What is Cybersecurity? What You Need to Know

Nowadays, we all depend heavily on technology. This dependency also translates into us trusting the internet with our data and the subsequent increase in online hackers. But hackers aren’t looking to target individuals like you and me, they are looking for a big payday, and that usually comes from large organizations. The larger the company, the higher the risk of cyberattacks. That’s where cybersecurity enters the scene.

What is computer security? The security includes the part of information security (information security or threats to privacy, sensitive data, etc.) that depend exclusively on information technology. It represents the condition of being protected from criminal and illegal activities that include activities related to computers, information technology, and virtual reality. The term cybersecurity also consists of the measures taken to acquire this condition. A subject must know all the risks, threats, and consequences of cyber-attacks. Everything cybersecurity stands for today is due to the progress of experts in the industry who have laid down incredible efforts to beat the criminals on the other hand.

Cybercrime, hacker attacks, ransomware, and Wannacry, etc. In recent years we have (unfortunately) learned to become familiar, with cybersecurity that is also known as computer security.  It is a concept which, due to the multiplication of attacks from outside, is becoming crucial for companies of any sector and size.

IT Security

The first thing that is relevant to IT security is characterized by safeguarding the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information managed by a company. Protection not only from the directly intended attacks but also from certain phenomena such as natural hazards or from unforeseen events which could result in opportunity cost, downtime costs, etc.

The agenda that is more specifically aimed at the protection of computer equipment from voluntary attack actions is simple cybersecurity security, and it remains is a subset of information security. Additionally, it can be defined and take over the form of products and services, organizational rules, and individual practices which are aimed to protecting a company's IT systems.

For most companies, it remains an outright priority to have a plan and resources allocated towards safeguarding their IT systems and minimizing the vulnerability level of their systems in order to prevent breaches and further problems arising from it.

As it is easy to keep in one's mind, cyber security actually involves many various activities – you can have safety at the application level, data level, at the network level (when you exchange data over the web, network security must also be guaranteed at all points, so that these are not intercepted or anything like) and so on.

Malware Attacks Are Increasing By The Day

In today's times, the majority of the cyber-attacks are carried out using tactics and strategies now mentioned an abundant of times by operators in the industry. In the past, dangerous attacks were manifested in the majority of cybersecurity cases (68%) with insignificant techniques, such as SQLi, DDoS, breaching the typical vulnerabilities of systems, email Phishing, “simple” malware. It remains quite a growing trend by 12 percentage points compared to two years back. Surprisingly, evidence states that the criminals implement successful attacks against their target with relative simplicity, at ever lower costs.

Malware, industrially produced, and at always declines in terms of costs. It also remains the main attack which took place in 2017, up 95 percent as compared to the year 2016 (when there was already an increase of 116 percent compared to the former term). And especially android, it remains in the crosshairs of cybercriminals, in particular, due to the lack of protection provided by users, although iOS can certainly not be considered immune from the risk.

What Is DDoS?

Among the most insidious threats in the field of computer security, are undoubtedly the DDoS attacks (Distributed Denial of services), with which hackers make a server, service or infrastructure unavailable by overloading the server bandwidth, using resources up to 'exhaustion’.

Among the significant threats to cybersecurity that have most affected in recent years toward companies of all sizes, sectors, marketplaces, regions, etc. there is undoubtedly ransomware: it is a type of computer virus that does not allow to perform some functionality of the infected computer and foresees the presence of a ransom (from the term "ransom", in English ransom, and "ware", diminutive of malware) that hackers demand as compensation to pay to be able to remove the block. The most well-known variant of the vast family of ransomware was that of the crypto lockers.

Cyber Security: Problems Come From Within

But why do cyber attackers manage to carry out their attacks so much successfully? It is not only a matter of weak security protocol being followed but also of human habits on which the attackers can count. It very often coincides with company employees: companies around the world the lack of awareness of IT security is still alarming.

Employees are required to take some responsibility for protecting corporate IT resources from cyber threats. Given these parameters, a company's employees not only run the risk of becoming the victims of cyber attackers in the first place; they risk making their company victims of cyber threats.

The priority of the organizations should, therefore, be to engage in staff education and in the installation of robust software solutions that are also simple to implement and easy to manage, which would also aim to improve the protection of the company even for those who are less experienced in information technology security. As a matter of fact, SME organizations or multi-billion dollar corporations should devise regular training programs and practices on the importance of IT security for staff and customized solutions.

Hear Our Experts

The world of cybersecurity is rapidly evolving, and experts have new challenges to face every now and then. If you are looking to learn about it, reach out to our team of experts regarding cybersecurity, its scope in the job market, and the necessary preparation tool required to acquire CEH certification, CISSP certification, or CISA certification. Our team of experts is always at our disposal to answer your queries and resolve your concerns with comprehensive guidelines