What is Cyber-Security?
Cyber-security is the practice of protecting networks, devices and data from unauthorized access or criminal use. It includes a range of best practices, approaches and tools that can significantly reduce the risk of cyberattacks.
The world relies on computers and the internet for communication (email, texting), entertainment (interactive video games, social media), transportation (carrying goods and people), shopping (online stores), banking, medical services, business operations and more. Unfortunately, the technology that underpins our day-to-day lives is also a favourite target for cyberattackers looking to steal personal information or private company data.
Attackers can take a variety of forms. They include terrorist groups that aim to destroy or disrupt critical infrastructure, economic systems and cause bodily harm to citizens. Organized crime groups rely on phishing, spam, spyware and malware to steal information or money from organizations and individuals. Individual hackers may be motivated by a desire for revenge, financial gain or simply to improve their standing within the hacker community.
Many attacks are initiated by exploiting vulnerabilities in computer software, firmware or hardware. These vulnerabilities can be caused by software programming errors or through intentional exploitation designed to introduce malicious code. Vulnerabilities can be hard to detect and resolve, especially when attackers are a step ahead. That’s why it’s important to have a zero trust security framework in place to ensure that access rights are continuously evaluated, least privilege is enforced everywhere and all access is monitored and recorded. This will help to prevent many types of attack before they occur.