — the Title III procedure: application, judicial findings, 30-day limit, minimization, notice.
Monitor
Spells: M-o-n-i-t-o-r
What it means: the person tracking questions and rumours for the spokesperson.
A sentence to remember it by: Monitor — the person tracking questions and rumours for the spokesperson.
Necessity requirement
Spells: Necessity requirement
What it means: Title III's rule that an applicant must show other investigative procedures have been tried and failed, or reasonably appear unlikely to succeed if tried or too dangerous.
A sentence to remember it by: Then comes the requirement that defeats more applications than any other: necessity .
One
Spells: O-n-e
What it means: party consent — the federal rule that interception is generally lawful when one party gives prior consent, unless done to commit a crime or tort.
A sentence to remember it by: One boundary: interception is about communications in flight .
Out
Spells: O-u-t
What it means: of-band — a backup method independent of affected systems.
A sentence to remember it by: Out-of-band — a backup method independent of affected systems.
Particularity
Spells: P-a-r-t-i-c-u-l-a-r-i-t-y
What it means: the constitutional requirement that a warrant or order describe specifically the place to be searched and the persons or things to be seized — for a wiretap, the offense, the facilities, and the type of communications.
A sentence to remember it by: Hold Part 2 as one discipline: senior authorization, probable cause of a listed offense, necessity, particularity, 30 days, minimization, sealing, notice.
Post
Spells: P-o-s-t
What it means: incident report — the closing account of what happened, what was done, and what changed.
A sentence to remember it by: (3) Brief staff and the volunteer (Part 6): one referral sentence, no personal posts.
Ransomware
Spells: R-a-n-s-o-m-w-a-r-e
What it means: software that locks systems or data and demands payment; here, the occasion for communication, not a technical subject.
A sentence to remember it by: government's central ransomware page and joint #StopRansomware Guide.
Reasonable expectation of privacy
Spells: Reasonable expectation of privacy
What it means: the Fourth Amendment test from Katz: a person actually expected privacy, and that expectation is one society is prepared to recognize as reasonable.
A sentence to remember it by: Second, is that expectation one society is prepared to recognize as reasonable ?
SIM swap
Spells: S-I-M-s-w-a-p
What it means: fraud in which a criminal gets a carrier to move a victim's number to a SIM the criminal controls, capturing the victim's calls and authentication codes.
A sentence to remember it by: Department of Justice — justice.gov (https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/pr/two-men-sentenced-nationwide-scheme-steal-social-media-accounts-and-cryptocurrency) — District of Massachusetts SIM-swapping sentences, about two years each.
Spokesperson
Spells: S-p-o-k-e-s-p-e-r-s-o-n
What it means: the named person authorised to speak publicly during the crisis.
A sentence to remember it by: Monitor — the person tracking questions and rumours for the spokesperson.
Stalkerware
Spells: S-t-a-l-k-e-r-w-a-r-e
What it means: software secretly installed on a person's device to monitor location, messages, calls, and activity for someone else.
A sentence to remember it by: Tracking people — GPS, location records, and stalkerware Interception captures words; tracking captures a life.
Suppression
Spells: S-u-p-p-r-e-s-s-i-o-n
What it means: a court's exclusion of evidence from use at trial because it was obtained in violation of the Constitution or a governing statute.
A sentence to remember it by: Code) — procedure for interception: applications, findings, duration, minimization, sealing, notice, and suppression motions under subsection (10)(a).
Surreptitious recording
Spells: Surreptitious recording
What it means: secretly hearing or recording a communication; the core conduct Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 272, § 99 prohibits without all parties' prior authority.
A sentence to remember it by: Laws) — interception and surreptitious recording; criminal and civil provisions.
Tabletop exercise
Spells: Tabletop exercise
What it means: a talked-through rehearsal of a pretend incident that tests the plan.
A sentence to remember it by: Tabletop exercise — a talked-through rehearsal of a pretend incident that tests the plan.
Title III order
Spells: T-i-t-l-e-I-I-I-o-r-d-e-r
What it means: a court order under 18 U.S.C. § 2518 authorizing interception after findings of probable cause, necessity, and particularity, for no more than 30 days at a time.
A sentence to remember it by: Code) — Title III interception procedure.