Cybersecurity

What is cybersecurity?
Cybersecurity is the practice of protecting internet-connected systems such as

hardware, software and data from cyberthreats. It's used by individuals and
enterprises to protect against unauthorized access to data centers and other
computerized systems.
An effective cybersecurity strategy can provide a strong security posture against

malicious attacks designed to access, alter, delete, destroy or extort an
organization's or user's systems and sensitive data. Cybersecurity is also
instrumental in preventing attacks designed to disable or disrupt a system's or
device's operations.
An ideal cybersecurity approach should have multiple layers of protection across

any potential access point or attack surface. This includes a protective layer for
data, software, hardware and connected networks. In addition, all employees within
an organization who have access to any of these endpoints should be trained on the
proper compliance and security processes. Organizations also use tools such as
unified threat management systems as another layer of protection against threats.
These tools can detect, isolate and remediate potential threats and notify users if
additional action is needed.
Cyberattacks can disrupt or immobilize their victims through various means, so

creating a strong cybersecurity strategy is an integral part of any organization.
Organizations should also have a disaster recovery plan in place so they can
quickly recover in the event of a successful cyberattack.
THIS ARTICLE IS PART OF
The ultimate guide to cybersecurity planning for businesses

 Which also includes:
 Top 8 in-demand cybersecurity jobs for 2024 and beyond
 Top 7 enterprise cybersecurity challenges in 2024
 How to develop a cybersecurity strategy: Step-by-step guide
Why is cybersecurity important?

With the number of users, devices and programs in the modern enterprise
increasing along with the amount of data -- much of which is sensitive or
confidential -- cybersecurity is more important than ever. But the volume and
sophistication of cyberattackers and attack techniques compound the problem even
further.
Without a proper cybersecurity strategy in place -- and staff properly trained on

security best practices -- malicious actors can bring an organization's operations to
a screeching halt.
What are the elements of cybersecurity and how does

it work?
The cybersecurity field can be broken down into several different sections, the
coordination of which within the organization is crucial to the success of a
cybersecurity program. These sections include the following:
 Application security.
 Information or data security.
 Network security.
 Disaster recovery and business continuity planning.
 Operational security.
 Cloud security.
 Critical infrastructure security.
 Physical security.
 End-user education.
Maintaining cybersecurity in a constantly evolving threat landscape is a challenge

for all organizations. Traditional reactive approaches, in which resources were put
toward protecting systems against the biggest known threats while lesser-known
threats were undefended, are no longer a sufficient tactic. To keep up with
changing security risks, a more proactive and adaptive approach is necessary.
Several key cybersecurity advisory organizations offer guidance. For example, the
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) recommends adopting
continuous monitoring and real-time assessments as part of a risk assessment
framework to defend against known and unknown threats.
What are the benefits of cybersecurity?

The benefits of implementing and maintaining cybersecurity practices include the
following:
 Business protection against cyberattacks and data breaches.
 Protection of data and networks.
 Prevention of unauthorized user access.
 Improved recovery time after a breach.
 Protection for end users and endpoint devices.
 Regulatory compliance.
 Business continuity.
 Improved confidence in the company's reputation and trust for

developers, partners, customers, stakeholders and employees.
What are the different types of cybersecurity threats?
Keeping up with new technologies, security trends and threat intelligence is a
challenging task. It's necessary in order to protect information and other assets
from cyberthreats, which take many forms. Types of cyberthreats include the
following:
 Malware is a form of malicious software in which any file or program

can be used to harm a user's computer. Different types
of malware include worms, viruses, Trojans and spyware.
 Ransomware is a type of malware that involves an attacker locking the

victim's computer system files -- typically through encryption -- and
demanding a payment to decrypt and unlock them.
 Social engineering is an attack that relies on human interaction. It tricks
users into breaking security procedures to gain sensitive information
that's typically protected.
 Phishing is a form of social engineering in which fraudulent email or

text messages that resemble those from reputable or known sources are
sent. Often random attacks, the intent of phishing messages is to steal
sensitive data, such as credit card or login information.
 Spear phishing is a type of phishing that has an intended target user,

organization or business.
 Insider threats are security breaches or losses caused by humans -- for

example, employees, contractors or customers. Insider threats can be
malicious or negligent in nature.
 Distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks are those in which

multiple systems disrupt the traffic of a targeted system, such as a server,
website or other network resource. By flooding the target with messages,
connection requests or packets, DDoS attacks can slow the system or
crash it, preventing legitimate traffic from using it.
 Advanced persistent threats (APT) is a prolonged targeted attack in

which an attacker infiltrates a network and remains undetected for long
periods of time. The goal of an APT is to steal data.
 Man-in-the-middle (MitM)) attacks are eavesdropping attacks that

