The FREE Cybersecurity Glossary by Thor Pedersen!

Port security: A set of rules and parameters applied on a network switch port to secure the network by controlling who can connect to it and limiting the number of MAC addresses allowed on a single port. This feature can prevent unauthorized access by disabling the port or sending an alert if an unexpected device is detected. It helps protect the network from threats like MAC flooding, which can lead to a denial of service.

Positive-List: A positive-list, more commonly referred to as an "allowlist," is an access control strategy that specifies allowed entities, such as user IDs, email addresses, or IP addresses. Access is granted only to those on the list, while all others are denied by default. It's used in security implementations for network access, email filtering, and software execution policies.

Postmortem Review: A postmortem review is a detailed analysis conducted after a project or incident's completion to assess what went well, what didn't, and why. In cybersecurity, a postmortem could follow a security breach to understand the event's chronology and the effectiveness of the response and to derive lessons that can improve future security posture.

Post Office Protocol (POP): A protocol used for receiving email. It is commonly used by email clients to retrieve messages from a server for local storage and access. For example, a user may configure their email client to use POP to retrieve messages from their email account, allowing them to access their email even when offline.

POST (Power-On Self-Test): An initial testing process performed by a computer or device upon startup to check that hardware components like memory, disk drives, and peripherals are functioning correctly before loading the operating system, ensuring the system is ready for use.

Power redundancy: The use of multiple power sources, backup generators, and other measures to ensure that critical systems and equipment can continue to operate in the event of a power outage or other disruption. This concept is used in various industries, including data centers, hospitals, and telecommunications, to prevent downtime and maintain service availability. Examples include uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems, dual-power feeds, and on-site generation.