Cybersecurity is the practice of protecting computers, networks, software applications, critical systems, and data from potential digital threats. Organizations are responsible for securing data to maintain customer trust and comply with regulatory requirements. They rely on cybersecurity measures and tools to protect sensitive data from unauthorized access, as well as to prevent any disruption of business operations due to unwanted network activity. Organizations implement cybersecurity by streamlining digital defense among people, processes, and technologies.
What is the importance of cybersecurity?
Companies across various sectors, such as energy, transportation, retail, and manufacturing, use digital systems and high-speed communication to provide effective customer service and conduct cost-efficient business operations. Just as these organizations secure their physical assets, they must also secure their digital assets and protect their systems from any unintended access. An event of breach and unauthorized access to a computer system or network or connected facilities is called a “cyberattack” if it is intentional. A successful cyberattack can lead to the exposure, theft, deletion, or alteration of confidential data. Cybersecurity measures defend against cyberattacks and provide the following benefits:
Prevent breaches or reduce the cost of their consequences
Organizations that implement cybersecurity strategies minimize the undesirable consequences of cyberattacks that may affect the companies’ reputation, financial standing, business operations, and customer trust. For example, companies activate disaster recovery plans to contain potential intrusions and reduce the duration of business operation disruptions.
Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements
Companies in specific fields and regions must comply with regulatory requirements to protect sensitive data from potential cyber risks. For instance, companies operating in Europe must comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which expects organizations to take appropriate cybersecurity measures to ensure data privacy.
Mitigate advanced cyber threats
As technologies evolve, new forms of cyberattacks emerge. Criminals use new tools and devise new strategies to gain unauthorized access to systems. Organizations adopt and update cybersecurity measures to keep pace with new and advanced digital attack technologies and tools.
What types of attacks does cybersecurity seek to defend against?
Cybersecurity professionals aim to contain current and emerging threats that infiltrate computer systems in various ways and mitigate them. Below are some examples of common cyber threats.
Malware
Malware refers to malicious software. It includes a range of programs designed to grant unauthorized third-party access to sensitive information or allow them to disrupt the normal workflow of critical infrastructure. Common examples of malware include Trojans, spyware, and viruses.
Ransomware
Ransomware refers to a business model and a wide range of related techniques used by malicious actors to extort money from entities. Whether you are just starting to use AWS or have already begun developing, we have dedicated resources to help you protect your critical systems and sensitive data from ransomware.
Man-in-the-middle attack
In a man-in-the-middle attack, an external party attempts to gain unauthorized access to communications on a network while data is being exchanged. Such attacks increase the security risks to sensitive information, such as financial data.
Phishing
Phishing is a cyber threat that uses social engineering techniques to deceive users into revealing personal identification information. For example, cyber attackers send emails that lure users into clicking on them and entering credit card information on a fake webpage to complete a payment. Phishing attacks can also lead to downloading malicious attachments that install malware on company devices.
Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack
A Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack is a coordinated effort to overwhelm a server by sending a large number of fake requests. Such events prevent regular users from connecting to or accessing the targeted server.
Insider threat
An insider threat is a security risk posed by individuals with malicious intent within an organization. Employees have high-level access to computer systems and can destabilize the security of the infrastructure from within.
How does cybersecurity work?
Organizations implement cybersecurity strategies by working with cybersecurity specialists. These specialists assess the security risks of current computing systems, networks, data storage, applications, and other connected devices. Then, cybersecurity professionals create a comprehensive cybersecurity framework and implement preventive measures within the organization.
To ensure the success of a cybersecurity program, employees must be informed of best security practices in its context and use automated cybersecurity defense techniques in the current IT infrastructure. These elements work together to create multiple layers of protection against potential threats at all data access points. They identify risks, protect identities, infrastructure, and data, monitor for anomalies and events, respond and analyze root causes, and recover after an incident.
What types of cybersecurity exist?
Organizations implement cybersecurity strategies by working with cybersecurity specialists. These specialists assess the security risks of current computing systems, networks, data storage, applications, and other connected devices. Then, cybersecurity professionals create a comprehensive cybersecurity framework and implement preventive measures within the organization.
To ensure the success of a cybersecurity program, employees must be informed of best security practices in its context and use automated cybersecurity defense techniques in the current IT infrastructure. These elements work together to create multiple layers of protection against potential threats at all data access points. They identify risks, protect identities, infrastructure, and data, monitor for anomalies and events, respond and analyze root causes, and recover after an incident.
