PIA
/ˈpī-ˈā/
n. “Privacy on your terms, not theirs.”
PIA, short for Private Internet Access, is a service designed to provide individuals and organizations with secure, encrypted connections to the internet. Acting primarily as a Virtual Private Network (VPN), PIA ensures that online activities—browsing, streaming, messaging, and file transfers—are protected from eavesdroppers, ISPs, and other potential network adversaries.
FIPS
/ˈfɪps/
n. “Standards that make cryptography a bit less mysterious.”
FIPS, or Federal Information Processing Standards, are publicly announced standards developed by the United States federal government to ensure that computer systems, networks, and cryptographic modules operate securely and consistently. Managed primarily by NIST, these standards define the technical specifications for data security, encryption, hashing, and other critical processes that safeguard sensitive information.
Cryptographic Module Validation Program
/ˌsiː-ɛm-viː-ˈpiː/
n. “Certified to guard, officially.”