Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity is a system designed to protect networks, devices, programs, and data from damage and unauthorized access with the use of technology.
In a world filled with data, cybersecurity has come to play a crucial role and has embedded itself into modern-day technology.
All businesses, employees, and processes must be designed to work seamlessly together to provide unified protection against potential threats. Cyber security systems help detect potential weaknesses and resolve them before the system gets exploited by malicious software or hackers.
Types of cybersecurity
There are several types of cybersecurity. Some of which are:
· Application security: It provides protection among a wide range of threats and is most commonly used in Business software.
· Data security: These are specifically used for the protection of data. It is implemented using strong data storage systems.
· Network security: These include a group of software and hardware systems designed for protection from both internal and external threats.
· Mobile security: These are used in mobile devices like cell phones, laptops, and tablets so as to protect the information stored in them from a variety of threats.
· Cloud security: These are used for the security and protection of cloud applications and systems such as Google, Microsoft, AWS, etc.
Advantages and disadvantages of cybersecurity
Now, let’s look into the merits and demerits of cybersecurity systems.
Merits:
· It protects against data theft.
· It protects the system from unauthorized access and hacking.
· It protects the system from viruses and other malicious software.
· It helps prevent the computer from freezing and crashing.
· It helps give privacy to the user.
Demerits:
· It makes the configuration of firewalls difficult.
· It makes the system slower.
· It could be expensive for an average user.
· It requires the user to perform regular updates to keep security up to date.
· Incorrect configuration of firewalls may prevent users from performing certain tasks on the internet.
Current Trends
Let us take a look at some key trends in the field of cybersecurity.
While some of these trends could easily have been predicted with the trajectory of the industry in previous years, some others have sprung up solely based on the rapid advancements in other fields such as AI and IoT.
Ransomware and mobile attacks are no new entrants among cyber threats however they are set to continue their rise in popularity among cybercriminals. Ransomware is a relatively easy method for hackers to make money and are hence popular. Moreover, with increasingly more data being stored in mobile phones it is no wonder that they are being increasingly targeted.
Today, vehicles come with built-in software packages and Wi-Fi and Bluetooth communication technology. While these have great benefits for driving experience, they also provide several vulnerabilities for hackers to exploit.
Some industries that have recently sprung up to prominence are AI and IoT. AI has been making waves in several industries and the cybersecurity industry is no exception. Today AI-enabled threat detection systems are being developed and used to predict new attacks and notify admins of data breaches instantly. On the flip side, however, AI is also being used to create smart malware and to bypass security protocols.
The Internet of Things (IoT) is a widely discussed topic among security experts today. Such an enormous number of devices being interconnected changes the dynamics of the field simply due to the sheer number of potential entry points for malicious actors to gain entry into the system. Only the future will tell how we choose to tackle these concerns.
Trivia
Now that we understand what Cybersecurity entails, its importance, and its application, we have some fun facts for you.
· 95% of Cybersecurity breaches are due to human errors
· Most companies, even major ones, take up to 6 months to detect data breaches.
· Government, retail, and technology industries accounted for 95% of all data breaches in 2016 simply because they were more popular targets.
Resources
As always, before we can end our sneak peek into the field of cybersecurity we have curated some resources for the more adventurous among you.
Some courses we hope will help in your further exploration of this field are the following:
· IBM Cybersecurity Analyst Professional Certificate — Coursera
· Cybersecurity Fundamentals — Edx
· The Complete Cyber Security Course: Hackers Exposed! — Udemy
For those more inclined to reading, we also have some books that should help you understand the field a little better.
With that, we come to the end of our tour of the field of Cybersecurity, and it’s time for us to bid adieu. We hope that this guide finds you well and helps spark your interest in the field. As always, we wait in eager anticipation adventures of the field of Cybersecurity.