Why Digital Security Requires a Broad Skill Set
As a digital security professional, you’ll be protecting computers, networks, software, data and information systems from viruses, worms, spyware, unauthorized access, denial of service attacks and more. Your job also involves ensuring that only authorized individuals have access to the data they need for work-related purposes and that information is encrypted as it passes back and forth between systems.
In addition, you’ll be creating processes to help ensure that the data is accurate and up-to-date throughout its life cycle. That’s why digital security requires a broad skill set. You’ll need to understand the business operations, laws and regulations that apply to your sector, as well as technical concepts like cryptography. You’ll also need to use various tools and technologies to protect your information from cyberattacks.
What kind of data is a security risk?
As you go through your day, you’re sharing lots of information online. That includes everything from posting on social media to signing up for newsletters to logging in to banking portals. Some of these pieces of information, such as your passwords or other login credentials, can be used to steal your identity and cause real financial problems. Others, such as your health records or details about the places where you live or work, can be used to target you with specific medical or insurance scams.
It’s hard to keep up with the sheer number of attackers. And many of them operate anonymously, using proxies, temporary anonymous dial-up accounts and wireless connections to hide their location and cover their tracks. Plus, tracing them requires a huge amount of time and resources to follow.