A scale for measuring the relative strength of a security mechanism.
What does strength of mechanism (SoM) mean?
The term Strength of Mechanism (SoM) refers to a relative scale used to express how difficult a security mechanism is expected to be to defeat, often based on the effort or resources required. It gives election, security, legal, or technical readers a specific label for the concept rather than a broader everyday meaning.
How is security mechanism strength evaluated?
In practice, Strength of Mechanism (SoM) is applied to the technical or security purpose captured by its definition: a relative scale used to express how difficult a security mechanism is expected to be to defeat. Organizations combine that function with documented procedures, authorized access, testing, monitoring, and controls appropriate to the system.
Why does strength of mechanism matter?
Understanding Strength of Mechanism (SoM) matters because the concept can affect security, reliability, auditability, or trusted operation. In this glossary context, it refers to a relative scale used to express how difficult a security mechanism is expected to be to defeat.
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A scale for measuring the relative strength of a security mechanism.
Cite this term
Election Security Glossary. (2026). Strength Of Mechanism (som). In Election Security Glossary. Retrieved August 20, 2026, from https://electionsecurityglossary.com/glossary/strength-of-mechanism-som
Sources
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High consensus
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Multi-source
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