The FREE Cybersecurity Glossary by Thor Pedersen!

Patch Management: The process of identifying, testing, and deploying patches in a controlled and timely manner. Used to maintain the security and reliability of computer systems. Examples -creating a patch schedule and plan for a network of servers, testing patches in a sandbox environment before deployment, and using automated tools to distribute and apply patches to multiple systems.

Patent: A legal document granting the owner the exclusive right to make, use, and sell an invention for a certain period of time, protecting intellectual property and fostering innovation. Examples include patents for a new type of computer chip, a medical device, and a software algorithm.

Payload: In computing, the term "payload" refers to the actual data or contents of a transmission that is being sent from one point to another. In the security context, it also refers to the part of malware that performs malicious action. The payload could be anything from a simple text message to complex code designed to exploit a vulnerability or deliver a malicious effect, such as a ransomware encryption routine or a spyware data exfiltration mechanism.

Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS): A set of security standards designed to ensure that all companies that accept, process, store, or transmit credit card information maintain a secure environment. This standard was developed by the PCI Security Standards Council, a consortium of major credit card brands, and it includes requirements for security management, policies, procedures, network architecture, software design, and other critical protective measures.

Payment Card Industry (PCI) Compliance: The adherence to a set of specific security standards that were designed to ensure that all organizations that process, store, or transmit credit card information maintain a secure environment. It's a mandatory requirement for any entity dealing with cardholder data, including merchants, payment gateways, and service providers, and it's enforced by the major credit card companies.

Payment system: A payment system is a set of tools, banking procedures, and typically interbank funds transfer systems that ensure the circulation of money. In the realm of cybersecurity, securing payment systems is vital to prevent fraud, financial loss, data breaches, and to maintain trust between parties involved in the transaction.