diff --git a/.travis/functional/pykmip/policies/policy.json b/.travis/functional/pykmip/policies/policy.json
index a072e5c..c19536e 100644
--- a/.travis/functional/pykmip/policies/policy.json
+++ b/.travis/functional/pykmip/policies/policy.json
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
         }
       }
     },
-    "default": {
+    "preset": {
       "SYMMETRIC_KEY": {
         "GET": "DISALLOW_ALL",
         "DESTROY": "DISALLOW_ALL"
diff --git a/.travis/policy.json b/.travis/policy.json
index e5a1de2..f880fed 100644
--- a/.travis/policy.json
+++ b/.travis/policy.json
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
                 }
             }
         },
-        "default": {
+        "preset": {
             "CERTIFICATE": {
                 "LOCATE": "ALLOW_ALL",
                 "CHECK": "ALLOW_ALL",
diff --git a/examples/policy.json b/examples/policy.json
index f683b7e..a557b16 100644
--- a/examples/policy.json
+++ b/examples/policy.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
     "example": {
-        "default": {
+        "preset": {
             "CERTIFICATE": {
                 "LOCATE": "ALLOW_ALL",
                 "CHECK": "ALLOW_ALL",
diff --git a/kmip/core/policy.py b/kmip/core/policy.py
index 2200482..33005d5 100644
--- a/kmip/core/policy.py
+++ b/kmip/core/policy.py
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ def read_policy_from_file(path):
                 "{}".format(path, e)
             )
 
-    policy_sections = {'groups', 'default'}
+    policy_sections = {'groups', 'preset'}
     object_types = set([t.name for t in enums.ObjectType])
     result = {}
 
@@ -84,9 +84,9 @@ def read_policy_from_file(path):
         if sections <= policy_sections:
             parsed_policies = dict()
 
-            default_policy = object_policy.get('default')
+            default_policy = object_policy.get('preset')
             if default_policy:
-                parsed_policies['default'] = parse_policy(default_policy)
+                parsed_policies['preset'] = parse_policy(default_policy)
 
             group_policies = object_policy.get('groups')
             if group_policies:
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ def read_policy_from_file(path):
             result[name] = parsed_policies
         elif sections <= object_types:
             policy = parse_policy(object_policy)
-            result[name] = {'default': policy}
+            result[name] = {'preset': policy}
         else:
             invalid_sections = sections - policy_sections - object_types
             raise ValueError(
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ def read_policy_from_file(path):
 
 policies = {
     'default': {
-        'default': {
+        'preset': {
             enums.ObjectType.CERTIFICATE: {
                 enums.Operation.LOCATE:             enums.Policy.ALLOW_ALL,
                 enums.Operation.CHECK:              enums.Policy.ALLOW_ALL,
@@ -279,7 +279,7 @@ policies = {
         }
     },
     'public': {
-        'default': {
+        'preset': {
             enums.ObjectType.TEMPLATE: {
                 enums.Operation.LOCATE:             enums.Policy.ALLOW_ALL,
                 enums.Operation.GET:                enums.Policy.ALLOW_ALL,
diff --git a/kmip/services/server/engine.py b/kmip/services/server/engine.py
index 8c1e306..3aca14b 100644
--- a/kmip/services/server/engine.py
+++ b/kmip/services/server/engine.py
@@ -859,7 +859,7 @@ class KmipEngine(object):
                 else:
                     return group_policy
         else:
-            return policy_bundle.get('default')
+            return policy_bundle.get('preset')
 
     def is_allowed(
             self,
diff --git a/kmip/tests/unit/core/test_policy.py b/kmip/tests/unit/core/test_policy.py
index b1652f3..18e79ea 100644
--- a/kmip/tests/unit/core/test_policy.py
+++ b/kmip/tests/unit/core/test_policy.py
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ class TestPolicy(testtools.TestCase):
             f.write(
                 '{"test": {'
                 '"groups": {"group_A": {"SPLIT_KEY": {"GET": "ALLOW_ALL"}}}, '
-                '"default": {"SPLIT_KEY": {"GET": "ALLOW_ALL"}}}'
+                '"preset": {"SPLIT_KEY": {"GET": "ALLOW_ALL"}}}'
                 '}'
             )
 
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ class TestPolicy(testtools.TestCase):
                     }
                 }
             },
-            'default': {
+            'preset': {
                 enums.ObjectType.SPLIT_KEY: {
                     enums.Operation.GET: enums.Policy.ALLOW_ALL
                 }
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ class TestPolicy(testtools.TestCase):
 
     def test_read_policy_from_file_default_only(self):
         """
-        Test that reading a policy file with only a default section works
+        Test that reading a policy file with only a preset section works
         correctly.
         """
         policy_file = tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile(
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ class TestPolicy(testtools.TestCase):
         with open(policy_file.name, 'w') as f:
             f.write(
                 '{"test": '
-                '{"default": {"SPLIT_KEY": {"GET": "ALLOW_ALL"}}}}'
+                '{"preset": {"SPLIT_KEY": {"GET": "ALLOW_ALL"}}}}'
             )
 
         policies = policy.read_policy_from_file(policy_file.name)
@@ -185,7 +185,7 @@ class TestPolicy(testtools.TestCase):
         self.assertIn('test', policies.keys())
 
         expected = {
-            'default': {
+            'preset': {
                 enums.ObjectType.SPLIT_KEY: {
                     enums.Operation.GET: enums.Policy.ALLOW_ALL
                 }
@@ -239,7 +239,7 @@ class TestPolicy(testtools.TestCase):
         self.assertIn('test', policies.keys())
 
         expected = {
-            'default': {
+            'preset': {
                 enums.ObjectType.CERTIFICATE: {
                     enums.Operation.LOCATE: enums.Policy.ALLOW_ALL
                 }
diff --git a/kmip/tests/unit/services/server/test_engine.py b/kmip/tests/unit/services/server/test_engine.py
index 425cba9..6770ce7 100644
--- a/kmip/tests/unit/services/server/test_engine.py
+++ b/kmip/tests/unit/services/server/test_engine.py
@@ -2047,7 +2047,7 @@ class TestKmipEngine(testtools.TestCase):
         e = engine.KmipEngine()
         e._operation_policies = {
             'test_policy': {
-                'default': {
+                'preset': {
                     enums.ObjectType.SYMMETRIC_KEY: {
                         enums.Operation.GET: enums.Policy.ALLOW_OWNER
                     }
@@ -2072,7 +2072,7 @@ class TestKmipEngine(testtools.TestCase):
         e = engine.KmipEngine()
         e._operation_policies = {
             'test_policy': {
-                'default': {
+                'preset': {
                     enums.ObjectType.SYMMETRIC_KEY: {
                         enums.Operation.GET: enums.Policy.ALLOW_OWNER
                     }
@@ -2105,7 +2105,7 @@ class TestKmipEngine(testtools.TestCase):
         e._logger = mock.MagicMock()
         e._operation_policies = {
             'test_policy': {
-                'default': {
+                'preset': {
                     enums.ObjectType.SYMMETRIC_KEY: {
                         enums.Operation.GET: enums.Policy.ALLOW_OWNER
                     }
@@ -2136,7 +2136,7 @@ class TestKmipEngine(testtools.TestCase):
         e._logger = mock.MagicMock()
         e._operation_policies = {
             'test_policy': {
-                'default': {
+                'preset': {
                     enums.ObjectType.SYMMETRIC_KEY: {
                         enums.Operation.GET: enums.Policy.ALLOW_OWNER
                     }