Computer/System Terms - P
Packet Binary Convolutional Coding (PBCC) - (wireless Ethernet data transmission)
Packet Internet Groper (PING) - (A method of verification using the Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) echo-request and echo-reply communications to verify end-to-end connectivity.)
Padding Oracle On Downgraded Legacy Encryption attack (POODLE) - (Type of cyber attack against the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol which allowed an attacker to force hosts to fall back to an unsecure version of SSL, so that the attacker could make malformed SSL requests to the client to break encrypted communications between the client and the server.)
Page Mode (PM) - (DRAM (dynamic random access memory) memory access)
pages per minute (PPM) - (printer speed measure)
Pantone Matching System (PMS) - (color selection/numbering system)
Parallel Advanced Technology Attachment (PATA) - (An early 16-bit bus interface used to connect disk drives to a PC, which was phased out after 2013 and replaced by the Serial Advanced Technology Interface (SATA), which provided greater speed and performance.)
parallel track path (PTP) - (DVD (digital versatile disc) capacity)
parity inner (PI) - (bytes) (DVD (digital versatile disc) writing)
parity outer (PO) - (bytes) (DVD (digital versatile disc) writing)
Partial CAV (constant angular velocity) (P-CAV) - (CD drive speed)
partial-response, maximum-likelihood (PRML) - (disk storage capacity)
passive infrared system (PIR) - (A system which identifies changes in heat waves in an area configured to monitor. Temperature increases could be an indication of an intruder, causing an alarm to sound.)
Passive Real-Time Asset Detection System (PRADS) - (Physical security system which provides real-time monitoring of assets, such as a building or facility through closed-circuit TV, but does not take active measures to prevent or stop intruders.)
Passive Vulnerability Identification (PVI) - (Method of analyzing inbound and outbound system data, to look for patterns or activities, which might indicate application flaws or vulnerabilities, but without taking disruptive actions to interfere with traffic.)
Password Authentication Protocol (PAP) - (A protocol using a username and password to authenticate users attempting to make a remote connection to a network over a Point-to_Point Protocol (PPP) (one connection) between one device (point) and another device (point)) PAP is not considered a secure connection method because the credentials are sent in cleartext (unenrypted).)
Payment Card Industry (PCI) - (The business sector and companies within it which provide credit cards, grant or extend credit to individuals and businesses, maintain records of credit card transactions and credit, and process credit card transactions.)
Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) - (International standard for handling transactions involving payment cards (credit cards), such as system security measures requirements, measures to protect stored data, encryption measures for data transmission, testing, and restrictions on access.)
Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council (PCI SSC) - (Organization of the major payment card vendors, such as Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, and the Japan Credit Bureau, formed in 2004, to set standards for handlig transactions involving credit cards.)
peak-to-peak (p-p) - (alternating current voltage measurement)
peer-to-peer (P2P) - (A computer network architecture in which there is no central server; all computers are equal participants.)
Pentest-as-a-Service (PtaaS) - (Software capable of automating a pen (penetration) test, normally done by contracted teams or companies, a method of testing system security for vulnerabilities.)
Pentium - Intel microprocessor/computer chip series
Pentium matrix math extensions (Pentium-MMX) - (Pentium chip add-on)
Pentium multimedia extensions (Pentium-MMX) - (Pentium chip add-on)
Performance Reference Model (PRM) - (Framework for performance measurement providing common output measurements throughout the Federal Government. Provides a means for using an agency's enterprise architecture (EA) to measure the success of information systems investments and their impact on strategic outcomes.)
Perimeter Intrusion Detection and Assessment System (PIDAS) - (In the area of physical security, a type of fencing that contains sensors located on the wire mesh and at the base of the fence, capable of detecting attempts to cut or climb the fence, plus a passive cable vibration sensor that sets off an alarm if an intrusion is detected.)
Periodic and Random Deviation (PARD) - (Method of measuring power supply outputs for alternating current (AC) devices which involves the average voltagee, usually measured in millivolts peak-to-peak, or as a percentage of nominal output values.)
Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) - (internal communications)
Peripheral Component Interface (PCI) - (internal communications)
Peripheral Component Interconnect accelerated graphics port (PCI/AGP Controller) (PAC) - (Main component of the computer motherboard which serves as a connection chip circuit bus with the high-speed processor.)
Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) (PCI-E) - (high-speed component transmission)
Peripheral Component Interconnect Express Active State Power Management (PCIe ASPM) - (power state control)
Peripheral Connect Interface (PCI) - (internal communications)
Permanent Denial-of-Service (PDoS) - (Fast-moving Bot attacks designed to make a "Denial of Service" permanent, often by stopping hardware from functioning. PDoS attacks systems so severely that the hardware must be reinstalled or replaced, for example, by instructing the physical cooling system to shut down.)
permanent virtual circuit (PVC) - (pre-programmed bandwidth connection)
perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) - (hard drive/media storage method)
personal area network (PAN) - (An ad-hoc network of small devices consisting of connections between smartphones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and similar computing devices.)
personal computer (PC) - (A computer designed to be used by one person, small and compact enough to be portable, but with enough computing power to carry out basic mathematical and word editing functions, and capable of operating simple programs. Most are used at home or in a business setting.)
Personal Computer Advanced Technology (PC-AT) -
Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) - (flash memory)
Personal Computer Memory Card International Association Advanced Technology Attachment (PCMCIA ATA) - (flash memory standard)
personal data assistant (PDA) - (mobile Internet device)
personal digital assistant (PDA) - (handheld portable device)
Personal Electronic Transactor (PET) - (Name for Commodore computer, introduced in 1977.)
personal health information (PHI) - (Any information about an individual's health or medical conditions.)
Personal Home Page Tools (PHP) - (1995 software package)
Personal Home Page (PHP) Hypertext Processor (PHP) - (Web page scripting language)
personal identification information (PII) - (Information used to identify an individual within an organization or system - usually information assigned by the organization to the individual, such as U.S. military or governmental organizations, in order to grant access to systems or to track access.)
Personal Identification Number (PIN) - (Numeric identification code used by bank customers when making transactions at a self-service electronic banking terminal, such as an automated teller machine (ATM). More generally, is used by a number of systems to identify and authenticate users for access to a system.)
Personal Identity Verification card (PIV) - (Method of authentication using identification assigned to an individual.)
Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) - (Canadian privacy protection law)
Personal Navigation Assistant (PNA) - (geolocation device)
Personal Navigation Device (PND) - (geolocation device)
Personal Unlock Number (PUK) - (code to reset forgotten PIN)
personally identifiable information (PII) - (Any information that can be used to identify a specific person, such as driver's license numbers, Social Security numbers, or credit card numbers.)
Personnel Security (PS) - (Term which can either mean measures taken by an organization to protect itself from illegal or malicious acts by its employees, such as theft or embezzlement, or can also refer to safety or security measures to protect its employees from physical attacks, hazards, dangerous conditions, or disasters.)
Phase Alternate Line (PAL) - (European display standard for color television monitors.)
picture element (pel) - pixel (bitmat image dot)
pin grid array (PGA) - (grid-like arrangement of chip packaging bottom pins)
pixel tags (Web bugs) - (Hidden HTML tags inserted into spam e-mail, which enable the sender of the e-mail to detect whether the e-mail has been opened and, in some cases, whether the e-mail message has been forwarded, together with the address to which it was forwarded, plus comments added by a user. Pixel tags only work if the recipient has an HTML-enabled reader, rather than a text-only reader.)
pixels per inch (PPI) - (Term applied as a measure of mouse sensitivity. Can also be applied generally to monitor resolution or printer capabilities, although printer resolution is usually measured or stated in terms of dots per inch (dpi).)
plain old telephone service (POTS) - (also plain old telephone system) (Term for conventional telephone service, prior to the breakup of AT&T, involving voice communication of phone calls over analog copper-wired transmission lines.)
plain old telephone system (POTS) - (also plain old telephone service) (Term for conventional telephone service, prior to the breakup of AT&T, involving voice communication of phone calls over analog copper-wired transmission lines.)
Plan of Action and Milestones (POA & M) - (A planning document used by federal agencies under the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) for information system projects which documents the tasks to be done, the resources required, the measurements used to determine task completion, and a schedule for completion of each step.)
Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) - (Cloud computing service model in which the provider creates a shared platform which a customer can access to develop their own Web applications - building, testing, deploying, managing, and updating - while the cloud service provider maintains the servers and provides storage.)
