defensibility
Capacity for protection
Defensibility is the quality of being defensible—capable of being defended, whether militarily, logically, or ethically.
A hilltop fortress has defensibility; so does a well-reasoned argument.
The term appears in strategic planning, legal contexts, and business: The defensibility of their market position depends on patent protection.
Something with high defensibility can withstand attack or criticism.
Fortified defensive position
- bulwarkDefensive fortification or safeguard
- rampartsProtective fortress walls
- citadelFortified urban stronghold
- strongholdFortified place of defense
battlements · moat · parapet · redoubt · palisade · stockade · keep · barbican
Reason proving rightness
- liabilityLegal or financial obligation
- standingPosition, physical or social
- precedentPrior authoritative example
- complianceAdhering to requirements
due diligence · documentation · audit trail · burden of proof · intellectual property · patent · trademark · trade secret
Resistance to wear
- resilienceCapacity to recover quickly
- robustnessResistance to failure
- integrityMoral soundness and consistency
- stabilityResistance to displacement
reinforcement · load-bearing · redundancy · fail-safe · hardening · weatherproofing · corrosion resistance · stress tolerance
Defensive water ditch
- competitive advantageFactor enabling market outperformance
- barrier to entryCompetitive impediment for newcomers
- market positionStanding among competitors
- pricing powerControl over what you charge
brand loyalty · network effects · proprietary technology · vertical integration · economies of scale · differentiation · market share · sustainability
Arranging in specific locations
- deterrencePrevention via threatened consequences
- containmentPreventing hostile expansion
- countermeasuresDefensive actions against threats
- preemptionActing to prevent another's action
intelligence · reconnaissance · flanking · attrition · chokepoint · fallback · high ground · tactical advantage
State of being unprotected
- weaknessDeficiency in force
- susceptibilityLiability to influence
- breachBreaking of agreement
- penetrationEntry into something
compromise · unprotected · assailable · exploitable · attackable · gap · blind spot · soft target
Network access control system
- encryptionConverting data into code
- authenticationConfirming genuine identity
- access controlRestricting resource availability selectively
- intrusion detectionSpotting unauthorized access attempts
bastion
Fortified defensive position
- bulwarkDefensive fortification or safeguard
- rampartsProtective fortress walls
- citadelFortified urban stronghold
stronghold · battlements · moat · parapet · redoubt · palisade · stockade · keep · barbican · curtain wall
justification
Reason proving rightness
- liabilityLegal or financial obligation
- standingPosition, physical or social
- precedentPrior authoritative example
compliance · due diligence · documentation · audit trail · burden of proof · intellectual property · patent · trademark · trade secret · non-compete
durability
Resistance to wear
- resilienceCapacity to recover quickly
- robustnessResistance to failure
- integrityMoral soundness and consistency
stability · reinforcement · load-bearing · redundancy · fail-safe · hardening · weatherproofing · corrosion resistance · stress tolerance · impact resistance
moat
Defensive water ditch
- competitive advantageFactor enabling market outperformance
- barrier to entryCompetitive impediment for newcomers
- market positionStanding among competitors
pricing power · brand loyalty · network effects · proprietary technology · vertical integration · economies of scale · differentiation · market share · sustainability
positioning
Arranging in specific locations
- deterrencePrevention via threatened consequences
- containmentPreventing hostile expansion
- countermeasuresDefensive actions against threats
preemption · intelligence · reconnaissance · flanking · attrition · chokepoint · fallback · high ground · tactical advantage · buffer zone
exposure
State of being unprotected
- weaknessDeficiency in force
- susceptibilityLiability to influence
- breachBreaking of agreement
penetration · compromise · unprotected · assailable · exploitable · attackable · gap · blind spot · soft target · liability
firewall
Network access control system
- encryptionConverting data into code
- authenticationConfirming genuine identity
- access controlRestricting resource availability selectively
intrusion detection · penetration testing · zero trust · backdoor
- credibilitybelievability, credibility, plausibility, authenticity, reliability
- e-discoveryESI, production, processing, collection, predictive coding
- system qualitiesreliability, availability, scalability, performance, usability
defensibilityvulnerability
Openness to harm
indefensibility · exposure · susceptibility · weakness · penetrability
defensibilityindefensibility
Impossible to protect or justify
unjustifiability · untenability · inexcusability · weakness · groundlessness