Reference Monitor

Primary definition

The security engineering term for IT functionality that-- 1) controls all access, 2) cannot be bypassed, 3) is tamper-resistant, and 4) provides confidence that the other three items are true. SOURCE: SP 800-33 Concept of an abstract machine that enforces Target of Evaluation (TOE) access control policies. (CNSSI-4009) (NISTIR)

Also known asreference validation mechanism · RVM · reference monitor concept · reference monitor mechanism · RM
1 sources cited4 related termsReviewed Aug 10, 2026
The Cyber GlossaryView source

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The security engineering term for IT functionality that-- 1) controls all access, 2) cannot be bypassed, 3) is tamper-resistant, and 4) provides confidence that the other three items are true. SOURCE: SP 800-33 Concept of an abstract machine that enforces Target of Evaluation (TOE) access control policies. (CNSSI-4009) (NISTIR)

The Cyber Glossary · 2024

Cite this term

Permanent URL · stable across revisions
Election Security Glossary. (2026). Reference Monitor. In Election Security Glossary. Retrieved August 22, 2026, from https://electionsecurityglossary.com/glossary/reference-monitor

Sources

1 cited · last checked Aug 10, 2026

01

The Cyber Glossary
The Cyber Glossary

Single-source

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