What Is Cyber-Security?
Cyber-security is the discipline that protects networks, devices and data from unauthorized access or use. Government, military, corporate, financial, medical and private organizations transmit vast amounts of sensitive information on their computer systems, which makes them prime targets for hackers seeking to steal that information or disrupt the organization’s operations.
The term hacker is generally applied to anyone who wreaks havoc on computer systems, and that can be done through a variety of methods. It can be as simple as sending a lot of fake traffic to a system until the resources are overwhelmed, or it can involve trying to guess passwords, infecting systems with malware and other malicious activities.
As the world becomes more and more digital, cybersecurity has become a vitally important career field. There are a variety of ways to pursue this field, from earning a bachelor’s degree in it to working as a part of the IT security staff at a large company.
Having a strong security strategy in place is essential for every organization. Formally educating employees about cyber security best practices, policies and incident reporting is also key to reducing negligence that could lead to a breach. Finally, backups of all critical assets should be created to ensure that valuable information is not lost or compromised in the event of a cyber attack.