What Is Digital Security?
Digital security is the use of passwords, antivirus software and other tools to protect personal information and devices from hackers. It also includes safe browsing habits to prevent malware and other online threats. It differs from cybersecurity, which focuses primarily on business networks and information systems.
A wide range of attacks threaten data and the people who work with it, including phishing, deepfake scams, ransomware, and other types of malicious code. These attacks are carried out by both criminals and nation-states as part of a cyberwarfare effort. In some cases, the attack is purely for financial gain, while in other cases there are political motivations or even the potential for terrorist attacks.
Today’s data lives in a multitude of locations and is spread across public clouds, enterprise data centers, mobile apps, laptops, internet-of-things sensors, and remote servers. This dispersion increases the risk of a data breach and raises the cost of responding to it.
Strong digital security prevents breaches that can damage a company’s reputation and profitability. It can also serve as a key differentiator against competitors that don’t take the issue seriously, helping businesses gain and maintain customer loyalty. Incorporating security into a company’s culture and operations can ensure that the protections are implemented consistently. In addition, data resiliency measures can help support an organization’s ability to recover from unforeseen events such as hardware failure or natural disasters. This can minimize the impact of downtime and ensure that a backup copy of critical data is available when needed.