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CompTIA Security+ 5.3 NIST 800-53 SA-9 NIST CSF GV.SC-05
TechKnowSurge Catalog Interactives SLA or Terms of Service?
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SLA or Terms of Service?

One term from a SaaS provider per card. Is it in the SLA or the terms of service?

⚑ Complete this interactive to capture a CTF flag worth 5 points.

About this interactive

With a software as a service (SaaS) provider, the provider runs everything behind the interface, so it carries much of the security, and you have to hold it to standards. The lesson looks at two documents. The service level agreement (SLA) says what level of service the provider guarantees: uptime (the lesson's example promises 99.5% or more), support response times, restore times and performance, with service credits when it misses them and the limits and exceptions on those credits. The terms of service (ToS), sometimes called a license agreement, are what you accept when you sign up, usually by ticking a box. They set the rules for using the service and the rights of each side: what you may and may not do, who owns your data, the provider's limits on liability, account suspension, changes to the service and which laws govern disputes. SaaS providers rarely write a custom contract per customer, so the ToS is the contract. It is written to protect the provider, so read it to make sure it protects you too and fits your own policies. To sort a term, ask whether it is a measured level of service the provider guarantees (SLA), or a rule or right governing your use of the service (terms of service).

What you'll learn

Aligned to

CompTIA Security+
5.3 Explain the processes associated with third-party risk assessment and management.
NIST 800-53
SA-9 External System Services
NIST CSF
GV.SC-05 Requirements to address cybersecurity risks in supply chains are established, prioritized, and integrated into contracts and other types of agreements with suppliers and other relevant third parties.

Key terms

Service Level Agreement
SLA
A formal commitment between a provider and customer that guarantees a defined level of service uptime, including terms for compensation if the standard is not met.
Terms of Service
ToS
An agreement between a service provider and a user that outlines the rules, rights, and responsibilities governing use of a product or service.
Software as a Service
SaaS
A cloud service model that delivers software applications over the internet on a subscription basis.

Topics

Service Level Agreement Terms Of Service Software As A Service Vendor Management Interactive Streak Sort

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