involve an attacker intercepting and relaying messages between two
parties who believe they're communicating with each other.
 SQL injection is a technique that attackers use to gain access to a web

application database by adding a string of malicious SQL code to a
database query. A SQL injection provides access to sensitive data and
enables the attackers to execute malicious SQL statements.
Other common types of attacks include botnets, drive-by-download attacks, exploit

kits, malvertising, vishing, credential stuffing attacks, cross-site scripting attacks,
keyloggers, worms and zero-day exploits.
There
are many types of malware, including ransomware and viruses.
What are the top cybersecurity challenges?
Cybersecurity is continually challenged by hackers, data loss, privacy, risk
management and changing cybersecurity strategies. And the number of
cyberattacks isn't expected to decrease anytime soon. Moreover, increased entry
points for attacks, such as the internet of things and the growing attack surface,
increase the need to secure networks and devices.
The following major challenges must be continuously addressed.
Evolving threats
One of the most problematic elements of cybersecurity is the evolving nature of
security risks. As new technologies emerge -- and as technology is used in new or
different ways -- new attack avenues are developed. Keeping up with these
frequent changes and advances in attacks, as well as updating practices to protect
against them, can be challenging. Issues include ensuring all elements of
cybersecurity are continually updated to protect against potential vulnerabilities.
This can be especially difficult for smaller organizations that don't have adequate
staff or in-house resources.
Data deluge
Organizations can gather a lot of potential data on the people who use their
services. With more data being collected comes the potential for a cybercriminal to
steal personally identifiable information (PII). For example, an organization that
stores PII in the cloud could be subject to a ransomware attack
Cybersecurity awareness training

Cybersecurity programs should also address end-user education. Employees can
accidentally bring threats and vulnerabilities into the workplace on their laptops or
mobile devices. Likewise, they might act imprudently -- for example, clicking
links or downloading attachments from phishing emails.
Regular security awareness training can help employees do their part in keeping
their company safe from cyberthreats.
Workforce shortage and skills gap

Another cybersecurity challenge is a shortage of qualified cybersecurity personnel.
As the amount of data collected and used by businesses grows, the need for
cybersecurity staff to analyze, manage and respond to incidents also increases. In
2023, cybersecurity association ISC2 estimated the workplace gap between needed
cybersecurity jobs and security professionals at 4 million, a 12.6% increase over
2022.
Supply chain attacks and third-party risks

Organizations can do their best to maintain security, but if the partners, suppliers
and third-party vendors that access their networks don't act securely, all that effort
is for naught. Software- and hardware-based supply chain attacks are becoming
increasingly difficult security challenges. Organizations must address third-party
risk in the supply chain and reduce software supply issues, for example, by using
software bills of materials.

Cybersecurity

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What is cybersecurity?

Cybersecurity is the practice of protecting internet-connected systems such as

An effective cybersecurity strategy can provide a strong security posture against

An ideal cybersecurity approach should have multiple layers of protection across

Cyberattacks can disrupt or immobilize their victims through various means, so

THIS ARTICLE IS PART OF

The ultimate guide to cybersecurity planning for businesses

 Top 8 in-demand cybersecurity jobs for 2024 and beyond

 Top 7 enterprise cybersecurity challenges in 2024

 How to develop a cybersecurity strategy: Step-by-step guide

Why is cybersecurity important?

Without a proper cybersecurity strategy in place -- and staff properly trained on

What are the elements of cybersecurity and how does

 Information or data security.

 Disaster recovery and business continuity planning.

 Critical infrastructure security.

Maintaining cybersecurity in a constantly evolving threat landscape is a challenge

What are the benefits of cybersecurity?

 Business protection against cyberattacks and data breaches.

 Protection of data and networks.

 Prevention of unauthorized user access.

 Improved recovery time after a breach.

 Protection for end users and endpoint devices.

 Improved confidence in the company's reputation and trust for

 Malware is a form of malicious software in which any file or program

 Ransomware is a type of malware that involves an attacker locking the

 Phishing is a form of social engineering in which fraudulent email or

 Spear phishing is a type of phishing that has an intended target user,

 Insider threats are security breaches or losses caused by humans -- for

 Distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks are those in which

 Advanced persistent threats (APT) is a prolonged targeted attack in

 Man-in-the-middle (MitM)) attacks are eavesdropping attacks that

 SQL injection is a technique that attackers use to gain access to a web

Other common types of attacks include botnets, drive-by-download attacks, exploit

The following major challenges must be continuously addressed.

Cybersecurity awareness training

Workforce shortage and skills gap

Supply chain attacks and third-party risks

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