The FREE Cybersecurity Glossary by Thor Pedersen!

Economic Espionage Act (EEA): A US federal law that makes it a crime to steal or misappropriate trade secrets for the benefit of a foreign government, instrumentality, or agent. It is used to prosecute individuals or organizations that engage in industrial espionage or other forms of economic espionage. Examples include a company insider selling proprietary information to a foreign competitor or a nation-state hacking into a US company's computer systems to steal trade secrets.

Edge Computing Systems: Computing infrastructures that process data geographically closer to where it is generated rather than in a centralized data-processing warehouse. Edge computing brings computation and data storage to the proximity of data sources to lessen response times and save bandwidth. This concept is particularly relevant in the context of the Internet of Things (IoT), where edge devices, such as sensors or smart devices, produce vast amounts of data that can be processed locally to provide real-time analysis and insights. Edge computing supports a variety of applications, from mobile computing to autonomous vehicles, and is instrumental in distributed networks that require rapid processing without significant transmission delays.

EDI (Electronic Data Interchange): A computer-to-computer exchange of business documents in a standard electronic format between business partners. EDI replaces postal mail, fax, and email, enabling stakeholders to transfer documents like purchase orders, invoices, shipping notices, and many other types of business documents quickly and accurately. This standardized communication method allows different companies, possibly with different business systems, to connect and share data efficiently, leading to streamlined processes, reduced costs, and minimal human errors. EDI is commonly used in supply chain management, manufacturing, healthcare, and retail.

eDiscovery: The process of identifying, collecting, and producing electronic data for use in legal proceedings. It is used in legal cases where electronic information is relevant to the case. For example, in a lawsuit involving a company's email communications, eDiscovery would be used to collect and produce emails for review by attorneys.

Edit Control: A mechanism used to validate the input data in a system. Edit control ensures that the data entered into a system adheres to predefined formats, ranges, or conditions before it is processed. This is important in maintaining the accuracy and consistency of the data and preventing the introduction of errors or anomalies that could lead to security vulnerabilities or incorrect system operation.

EFTA (European Free Trade Association): The European Free Trade Association (EFTA) is a regional trade organization and free trade area consisting of four European states - Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland. It operates in parallel with the European Union (EU) and participates in the European Single Market while remaining outside of the EU. EFTA facilitates free trade and economic cooperation between its members and also manages a network of trade relations around the world through its own international trade agreements.