In recent years, There has been an increase in cybercrime. Thieves steal customer social security numbers from corporations’ computer systems. Unscrupulous hackers grab passwords and personal information from social media sites or pluck company secrets from the cloud. For companies of all sizes, keeping information safe is a growing concern. This is why we will be discussing Cyber Security and Its Importance.
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What is Cyber Security
Cyber security consists of all the technologies and practices that keep computer systems and electronic data safe. And, in a world where more and more of our business and social lives are online, it’s an enormous and growing field with great importance.
According to the Cyber Security & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), \”Cyber security is the art of protecting networks, devices, and data from unauthorized access or criminal use and the practice of ensuring confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information.\”
What is Information Security?
Information security is the processes and tools designed and utilized to protect sensitive business information from modification, disruption, destruction, and inspection, according to CISCO.
Information security and cyber security are often confused. According to CISCO, information security is a crucial part of cyber security but is used exclusively for ensuring the security of data.
Everything is connected by computers and the internet now, including communication, entertainment, transportation, shopping, medicine, and more. A copious amount of personal information is stored among these various services and apps, and this is why information security is critical.
Importance of Cyber Security
Getting hacked isn’t just an attack on confidential data companies need. It can also ruin their relationships with customers, and even place them in significant legal jeopardy. With new technology, from self-driving cars to internet-enabled home security systems, the dangers of cybercrime become even more serious.
So, it’s no wonder that international research and advisory firm Gartner Inc. predicts worldwide security spending will hit $170 billion by 2022, an 8% increase in just a year.
These days, the need to protect confidential information is a pressing concern at the highest levels of government and industry. State secrets can be stolen from the other side of the world. Companies, whose whole business models depend on control of customers\’ data, can find their databases compromised. In just one high-profile 2017 case, personal information for 147.9 million people – about half the United States – was compromised in a breach of credit reporting company Equifax.
What is a Cyber Attack?
A cyber attack is an unwelcomed attempt to steal, expose, alter, disable or destroy information through unauthorized access to computer systems, according to the International Business Machines Corporation (IBM).
The reasons for attacks can range from cyber warfare, cyber terrorism, and even hacktivists, but these actions fall into three main categories: criminal, political, and personal.
Attackers motivated by crime are typically seeking financial gain through money theft, data theft, or business disruption. Similarly, personal attackers include disgruntled current or former employees who will take money or data in an attempt to attack a company\’s systems. Socio-political motivated attackers desire attention for their cause, resulting in their attacks being known to the public, and this is a form of hacktivism. Other forms of cyberattacks include espionage, spying to gain an unfair advantage over the competition, and intellectually challenging. This is why there is a great importance of cyber security in this day and age.
Who is Behind Cyber Attacks?
Attacks against enterprises can come from a variety of sources such as criminal organizations, state actors, and private persons, according to IBM. An easy way to classify these attacks is by outsider versus insider threats.
Outsider or external threats include organized criminals, professional hackers, and amateur hackers (like hacktivists).
Insider threats are typically those who have authorized access to a company\’s assets and abuse them deliberately or accidentally. These threats include employees who are careless of security procedures, disgruntled current or former employees, and business partners or clients with system access.
Importance of Cyber Awareness
Cyber security awareness month takes place every October and encourages individuals and organizations to own their role in protecting their cyberspace, according to Forbes. Although, anyone can practice being mindful of cyber security at any time. It is a time to be aware of cyber security and the importance of having a good knowledge of cyber security.
Cyber security awareness can mean different things to different people depending on their technical knowledge. Ensuring appropriate training is available to individuals, is a great way to motivate lasting behavioral changes.
While cyber security awareness is the first step, employees and individuals must embrace and proactively use effective practices both professionally and personally for it to truly be effective, according to Forbes.
Conclusion
Cyber security is very important considering the increase in cyber attacks over the recent years, There are different types of attacks and it is important you are able to identify them in other to find the best way to prevent them from happening.