Dictionary of Information Security

F

fail over design or condition where the failure or over-

loading of a component or system transfers demand

or function to another, usually identical, unit.

Systems designed for fail over are usually arranged

with multiple units in sequence.

fail safe automatic protection of programs and/or pro-

cessing systems to maintain safety when a hardware

or software failure is detected in a system.The over-

riding principle is that failure of one part or com-

ponent will not result in the failure or termination

of the system as a whole. In terms of security, fail

safe is sometimes seen as a tendency to fail open:

failure of access controls, for example, will ensure

that access continues to be granted—sometimes

even to those to whom it should not be granted.

Compare ...