Glossary

A denial of service (DoS) attack is a deliberately planned attack on a computer system or network that causes a loss of use of the computer system or network to legitimate users. Examples of DoS attacks include: flooding network connections to prevent legitimate network traffic, denying communication between systems, preventing a particular individual from accessing an Internet-based service, and disrupting service to a specific system or individual.

Denial of tenure claims are claims arising at educational institutions in which a teacher or professor asserts that they were wrongly denied tenure. Educators legal liability policies afford coverage for such claims.

Denominational responsibility is a principle of imposition of liability based on the "ecclesiastical control" (as opposed to civil or secular forms of control) that a religious institution exerts. The principle of denominational responsibility may impose liability on a religious institution when it uses ecclesiastical control to expressly place (or deny) responsibility to a certain group within the institution. Ecclesiastical control involves consent or adherence to religious doctrine, unlike more secular forms of control. For example, a religious institution could be found liable for the misconduct of an individual minister if it exerts ecclesiastical control by forming a "board of ministry" specifically aimed at guiding and supervising the ministers' behavior according to the institution's spiritual purpose and beliefs.

A dental indemnity plan reimburses the insured for dental care expenses minus any deductible or copayment after the insured has been paid by the insurer. In some cases, the healthcare provider is paid directly by the plan after the insured has assigned his or her benefits to the plan. With an indemnity dental plan, the insured can choose their own dentist with no regard for whether the dentist is in-plan or not. Dental indemnity plans are usually more expensive than a dental health maintenance organization (HMO) or a preferred provider organization (PPO).

Dental insurance is a form of health insurance that provides financial assistance for the expense related to and the prevention, treatment, and care of dental disease. Dental insurance plans usually include the use of deductibles, coinsurance, and procedure and annual dollar caps. The most common types of dental insurance plans are indemnity plans and plans by preferred provider organizations (PPOs) and dental health maintenance organizations (HMOs).

The Department of Labor (DOL) is a US federal governmental body with oversight over employment-related issues including employee benefits covered under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).

The Department of Transportation (DOT) is the US governmental agency charged with the oversight of all forms of transportation within the United States. Leadership of the DOT is provided by the secretary of transportation, who is the principal adviser to the president in all matters relating to federal transportation programs. The Office of the Secretary oversees the formulation of national transportation policy and promotes intermodal transportation. Other responsibilities range from negotiation and implementation of international transportation agreements, assuring the fitness of US airlines, enforcing airline consumer protection regulations, issuance of regulations to prevent alcohol and illegal drug misuse in transportation systems, and preparing transportation legislation.

Dependent properties time element coverage is time element property insurance that pays for the loss of income or increase in expenses resulting from damage from a covered cause of loss to the premises of another organization on which the insured depends, such as a key supplier or customer. The two types are dependent properties business income coverage and dependent properties extra expense coverage. Previously referred to as contingent time element coverage.

A deposition is the pretrial testimony of a witness under oath, without the presence of a judge or jury, for the purpose of discovering evidence relevant to the lawsuit.

Deposit accounting is the method of accounting for premium when the policy or reinsurance agreement does not qualify as insurance. The premium is not recognized as income but as a deposit or contribution to the insurer's surplus. Losses paid are not an expense but rather return of capital. Since premium does not flow through the income statement, the insurer cannot reduce income by the increase in loss reserves.