Packet
The basic unit of data transmission on a
network
Padlock
A symbol in a web
browser that indicates that an encrypted (
SSL) connection is being used to communicate with a site that has a valid
certificate
Pairing
When two
Bluetooth devices establish a permanent, secure, trusted relationship
Patch
A software update.
PDA
A portable digital assistant, typically a handheld computer like a PocketPC.
peer-to-peer
A
network in which each computer is capable of being both a
server and a client; typically used to share music files over the internet
penetration testing
When trusted
hackers simulate an attack on a computer system in the hope of revealing vulnerabilities and finding opportunities for improving its security
Pharming
An exploit in which criminals disrupt the normal functioning of DNS software which translates internet domain names into addresses. The user enters a correct address but is redirected to a fake website.
Phishing
An attempt at
identity theft in which criminals lead users to a counterfeit website in the hope that they will disclose private information such as user names or passwords
Ping
A simple program that communicates with another computer over a
network to see if it is responsive. Now often used as a form of human communication (“I’ll ping you later”).
Piracy
Illegal use or duplication of material covered by intellectual propery laws, such as copyright
Pop-up
A small window which appears over a web page to display an advertisement
Port
Each
network service on a given computer has its own port, like a telephone extension.
Port scanner
Software which scans a given
IP address looking for open
ports
Port sniffer
A
hacker program designed to find open or unguarded
ports.
PPTP
Point-to-Point Tunnelling Protocol: PPTP provides security for transmission of sensitive information over unprotected
networks such as the Internet.
Premium rate
A telephone number, prefixed by 00 or 09, which costs a lot when dialled
Private key
One of two keys in
public key encryption. The user keeps the private key secret and uses it to encrypt
digital signatures and to decrypt received messages.
Privilege escalation
See
Elevation of Privilege
Proxy server
A
firewall component that manages Internet
traffic to and from a
local area network (
LAN) and can provide other functions, such as document caching and access control.
Public key
One of two keys in
public key encryption. The user releases this key to the public and anyone can use it to encrypt messages to be sent to the user and decrypt the user's
digital signature. Compare
private key.
Public key encryption
An asymmetric
encryption scheme that uses a pair of keys for
encryption: the
public key encrypts data, and a corresponding secret key decrypts it. For
digital signatures, the process is reversed: the sender uses the secret key to create a unique electronic number that can be read by anyone possessing the corresponding
public key, which verifies that the message is truly from the sender. See also
private key,
public key.
Public key infrastructure
Generally, the laws, policies, standards, and software that regulate or manipulate
certificates and public and
private keys.
