With our whole lives connected to the internet these days, our dependence on the networks and servers is increasing day by day. These days we are always dependent on the internet and upload the information online to share with other people. This creates the need to secure the information so that it is not misused.
Cybersecurity, the process to protect the data from the unwanted to malware and viruses to block the attackers, is known as cybersecurity. The protection of software, hardware, along with the servers and networks, is the main focus of cybersecurity.
With the high exposure to the digital world and the continuous upgradation of of the IT technology, organizations are exposed to various viruses and attackers. Thus, to protect the data and the information, various IT solutions are required. And as everything these days is online, an effective and efficient IT solution is required so that the companies are least affected by the viruses.
The cyber attacks are mainly aimed at gaining unwanted access to the information that is confidential to the organizations and is necessary for the day-to-day functions. Be it a small mobile phone or a properly structured network, the exposure to the thefts and viruses is very easy. Thus, the need to secure our systems to protect the data is essential.
TYPES OF CYBER ATTACKS:-
Before talking about cybersecurity, we need to understand what are the types of cyber attacks that we deal with. With the increasing information and education about the IT industry, servers, and networks, the attacks are also upgrading. Daily new cyber threats are emerging, which propose a significant risk to private information.
Thus, to secure the computers, we need to understand the various threats and attacks that are common, which at one point or the other, every organization experiences in their lifetime.
PHISHING:-
Phishing is one of the leading cyber-attacks which an organization faces. Phishing is manipulating the users by sending emails, pretending to be a reputed organization. The attackers misuse the reputation and the goodwill of the brand and manage the users to provide the inside information and then misuse it for various other purposes.
This Social Engineering act is generally used to steal the login credentials and various IDs and passwords and credit card numbers. Phishing is done when the attacker manipulates the user to open an email or an instant message. As soon as the user does it, the attacker can access the information in the device of the user.
TAMPERING:-
Tampering is related to the modification of the products, service, or information. When an attacker gains access to the computer or the device of the user, he/she can easily modify the data, without anybody noticing. The attackers gain access to the physical tools as well so that they can hamper the information later, as well.
The intrusion made by the attacker is malicious and is always very harmful to the data. This is one of the biggest security threats that an organization faces related to any application or software.
DIRECT ACCESS ATTACKS:-
Direct Access Attacks gives the attacker the physical access to the systems and computers. The attacker gains access to the data very quickly and can misuse it for his/her malicious purposes. The attackers install various social worms and keyloggers so that they can easily access the information.
RANSOMWARE:-
Malicious software designed to extort money by blocking access to the files and documents is known as ransomware. It encrypts the files of the users so that the attacker gains access to the data, and the user is blocked. The files don’t need to be restored with the full information even after the payment of ransom.
This is one of the most common cyberattacks that the organization faces, which affects the individual as well as the whole organization.
IMPORTANCE OF CYBERSECURITY:-
In this connected world, the need to protect your data has become the top-most priority. As we transfer and share the data online, its gateways for cyber attackers increase. Also, with the vast available knowledge about the IT infrastructure, people can very easily hack into the users’ systems. Thus, securing the systems become necessary.Various other reasons which make the cybersecurity important are:-
NEW VULNERABILITIES:-
With the ever-changing and developing technologies, the networks and systems are exposed to various other developments as well. Along with the events, the doors are opened to multiple new threats, as well. Thus, the need to keep up with the latest updates is a must, which is done by cybersecurity.
COST OF BREACHES:-
Dealing with the cyberattacks and breaches is a costly and time-consuming process. Also, dealing with these breaches requires expert knowledge and professional guidance. Thus, this becomes very expensive for companies to deal with. So, it is better to secure your systems in advance than to deal with them later.
ELEMENTS OF CYBERSECURITY:-
With the daily up-gradation of the cyber world, cyber crimes are also increasing. And with the increase in cybercrime, so does the need to improve cybersecurity. Thus, the information technology security is made up of many elements.
APPLICATION SECURITY:-
This is one of those elements in cybersecurity, which is essential for cybersecurity. With the assistance of cybersecurity, the odds to control applications are minimised.
INFORMATION SECURITY:-
Cybersecurity also helps in protecting the information regardless of the format of the data.
NETWORK SECURITY:-
This includes the detection, prevention, and response to threats and viruses through various security policies. The analysis of unauthorized access and misuse is done through the comprehensive security policies for a computer host and other network-accessible sources is done. The common types of attacks confronted in network security are wiretapping, SQL Injection, etc.
END-USER EDUCATION:-
The human element is the weakest link in cybersecurity. The proper understanding of the procedures and protocols is required. A single malfunction or the breach of security may lead to lots of problems. Thus, it is necessary to educate the end-users along with the employees of the organization.
DISASTER RECOVERY/ BUSINESS CONTINUITY PLANNING:-
With the increasing cyber crimes, the process of making the day-to-day operations of business continuity, while a hampering is in effect is known as Business Continuity. Once the cyberattack has hampered the activities of the business, it is the responsibility of the department to make the disaster recovery while the daily operations are still in force. Thus, this is done by handling the cyber threat with the help of Cyber Security.
ADVANTAGES OF CYBERSECURITY
It is widely known that cybersecurity is essential for a business to protect its data from extensive attacks. Thus, the various advantages of an effective and efficient Cybersecurity plan are as follows:-
- It protects the data against unwanted malware like viruses, trojan horses, etc.
- When high-security cyberinfrastructure is developed, it protects the data against the thefts by implementing high-security protocols that the attacker cannot break.
- Cybersecurity also protects the system from hacking
- It also helps in protecting the data and maintain privacy.
- Cybersecurity also helps in the recovery of the whole infrastructure after the breach of security.
DISADVANTAGES OF CYBERSECURITY
Although cybersecurity is essential for every business, there are various drawbacks to maintaining the proper security system. Some of them are:-
- Maintaining the appropriate system requires lots of professional and experienced personnel. Thus, it becomes difficult to configure firewalls correctly.
- For small and medium-sized businesses, it is a very costly affair as it requires maintaining the latest upgrades and technologies.
- The wrong working of the firewalls is blocking the users from accessing the services of the company.
- Too much security may sometimes backfire as well.
Thus, cybersecurity is one of the most debated topics today with increasing cyber crimes and dependence on the internet. Although we cannot control the attackers, we can protect our data from them by using strong passwords and not uploading private stuff. Cybersecurity will keep on increasing in the coming years; thus, we need to take care of our confidential information and be responsible for our data security.