Platform Compatibility Guide (PCG) - (Intel power standard)
Platform Configuration Registers (PCR) - (Registers used to store cryptographic hashes of data used for Trusted Platform Module (TPM)'s "sealing" (values used to verify configurations) functionality.)
Platform Controller Hub (PCH) - (motherboard processor interface)
Platform for Internet Content Selection (PICS) - (Web site meta (identifier) specifications)
Plug and Play (PnP) - (automatic program installation configuration)
point of presence (POP) - (broadband Internet connection)
point of purchase system (POP) - (Computerized system, usually installed in cash registers at restaurants or retail locations, to record sales of items or services, at the time the transaction is made.)
point of sale system (POS) - (A computer used in place of a cash register where merchandise is sold.)
Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) - (A protocol that carries out data packet framing and encapsulation for point-to-point (device-to-device) connections.)
Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet (PPPoE) - (A commonly used protocol between a digital subscriber line (DSL), a group of technologies that provide high-speed data transmission over existing telephone wiring, modem in a home (or business) and a service provider. PPPoE encapsulates PPP (Point-to-Point Protocol) frames within Ethernet frames.)
Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP) - (A connection protocol to implement a virtual private network (VPN) - a secure connection within an unsecure network - connection between two computers. Was originally developed by Microsoft to include VPN connection technologies within Microsoft operating systems.)
Pointer Records (PTR) - (Record type within the Domain Name System (DNS) which returns a canonical name record (CNAME) - an alias for another host record - record for a given IP address.)
polyvinyl chloride (PVC) - (cable jacket covering material)
port address translation (PAT) - (A method of storing multiple inside organization IP addresses in a table, without disclosing the inside addresses to external parties. The organization uses a single publicly routable IP address for addressing purposes, and uses the table to translate received or transmitted messages into the correct inside address.)
Portable Document Format (PDF) - (Printable images file format.)
portable executable file (PE) - (A file with a series of structures and sub-structures that contain the information required by the operating system to load the file into memory.)
Portable Network Graphics (PNG) - (bitmapped image format)
portable operating system interface based on UNIX (POSIX) - (operating system functions available to software)
positive metal oxide semiconductor (PMOS) - (boron/silicon transistor)
Positive, Negative, Positive transistor (PNP) - (silicon chip sandwiched layer arrangement)
Post Office Protocol Version 3 (POP3) - (Version of the Internet mail server protocol which retrieves e-mail from an e-mail server and supports incoming and outgoing messages.)
power calibration area (PCA) - (laser power needed for CD burn)
power factor correction (PFC) - (PC power line efficiency)
power memory area (PMA) - (writeable disc temporary storage area)
Power-on Self Test (POST) - (start-up diagnostic routine)
Power on Suspend (POS) - (Partial system shutdown, in which the screen goes blank and the CPU operates at a lower rate.)
Power over Ethernet (PoE) - (Type of switch device/switch feature which provides electrical power to attached devices, such as security cameras and IP phones, and has the capability of determining the power limitations of the device and supplying the level of power required by the device.)
power supply (PS) -
power supply unit (PSU) -
Practical Extraction and Report Language (Perl) - (programming language)
Predictive Failure Analysis (PFA) - (drive checking technology)
Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) - (Freeware e-mail security program released in 1991, which was the first widespread public key encryption program. Considered sufficiently secure encryption for some e-mail messages (better than nothing or sending plaintext messages), or at least provides minimal encryption protection, but has not been adopted as a standard, and is not considered sufficiently secure for complete encryption of all network communication traffic.)
Primary Mission Essential Function (PMEF) - (Function considered to be the responsibility of the federal government which is given a higher priority, or considered of primary importance, than other essential functions. Essential functions generally involve vital services, such as civil order and public safety, delivery of food services, or the operation of electricity suppliers or water delivery systems. Primary mission essential functions include those that need to be continuously performed during an event or resumed within 12 hours after an event or maintained for 30 days after an event.)
Primary Rate Interface Integrated Services Digital Network (PRI ISDN) - (digital telephone transmission services)
Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) - (A privacy analysis required by the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) for federal agencies which involves an assessment of how they handle information to ensure they comply with privacy requirements in the collection, maintaining, and disseminating of electronic information, the steps or processes they have taken to protect information, and what changes they might need to make to their systems to protect privacy.)
