What is Cyber-Security?
Cyber-security is the practice of protecting networks, devices and data from unauthorized access or criminal use. It seems we rely on computers and the internet for everything now: communication (email, smartphones, tablets), entertainment (interactive video games, social media, apps), travel (navigation systems), shopping (online credit cards, online banking), medical equipment and records and more. Unfortunately, all of this technology offers new opportunities for criminals and bad actors to steal information and money.
The goal of cyber security is to protect our information and systems by creating strong frameworks, policies and processes and implementing the proper software. It also includes educating people so they understand how to identify threats and take steps to prevent them.
Defining the field of cybersecurity is important because it sets the tone for how cyber experts view the discipline. Nonstandard definitions lead to contradictory or oblique uses of the term in different papers, which can confuse the reader and hinder progress toward a unified theory of cyber security.
For example, many existing definitions focus solely on hardware and software, ignoring the human element of cybersecurity, which is crucial to success. It’s not enough to train staff on industry best practices and company procedures; you need to teach them to delete suspicious email attachments, not plug in unknown USB drives and other simple tasks that can thwart a malicious attack. Another example is cloud security, which requires a deep understanding of infrastructure and applications to ensure the integrity of information stored in public, private or hybrid cloud environments.