Primary definition
Selective termination of affected, non-essential system functions when a failure occurs or is detected in the system. See fail safe and fail secure for comparison. Source: IETF RFC 4949 Ver 2
Also known asgraceful degradation · soft failure · fail gracefully
3 sources cited4 related termsReviewed Aug 9, 2026
— Committee on National Security Systems Glossary CNSSI 4009-2015View source
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CNSSGC
Selective termination of affected, non-essential system functions when a failure occurs or is detected in the system. See fail safe and fail secure for comparison. Source: IETF RFC 4949 Ver 2
Committee on National Security Systems Glossary CNSSI 4009-2015 · 2024
Cite this term
Permanent URL · stable across revisions
Election Security Glossary. (2026). Fail Soft. In Election Security Glossary. Retrieved August 22, 2026, from https://electionsecurityglossary.com/glossary/fail-soft
Sources
3 cited · last checked Aug 9, 2026
01
Committee on National Security Systems Glossary CNSSI 4009-2015
Committee on National Security Systems Glossary CNSSI 4009-2015
High consensus
02
EAC Information Technology Terminology
EAC Information Technology Terminology
Multi-source
03
The Cyber Glossary
The Cyber Glossary
Disputed
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