Private Branch Exchange (PBX) - (A private, or internal, telephone switch that is controlled and managed by an organization. The PBX has a dedicated connection to its local telephone company's central office and uses digital switching devices that can control analog and digital signals.)
Private Internet Exchange (PIX) - (secure hardware firewall)
private message (PM) - (social media)
Privilege Management Infrastructure (PMI) - (The system organization processes and structure which determines how privileges (access authorization level) are assigned and maintained. PMI is often used in the context of the system of key certificates and key systems.)
privileged access management (PAM) - (System/application which controls access to computing assets by authorized (privileged) IT personnel, and is capable of monitoring/tracking the activities of privileged users, such as installing patches or inspecting problem areas, while using the system.)
Process Hazards Analysis (PHA) - (Safety analysis of industrial production facilities/processes which involve a high risk of injury or death, such as chemicals or steelmaking, and the availability of safeguards or processes to prevent accidents.)
process identification value (PID) - (Unique ID value assigned to individual process steps involved in computer operating system operations in order to distinguish one process from another. The operating system uses the PID to call the process when it needs to use it.)
Processor scheduler (PS) - (operating system architecture)
processor side bus (PSB) -
Professional Graphics Adapter (PGA) - (IBM PC graphics system)
program counter (PC) - (The register containing the address of the instruction in the program being executed.)
program memory area (PMA) - (writeable disc temporary storage area)
program status word (PSW) - (CPU (central processing unit) information register)
Programmable human interface device (HID) USB Keystroke Dongle (PHUKD) - (A very small USB microcontroller board which can be embedded in a USB hardware device which can be used to create a system to deploy a backdoor to compromise any Windows computer the device is connected to.)
Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) - (Computer designed to control electromechanical processes, such as assembly lines, elevators, roller coasters, and nuclear centrifuges.)
programmable option select (POS) - (boot configuration recording)
Programmable Read-Only Memory (PROM) - (chip memory allowing one-time programming)
programmed input/output (PIO) - (CPU (central processing unit) data transfer)
Programming Language One (PL/1) (PL/I) - (IBM programming language)
Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) - (A collection of the knowledge and best practices of the project management profession maintained by the Project Management Institute (PMI), a nonprofit international organization of project managers that promotes the field of project management.)
Project Management Institute (PMI) - (A nonprofit international organization of project managers that promotes the field of project management and maintains the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK), a collection of knowledge writings and best practices guidelines.)
Proposed Standard (PS) -
Protected Area Run Time Interface Extension Services (PARTIES) - (A basic input/output system (BIOS) standard which allows an operating system to access a Host Protected Area (HPA) - hidden area of a hard drive - for instructions needed for recovery.)
protected health information (PHI) - (Information about an individual's medical records/conditions deserving of special protection under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996. It includes information about a patient which can be used to identify an individual and relates to physical or medical conditions, health care received, and even medical payment information.)
Protected Audio-Video Path (PAVP) - (video configurations)
protection profile (PP) - (A description of a needed security solution. The protection profile is a mechanism within the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Common Criteria, used to describe types of products independent of their actual implementation. It provides a means for customers, or others, to identify specific security needs, list the functionality products must have to address those needs, and determine the specific requirements a product must possess in order to solve the problems identified.)
Protective Extensible Authentication Protocol (PEAP) - (Type of Extensible Authentication Protocol (Framework to enable many types of authentication techniques to be used when establishing network connections) where only the server uses a digital certificate.)
protocol data unit (PDU) - (Groupings of bits organized together as data is readied for transmission over the network. A packet is the most-used generic term for such groupings, but bits, frames, and segments are also names given to PDU's.)
Psychological Manipulation Denial of Service (PsychoDoS) - (Denial of service through psychological manipulation. Use of fear or intimidation tactics to cause individuals to avoid websites or topics and, in effect, deny service.)
Public Key Cryptography Standards (PKCS) - (One of the standards governing Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), in the area of cryptography, developed by RSA Security relating to digital certificate construction and use.)
public key infrastructure (PKI) - (Umbrella term for all the functions or infrastructure supporting or involving key cryptography, from creation and transmission through receipt and decryption. An infrastructure or framework based on public key cryptography, consisting of programs, data formats, procedures, communication protocols, security policies, and public key mechanisms working together to enable people to communicate in a secure and predictable fashion.)
Pseudo Open Drain (POD) - (memory module voltage regulation)
Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) - (normal land-line telephone network)