Glossary
Comprehensive glossary of cloud-native, Kubernetes, and software distribution terminology
Air-Gapped Network Definition: Complete Security Guide for 2026
Understanding air-gapped systems, networks, and environments, and how to distribute software to them
BYOC (Bring Your Own Cloud): Complete Guide
Complete guide to BYOC (Bring Your Own Cloud): what it means, how it works, BYOC vs SaaS vs self-hosted, architecture, benefits, challenges, and when to use BYOC for software distribution and data services.
Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE)
Understanding CVEs: What they are, how they work, and their critical role in cybersecurity and vulnerability management.
Coordinated Vulnerability Disclosure (CVD): Now Mandatory Under the CRA
What coordinated vulnerability disclosure is, and why the Cyber Resilience Act makes a CVD policy and a reporting contact mandatory for manufacturers.
Cyber Resilience Act (CRA): What It Is and Who Must Comply
The EU Cyber Resilience Act explained: scope, deadlines, manufacturer obligations, and penalties for software and hardware vendors.
Docker Registry & Container Registry Explained (2026)
Complete guide to container registries and Docker registries: what they are, how they work, public vs private registries, OCI compliance, security best practices, and choosing the right registry for CI/CD, software distribution, and air-gapped deployments.
Helm Chart
Understanding Helm charts, their role in Kubernetes package management, and how they simplify the process of deploying, managing, and scaling applications
Independent Software Vendor (ISV) - Complete 2026 Guide
Learn what ISV (Independent Software Vendor) means, see ISV examples like Salesforce & Adobe, understand ISV partners, certification, and how ISVs distribute software across cloud, on-premises & air-gapped environments.
Kubernetes
Understanding the Kubernetes platform, its architecture, and its role in modern application deployment
On-Premises Definition
Understanding on-premises (on-prem) deployment for software vendors and enterprises in 2026
Open-Source Software Steward: The CRA's Light-Touch Category
What an open-source software steward is under the Cyber Resilience Act, which obligations apply, and why the category matters for open-core companies.
Product with Digital Elements: The CRA's Core Definition
What counts as a product with digital elements under the Cyber Resilience Act, and why standalone software qualifies on its own.
Remote Data Processing Solution: The CRA's SaaS Boundary
How the Cyber Resilience Act defines remote data processing solutions, and when a cloud service becomes part of a regulated product.
Reverse Proxy: What It Is and How to Ship One With Self-Hosted Software
A reverse proxy accepts requests on behalf of one or more backend services and forwards them. Learn what reverse proxies do, which ones are common and what vendors of self-hosted software have to get right behind one.
Reverse Tunnel: Reaching a Service Behind a Firewall Without Opening a Port
A reverse tunnel connects outbound from a private network and carries traffic back in, so a service behind NAT or a firewall becomes reachable without an inbound port. Learn how reverse tunnels work, how they differ from VPNs and port forwarding and what to secure.
SaaS Definition
Understanding the Software as a Service deployment model definition and explanation
Security Update vs Functionality Update: The CRA Distinction
Why the Cyber Resilience Act requires security updates to be delivered separately from feature updates, and what that means for release engineering.
Self-Hosted Software
Understanding the self-hosted (self-managed) software deployment model, and how vendors support self-hosted customers with a distribution platform
Software Bill of Materials (SBOMs)
Discover what SBOMs are, their importance, and their role in software security supply chains.
Software Distribution Platform: Complete Guide (2026)
Complete guide to software distribution platforms: what they are, vendor-to-customer vs IT admin tools, key features, distribution methods for on-premises, air-gapped, BYOC, and self-hosted customer deployments.
Software Entitlement
A software entitlement defines what a customer is permitted to access. Learn how entitlements work for ISVs shipping on-prem, VPC, and air-gapped software.
Software License Management
Find out what Software License Management is, why it is important, and how to track software licenses effectively.
Support Bundle: Diagnostics for Software in Customer Environments
A support bundle is an archive of logs, configuration and system information that a customer collects from an installation and shares with the software vendor. Learn what goes into one, how redaction works and when a bundle is not enough.
Support Period (CRA): The 5-Year Floor Explained
The Cyber Resilience Act support period: the minimum 5 years of vulnerability handling, the 10-year update availability rule, and the engineering consequences.
Vendor Remote Access: How Software Vendors Reach Customer Environments
Vendor remote access is how a software vendor's engineers reach an installation that runs in a customer's environment. Learn the common approaches, what security teams expect and how to grant access that is temporary and revocable.
Vulnerability Scanning
Understanding how vulnerability scanning identifies security weaknesses, its types, benefits, and role in a comprehensive security strategy