What is Cyber Security?
Cyber security refers to the collection of techniques, technologies, and procedures used to safeguard the privacy, integrity, and availability of computer networks and data against cyber-attacks or illegal access. Cyber security aids with risk management and helps combat cyber attacks, data breaches, and identity theft.
When we talk about protecting data, there are three main aspects we are trying to control namely-
- Unauthorised Access
- Unauthorised Deletion
- Unauthorised Modification
It is fair to say that present youth lives on the internet, and most of us are practically unaware of how those random bits of 1s and 0s reach our computers safely. With several available access points, public IP’s, steady traffic and a massive volume of data to exploit, it’s been a whirlwind of a ride for hackers. Hackers are getting smarter and more inventive with their malwares, and many people are still puzzled about how they get through virus scans and firewalls.
According to Accenture’s global survey, cybersecurity breaches have increased by 67% over the past five years.
Cybercrime is a worldwide issue that has gained momentum in the past few years. Individual security is endangered, but major international corporations, banks, and government corporations are at much higher risk. With so much data on the web to exploit, cybersecurity has become a necessity.
What is a Cyber-Attack?
An effort to impair computers, steal data, or exploit a penetrated computer system to launch subsequent attacks is referred to as a cyber attack.
Cyber-attackers employ unlawful techniques, tools, and tactics to cause damage and disruptions to computers, networks, apps, and databases, as well as try to gain unauthorized access to them.
Let’s take a look at some of the most prevalent cybersecurity threats that have affected our society since the internet’s inception.
- Malware
- Phishing
- Password Attacks
- Ransomware
- Injection attacks (e.g., cross-site scripting, SQL injection, command injection)
- Session management and Man-in-the-Middle attacks
- Denial of service
- Privilege escalations
- Unpatched/Vulnerable software
- Brute force
Basic Fundamentals of Cyber Security?
For a successful cybersecurity approach the people, processes, and technology must all complement one another to create an effective defense.
- People: Basic information security concepts such as setting strong passwords, being careful of email attachments and backing up data must be understood and followed by users.
- Processes: Companies need a plan in place for dealing with both attempted and successful cyber assaults. It teaches how to recognize and respond to threats, as well as recover from successful attempts.
- Technology: Technology is critical in providing companies and people with the computer security capabilities they need to defend against cyber assaults.
The C-I-A Triad
The Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability (CIA) triangle is a design paradigm that corporations and organizations may use to develop their security policies.
Confidentiality: The efforts of an organization to keep its data private or hidden are referred to as confidentiality. In practice, it means restricting data access to avoid illegal disclosure. Typically, this entails ensuring that only authorized individuals have access to certain assets, and that unauthorized individuals are actively prevented from gaining access.
Integrity: Integrity is the attribute of anything being entire or complete in everyday usage. Integrity refers to the ability to trust data that has not been tampered with. Ecommerce customers, for example, demand precise product and price information, as well as the assurance that quantity, pricing, availability, and other details will not be changed after they make an order.
Availability: If systems, programs, and data are not available when authorized users need them, they are of limited use to a company and its customers. Simply said, availability indicates that networks, systems, and applications are operational. It guarantees that authorized users get timely and consistent access to resources when they are required.
Implementing Cyber Security in Your Business
- Conduct cyber security training and awareness. Employees must be trained about cyber security, corporate rules, and incident reporting in order for a good cyber security plan to be effective. The greatest approach to decrease carssness and the risk of a security breach is to educate workers and raise knowledge of business rules and security best practices through seminars, workshops, and online courses.
- Perform risk assessments. Businesses should do a thorough study to examine all important assets and prioritize them depending on the impact that a compromised asset has on the organization. This will aid firms in determining how effectively to allocate their resources to safeguarding each important asset.
- Network Segmentation. When designing a new architecture, consider how security will be integrated from the start. A well-segmented network lowers the effect of network intrusions, prevents breaches, narrows the extent of breaches, and improves overall data security.
- Backup data. Regularly backing up all data increases redundancy and ensures that no critical information is lost or compromised in the event of a security breach. Data integrity and availability are jeopardized by attacks such as injections and ransomware. In such situations, backups might be beneficial.
- Encrypt all business data and customer information. Ensure that all company and consumer data is well-encrypted, so that if it is compromised, hackers would have a harder time accessing customer information
Cyber Security Courses and Certifications
The high demand for cybersecurity abilities is a fantastic chance to improve your résumé, stand out among prospects, and maximize your earning potential.
Some of the valued Certifications are:
- Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)
- CompTIA Security+
- Certified Information System Security Professional (CISSP)
- Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)
- Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)
Also Udemy and Coursera provide an amazing range of online cyber security courses.
- IBM Cybersecurity Analyst Professional Certificate
- Introduction to Cyber Security Specialization
- Introduction to Cybersecurity Tools & Cyber Attacks
