What is Cyber Security?

Cyber security is the practice of protecting internet-connected systems, including computers, servers, networks, hardware, software, and data, from cyber threats. Also known as information technology security or electronic information security, the term can be divided into six common categories.

1. Network security — This is the practice of securing computer networks from targeted attackers or opportunistic malware.

2. Application security — This area of cyber security focuses on keeping software and devices free of threats to prevent unwanted data access.

3. Information security — This category protects the integrity and privacy of data.

4. Operational security — This area includes the processes and decisions for handling and protecting data assets. This includes users’ permissions when accessing networks and the procedures that determine how and where data is stored.

5. Disaster recovery and business continuity — This cyber security category covers how an organization responds to any cyber security incident or event that causes the loss of operations or data. The continuity aspect outlines how an organization will operate without specific resources.

6. End-user education — Often a forgotten aspect of cybersecurity, end-user education is a prevention tactic that aims to teach people cybersecurity best practices. This could include deleting suspicious email attachments, verifying contact information before clicking suspicious links, and not plugging in unidentified USB drives.

The primary goal of cybersecurity is to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information and resources in cyberspace. Taking proactive steps regarding cybersecurity is essential because cyberattacks can disrupt, damage, or destroy businesses, cause huge financial losses for organizations and individuals, and cause data leaks, which pose quite the headache — to put it lightly!

To add some context to the importance of cyber security, IBM’s Cost of a Data Breach 2023 report estimates that the average data breach cost in 2023 was $4.45 million (US). This number has grown 15% in the last three years alone, and some experts predict that the impact of cybercrime on the global economy could top $10.5 trillion by 2025.

What are the key components of cyber security?

The key components of cyber security can be broken down into four broad categories.

1. Preventative measures — These include implementing robust security protocols, firewalls, antivirus software, and intrusion detection systems to prevent unauthorized access and potential threats.

2. Detective measures — These involve continually monitoring systems for signs of suspicious activities or anomalies that could indicate a security breach. Examples of detective measures include log monitoring, network traffic analysis, and security information and event management (SIEM) systems.

3. Corrective measures — Following a security breach, these measures mitigate the damage and restore the affected systems. Examples of corrective measures include patching vulnerabilities, removing malware, and restoring backups.

4. Education and training — A crucial aspect of cybersecurity involves educating users about online security best practices. This includes training employees to recognize phishing attempts, creating strong passwords, and understanding the importance of regular software updates.

Types of cybersecurity threats

Phishing

Phishing involves sending fraudulent emails that appear to be from reputable sources. The goal is to steal sensitive data like credit card numbers and login information.

Phishing is the most common form of cyber attack; one you’re almost guaranteed to have experienced. Common examples include emails from “delivery companies” alerting you of a missed delivery or unpaid shipping fees or emails purporting to be from companies like Amazon letting you know your account has been compromised.

Often, if you look closely, there are spelling or grammatical errors in the email copy or changes to the logo placement that give it away. Similarly, the email address can be a good indicator of a phishing attempt. While it may appear as the company name in your inbox, it will show a different (often nonsensical) address when expanded on.

Social engineering

Social engineering is a tactic that aims to trick you into revealing sensitive information. It’s often combined with other threats to make you more likely to click on links, download malware, or trust a malicious source.

Ransomware

As the name suggests, Ransomware aims to extort money from a user by blocking access to files or entire computer systems until the ransom is paid. Unfortunately, in many cases, paying the ransom does not guarantee access is re-granted.

Malware

Malware (short for malicious software) is a type of software that gains unauthorized access or causes damage to a computer. Alongside phishing, malware is one of the most common cyber threats.

Malware is often spread via email attachments or legitimate-looking downloads. Types of malware include viruses, trojans, spyware, ransomware, adware, and Botnets.

SQL injection

SQL (structured language query) injection takes control of a database and steals data. SQL injections happen when vulnerabilities in data-driven applications are exploited to insert malicious code into a database via a malicious SQL statement.

Man-in-the-middle attack

Man-in-the-middle attacks involve a cybercriminal intercepting communication between two individuals. As with many cyber security threats, the goal is to steal data.

Denial-of-service attack

A denial-of-service attack renders a computer system unusable, preventing the organization from performing vital functions. The attack happens when cyber criminals overwhelm the network and servers with traffic, which prevents the computer system from fulfilling legitimate requests.

Common cyber security myths

1. Strong passwords are enough to offer the necessary protection*

2. Most cybersecurity risks are well-known

3. All cyber attack vectors are contained

4. “My industry is safe from cyber-attacks”

*Fun fact: a 12-character password takes 62 trillion times longer to crack than a 6-character one.

Cyber security best practices

1. Keep your software and operating systems up-to-date to benefit from the latest security patches.

2. Use anti-virus software to detect and remove threats.

3. Use strong passwords and never reuse passwords across applications.

4. Do not open email attachments from unknown senders; take care when opening unexpected attachments or links from known senders. If in doubt, contact the person via another channel to check.

5. Don’t click on links in emails from unknown senders and unfamiliar websites. Check emails from known senders are legitimate, and if possible, always access links or contact information directly from the website rather than using the ones supplied in emails.

6. Avoid using unsecure WiFi networks in public places, including hotels, cafes, etc.

7. Implement multi-factor authentication where possible.

8. Define each user’s roles and access privileges to keep access to confidential files contained to key stakeholders.

9. Provide ongoing security awareness training to team members.

10. Stay up-to-date with known security threats and act quickly when security breaches are detected.