Imagine you’re on your laptop and transferring some amount of money to your friend. And hackers are accessing all the passwords which are supposed to be kept confidential. This is then used by the hacker to steal money from your account.
Did this sound a little dramatic? Unfortunately, this happens very much in the reality. And, that is when Cybersecurity comes into the picture. Now, you might be thinking about what is Cybersecurity and Cyber security Importance and how all these are related. Proceed with the reading, and you’ll get to know what is Cybersecurity.
What is Cyber Security? A guide for the beginners
Cyber Security is the practice of protecting systems & information from digital attacks. It protects all categories of data from theft, damage, and cybercrimes. Cybercrimes are the criminal activity that involves a computer, and an internet connection. Generally, organizations have a systematic process and a framework that helps to identify and detect any type of Cyberattacks in well advance. The framework also helps in retrieving the data if the cyber-attack was successful.
Cyber Security Importance
As you now know, what is Cybersecurity, let’s see Cyber Security Importance You might have not realized that most of the activities we perform or enjoy have digital forms. In our daily life, we take the help of the digital medium the n number of times. And, with more such usage, the threat to our data increases.
Various infrastructure in different fields like hospitals, the government sector, businesses, etc contains sensitive information which if lost can cause havoc not only for its customers but also for the owners. Imagine a banking company with no Cyber Security. Cybercriminals if successful can steal from hundreds or thousands of people in a few clicks. Not only big businesses and companies, small business owners, or even individuals can be the target of Cybercrimes. The concept of cyber security is important because it is applicable and to be used by anyone and everyone.
Top Seven Cyber Crimes
Cybercrimes are digital activities that are performed through the internet and are illegal to perform. The goal behind such activities is to steal and misuse the confidential data of the victim without the latter’s permission.
In a world that is now on the verge of becoming digitally dependent for a minute of the activity, there are various types of Cybercrimes, and we’ve mentioned seven types of Cyber Crimes below:
Malware
Malware is the umbrella term that includes viruses, spyware, worms, and trojan horses. These can enter your system through downloads via the internet or your email attachments. Malware is used for:
- Extracting personal data of individuals
- Extract data like credit card information for financial gain.
- Attacking computers first and using them to steal cryptocurrencies.
- Slow Computer processing
- Browser getting redirected
- Problem with system shut down or starting with
- More frequent Ad pop-ups
Phishing
Phishing is sending emails that seem to be authentic and from legitimate sources asking for your data. Hackers generally send such emails that are fraudulent and ask for data like credit card information, usernames, passwords, otps, and more such things. This is the most common type of Cyber Crime as people generally fall for such things.
Phishing can be avoided only by educating individuals. Training on how to detect fraudulent mail and what to do if you come across one should be provided. Also, Network security should be used to determine such malicious mails at an early level.
Man in the Middle (MITM)
Man in the Middle happens during the process of data transfer. The attackers place themselves in the middle of the transfer and then pose as authorized participants. This enables an attacker to send malicious links to both legitimate participants in a way that can’t be identified timely.
This type of Cyber-attack can be prevented by:
- Not using WIFI that isn’t password protected.
- Logging out of banking or other important sites when not in use.
- Avoid public or generic WIFI like coffee shops, and restaurants for confidential transactions.
Denial of Service (DoS)
This type of attack is caused by bombarding the victim’s system with traffic until it gets crashed. DoS can last for a few hours or weeks or months which can cost wastage of time, money, and resources for companies or individuals.
Ways to prevent DoS are:
- Ensure good network security
- Pay attention to signs such as crashes, poor connectivity, slow performance, etc.
- Monitor the network traffic
Ransomware
In Ransomware, the attackers block access to files on the system and demand a huge amount from the victim. Generally, this demand comes with a deadline. If the amount is not paid on time either the data is permanently lost or the amount is increased. However, paying the amount doesn’t guarantee the return of access to all the data.
Here’s what you can do to stay away from Ransomware:
- Avoid clicking on suspicious links
- Always try to create a backup of your data
- Have Anti-virus and firewalls installed
- Keep updating the essential programs
Social Engineering
Social engineering is the practice of persuading users to provide sensitive & confidential information. During targeting the victim, the criminal tries to trick you to provide bank passwords, or computer access to install the malicious software.
Thinking about how to stay alert? Here are the ways:
- Research the source and facts before trusting anyone with information
- Stay alert of any download on your system
- Don’t act first and think later
Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs)
An attack in which an unauthorized user gains access to a system or network and stays there for a long time without being discovered is known as an Advanced Persistent Threat. Enterprises are particularly vulnerable to advanced persistent threats because hackers continuously have access to private data.+
Some of the signs of APTs attacks are:
- A large amount of flow of data
- Access to network at an unusual time
- Network with various backdoor Trojans
What is Cyber Security?-What are the types of Cybersecurity?
