Cybersecurity is the practice of protecting computers, servers, mobile devices, electronic systems, networks and data from digital attacks, theft and damage.
It is a critical area of concern for both businesses and individuals because it is essential to keeping personal and sensitive information secure, as well as ensuring that online platforms and infrastructure are functioning properly.
There are myriad types of cyber threats that individuals and organizations must be aware of and guard against. These include:
- Malware: This is software that is designed to damage or disrupt computer systems. It can come in the form of viruses, worms, ransomware and other malicious programs.
- Phishing: This is a type of social engineering attack that involves tricking people into revealing sensitive information or clicking on malicious links.
- Denial of service (DoS) attacks: These are attacks that involve overwhelming a website or server with traffic, making it unavailable to users.
- Ransomware: Denying access to data until payment is made.
- Accounts receivable theft: Email account penetration that allows attacker to intercept and change payment terms of invoices.
- Man-in-the-middle (MitM) attacks: These are attacks in which an attacker intercepts communication between two parties and can either alter the communication or steal sensitive information.
- SQL injection attacks: These are attacks in which an attacker inserts malicious code into a website's database, allowing them to access or manipulate sensitive data.
There are several steps that individuals and organizations can take to improve their cybersecurity posture. These include:
- Using strong and unique passwords: This can help to prevent password cracking and unauthorized access to accounts.
- Keeping software and devices up to date: Regular updates can fix vulnerabilities and improve the overall security of systems.
- End-point detection and response software: This can help to detect and remove attacks from devices.
- Enabling two-factor authentication (2FA): This adds an extra layer of security by requiring a second form of authentication, such as a code sent to a mobile phone or using an authenticator app, in addition to a password.
- Educating employees: It is important to educate employees about the importance of cybersecurity and best practices for protecting sensitive information.
- App whitelisting: Explicitly trusting the programs needed and denying all other applications thereby denying unwanted changes and preventing infection.
- Ring-fencing: Limiting the scope and function of programs so that an application cannot be weaponized against the system.
- Anti-tampering: Limiting an application to accessing its own folders, memory space and registry keys.
- Storage controls: Only allowing the app that can create a file type to modify the file type, i.e., only Word can modify .docx or .doc files.
In addition to these measures, organizations can also consider implementing cybersecurity frameworks, such as the National Institute of Standards and Technology's (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework or the Center for Internet Security's Critical Security Controls. These frameworks provide a set of guidelines and best practices for improving cybersecurity. Every regulated industry's cybersecurity guidelines are based upon NIST standards.
Overall, cybersecurity is a critical requirement in today's digital world. By taking the necessary precautions and implementing appropriate measures, individuals and organizations can further protect themselves and their sensitive information from cyber threats. While no computer system can ever be 100% safe, the goal is to reduce the target size a potential criminal can attack. Like a health check-up, your organization should have an independent cybersecurity review. The cyber world continues to change, and the threats continue to evolve; therefore, the security and data protection strategies from one to three years ago that were used to protect yourself or your organization are no longer adequate. Even though we live in a modern world, Darwinian rules apply: adaptation to the environment still determines survival.
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