A Quick Introduction to Cybersecurity

A Quick Introduction to Cybersecurity

One of the notable terms in the field of IT is cybersecurity. The origins of the internet and the transformation of enterprises to the digital landscape have created uncountable opportunities for everyone. Now, it is easier for businesses to carry out traditionally complex tasks.

For example, one can send an important notice to all team members in an organization with a simple email, saving a lot of effort in preparation for paper-based notices and delivering them in person to each team member. While technology has made it easier for us to carry out traditional tasks, it has also raised issues regarding the security of information.

Nowadays, attackers can easily compromise sensitive business information of an enterprise or restrict access to the systems. Therefore, it is important to think of cybersecurity while investing considerable efforts in determining your security requirements. 

In this blog, I will try to explain the meaning of cybersecurity alongside outlining answers to ‘why is cybersecurity important’. I have also given some detailed insights into the notable threats in cybersecurity. This blog will help you identify the different types of cybersecurity solutions that you can adopt for resolving different threats. Hopefully, by the end, you would also be aware of best practices for cybersecurity. In short, you would about cybersecurity as well as its necessity in the long term as a vital component in the digital world. 

What is CyberSecurity? 

Over the years, many professionals and academics alike have tried to explain cybersecurity in different ways. Mainly, the differences arise from the different problems that each author tried to solve with cybersecurity. Therefore, we must have a one-size-fits-all answer to ‘what is cybersecurity’ before you dive deeper.

Cybersecurity is the practice of safeguarding systems, programs and networks from digital attacks. These cyberattacks may aim at compromising sensitive information, interrupt general business processes, extort money from users, etc. Cybersecurity safeguards computing systems from unwanted downtime.

Let’s reflect on the scale of cyber threats in this introduction to cybersecurity.

The Scale of Cyber Security Threats 

With every passing day, the global cyber threat is increasing. Unless you’re living under a stone, you have probably heard news of cyberattacks on tech giants and in many other industries. For example, we know that the healthcare industry is a highly vulnerable target for cyberattacks.

Compromises in healthcare records lead to an interruption in the delivery of appropriate healthcare, presenting a clear impression of the dreadful threats of cyberattacks. Now, let’s look at some statistics pertaining to the state of global security threat in our introduction to cybersecurity. According to a report by RiskBased Security, almost 7.9 billion records were exposed to data breaches in only the first nine months of 2019, which is more than double of the records exposed in 2018. Among these, public agencies, medical services, and retailers were the most affected.

The International Data Corporation predicts a considerable rise in the number of cyberattacks in the years ahead. Therefore, governments all over the world are taking action against the rising levels of cyber threat, through introduction to cybersecurity.

Let’s have a look at some of the latest types of cybersecurity threats are: 

• Backdoors have been one of the common threats that allow remote access to systems without the user’ knowledge.
• Cryptojacking is one of the recently emerging cybersecurity threats that involve the malicious installation of cryptocurrency mining software.  
• Distributed Denial of Service or DDoS attacks is one of the most common type of cybersecurity threats. DDoS attacks are aimed at disruption of normal web traffic by flooding systems, networks, or servers with more requests than possible to handle. As an effect, the website could crash and result in downtime.
• Domain Name System (DNS) poisoning attacks are generally aimed at compromising DNS for redirecting traffic to malicious websites.
• Malware refers to a larger term that encompasses any file or program aimed at disrupting or harming a computer. 
• Types of Cyberattacks

The different types of cyberattacks include:

• Botnet attacks that compromise large networks of computers for using their processing power for criminal activity.
• Visiting malicious website are prominent targets for drive-by downloads, which involve the installation of malware through clicks on malicious links or email attachments for infecting them. 
• Exploits are pieces of malicious code that can target and compromise vulnerability in the security of a system.  
• Some other cyberattacks are social engineering, phishing attacks, SQL injections, and man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks. 

Types of Solutions for Cybersecurity

To understand the variants of cybersecurity solutions, let’s look at the different areas targeted by them. 

• Network Security Solutions checks the security of a computer network against intruders such as opportunistic malware or malicious hackers. 
• Application-Level Security Solutions safeguard software and devices from compromises in access to data. The effectiveness of such solutions depends on the comprehensiveness of their design. 
• Information Security Solutions safeguard the privacy and integrity of data in storage and in transit. 
• Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity Solutions defines the organization’s responses to cybersecurity threats and incidents. They also safeguard information from unwanted loss due to other events such as natural disasters. The disaster recovery policies present a clear idea of the approaches for the recovery of information and operations to restore similar operating capacity like before an event. 
• End-User Education Solutions aims at teaching users about basic security practices such as deleting suspicious email attachments. 
• Operational Security Solutions address concerns of processes and decisions related to management and security for data assets. They involve permissions for users to access networks or specifications for determining the location and approach for data storage and sharing. 

Significance of CyberSecurity 

Here are some of the various benefits that enterprises get from cybersecurity.

• Offers strong safeguards for the business. 
• Ensures adequate protection of personal information. Cybersecurity offers a protective barrier against corporate espionage. 
• Provides the facility of a better and safe work environment.  
• Protects a website or application from unwanted crashes or virus attacks. In the longer run, cybersecurity protects organizations from unnecessary losses. 
• Prevents many malicious attacks that are unknown to the users such as spyware and adware safeguards security infrastructure. 

Final Words

Cybersecurity plays a major role in sustaining a business in the modern world, that is why enterprises look for talent with expertise and certification in cybersecurity. So, if you are looking for a career in cybersecurity, then start exploring the various learning paths and certifications. IPSpecialist can assist you in your path to gain knowledge and develop better skills. We help implement cybersecurity best practices. Contact us to learn more.