With so many different ways to attack your system, there are many ways to protect your system from such attacks. Here, we’ve discussed the top six types of Cyber Security:
Application Security
Application security is utilized to safeguard against threats like unauthorized access and modification. It entails developing, incorporating, and testing security controls into applications. The fact that modern apps are regularly accessed through several networks and linked to the cloud makes them more susceptible to security risks and breaches. Application security is therefore extremely important.
Cloud Security
The protection of cloud computing systems is the topic of a subfield of cyber security termed "cloud security." Keeping data secure and private across internet platforms, technology, and applications is part of this. Together, all sized businesses, enterprises, and cloud service providers cooperate to protect all the mentioned systems.
Mobile Security
The measures put in place to protect confidential information transferred and stored on pcs, phones, tablets, smartwatches, and other portable devices are referred to as "mobile device security." Mobile device security's main goal is to stop unethical users from accessing corporate or individual networks.
Network Security
Network security protects your network and data against hackers, breaches, and other threats. Network security covers a variety of topics such as network access, antivirus, application security, and more. Business organizations are shielded from substantial losses caused by a data leak or other related catastrophes and administrative costs are reduced thanks to an efficient network security solution.
Data Loss Prevention
Protocols and guidelines for managing data loss as well as a recovery plan. To avoid data loss, internet connectivity and storage-related rules must be in place.
In order to protect against serious cyber security incursions, data loss prevention focuses on developing.
Infrastructure Security
Servers, data centers, network connections, and IT facilities are all protected by this security mechanism. The goal is to lessen how sensitive these systems are to fraud, theft, and other types of crime. Businesses and organizations that rely on critical services should be mindful of the dangers and take precautions to protect their operations.
After learning what is cybersecurity and its types, let’s see how to make a career in cybersecurity:
What exactly is Cyber Security: How to Make a Career in Cyber Security?
Now you’ve learned everything about what is Cyber Security, Cyber Security Importance, you might be interested to know about cybersecurity jobs and roles and whether cybersecurity is a good career. So, let's see the five common cybersecurity jobs mentioned below:
Cyber Security Analyst
As a security analyst, you will be expected to plan and implement different security measures. You look through the system's security and make a note of the weak spots. This is a starting job if you wish to work in cybersecurity.
Security Architect
The duties of the security architect include designing, developing, and testing security solutions. They are in charge of protecting the data against hackers, malware, and DDoS attacks. An appropriate level of training and certification is required given the seniority of the position. Choosing the appropriate firewalls to protect the network is the job of the security architect.
Penetration Tester
A penetration tester locates the system's weak points and potential entry points for hackers. They are known as ethical hackers. They have a range of tools at their disposal to test the network, web application, or product. Additionally, they provide documentation of the investigation and findings for later use.
Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)
You will be required to supervise a group of security officers in this advanced role. You must create your security system. Since this is a more complex function, determining the security of the system will also require collaboration with other stakeholders. The need for adequate education and certification cannot be taken into account.
Security Consultant
The flexible and tech-savvy security expert protects the business's assets and data. They comprehend and assess different security techniques across all industries. The security expert selects the vulnerability test along with other tests to protect the computer, network, and data. They can also provide technical guidance if needed.
Skills required to enter Cyber Security Field
Despite the field of Cyber Security is growing, entering this field requires a bunch of skills. The skills which an individual should process to get Cyber Security Jobs are:
Skills for Solving problems
Problem-solving will be essential in your daily work as a cybersecurity specialist. People in the industry must devise creative solutions to address and resolve complex informational problems as well as security issues in a variety of modern and emerging technologies and digital environments.
Technical Skills
Cybersecurity, as its name suggests, focuses on technology. You'll likely be provided with tasks including putting in place continuous internet monitoring, diagnosing, maintaining, and upgrading information security systems, and providing real-time security solutions. One needs to be digitally advanced to perform a cybersecurity professional's day-to-day responsibilities.
Observation of Details
When defending a firm from cyberattacks, you must be exceedingly observant and detail-oriented in order to efficiently discover weaknesses and threats. You'll be in charge of overseeing continual system security, so you'll need to have the ability to see issues as soon as they arise and come up with quick security fixes to address them.
An Overview of Hacking
To effectively protect a company's network and infrastructure, cybersecurity experts must first know how network and infrastructure can be attacked since the majority of them need to learn how to "ethically hack."
Conclusion
If you believe that only large corporations are prime targets for cyberattacks and that you cannot possibly be one of them, then you may be wrong. Because anyone with internet access who is not cautious enough could easily become a victim. And that is why, it is important to know what is cybersecurity, what cybersecurity importance, and what is cybercrimes. Learning the importance of cyber security is the first step you can take to secure your data and digital assets because connected devices are easy targets. Are you interested to enter the tech world? Learn from the best and select from various courses offered by fingertips.
