Glossary P Flashcards
P12 (Public Key Cryptography Standard #12)
Format that allows a private key to be exported along with its digital certificate.
P7B
File format for transmitting a chain of digital certificates, using PKCS#7
PaaS (Platform as a Service)
A computing method that uses the cloud to provide any platform-type services.
PAM (pluggable authentication module)
Framework for implementing authentication providers in Linux.
passive scan
An enumeration or vulnerability scan that analyzes only intercepted network traffic rather than sending probes to a target. More generally, passive reconnaissance techniques are those that do not require direct interaction with the target.
PAT (port address translation)
Maps private host IP addresses onto a single public IP address. Each host is tracked by assigning it a random high TCP port for communications. Also known as network address port translation (NAPT) or NAT overloading.
patch management
Identifying, testing, and deploying OS and application updates. Patches are often classified as critical, security-critical, recommended, and optional.
PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard)
Information security standard for organizations that process credit or bank card payments.
PDU (power distribution unit)
Advanced strip socket that provides filtered output voltage. A managed unit supports remote administration.
PEAP (Protected Extensible Authentication Protocol)
EAP implementation that uses a server-side certificate to create a secure tunnel for user authentication, referred to as the inner method.
PEM (privacy-enhanced mail)
Base64 encoding scheme used to store certificate and key data as ASCII text.
penetration testing
A test that uses active tools and security utilities to evaluate security by simulating an attack on a system. A pen test will verify that a threat exists, then will actively test and bypass security controls, and will finally exploit vulnerabilities on the system. Also known as pentest.
percent encoding
Mechanism for encoding characters as hexadecimal values delimited by the percent sign
persistence (load balancing)
In load balancing, the configuration option that enables a client to maintain a connection with a load-balanced server over the duration of the session. Also referred to as sticky sessions.
persistence
In cybersecurity, the ability of a threat actor to maintain covert access to a target host or network.
PFS (perfect forward secrecy)
A characteristic of transport encryption that ensures if a key is compromised the compromise will only affect a single session and not facilitate recovery of plaintext data from other sessions.
PFX (personal information exchange)
Windows file format for storing a private key and certificate data. The file can be password-protected.
pharming
An impersonation attack in which a request for a website, typically an e-commerce site, is redirected to a similar-looking, but fake, website.
PHI (protected/personal health information)
Information that identifies someone as the subject of medical and insurance records, plus associated hospital and laboratory test results.
phishing
A type of email-based social engineering attack, in which the attacker sends email from a supposedly reputable source, such as a bank, to try to elicit private information from the victim.
