What is cyber security? Why Cyber Awareness is important?

It’s very important to understand the cyber security meaning. Cybersecurity entails many essential features that one should know. These features include coverage for external threats, internal threats defense, security for regulatory compliance, security services for cloud-based tools, threat response, detection, and prevention.

Let’s know what exactly is cyber security, its categories, and threat types as well as why we need to learn and have awareness about cyber security aspects.

Definition of cyber security

“The protection of servers, computers, electronic systems, mobiles, software’s data and internet-connected devices from cyber threats or any malicious attacks is known as cyber security’’.

Cyber security is also known as information technology security IT-security.

In cyber protection, sensitive information and critical systems of electronic devices are protected from attacks of digital threats. This cyber security system helps to protect against restricted or unauthorized access to a computerized system.

Categories of cyber security

This term is divided into a few common categories.

1. Application security

Application security in cyber is the way of adding, developing, and testing the security features of applications within the device to protect the susceptibility against attacks like modification and unauthorized approaches of threat. Developers can do coding of the applications to reduce the threat of attacks. Application security has its types like authentication, encryption, authorization, logging, and app security testing.

2. Cloud security

Cloud security is an assembly of technology and procedure designed to locate internal and external threats to security. Software needs cloud security when developers move toward services and cloud-based tools in digital transformation. It refers to proceeding with databases, and software, and accessing resourcing in local hardware.

3. Network security

In cyber, network security protects data and networks from splitting, threats, and intrusions. Network security is a vast term that explains software and hardware solutions rules or processes, accessibility, the configuration of the network use, and all-over threat defense.

4. IoT (internet of things) security

IoT security is the method of security for network-based or internet-connected devices. Internet of things cyber security (IoT) entails the family of shield-like tools, techniques, and strategies that helps against vulnerable attacks.

5. Operational security

Operational security OPSEC includes the process for protecting and handling internet data assets. Under operational security the user access when getting permission of accessing a network that determines where and how data be shared or stored.

OPSEC process also known as procedural security is designed for combat to risk management.

What is the attack vector?

Cybercriminals approach a network, computer, server, or any internet-connected device to cause harm by using different ways. This is called an attack vector.

Types of cyber security Threats

Types of cyber security threats include different aspects that professionals and developers need to understand in-depth.

Cyber security has the following types of threats;

1. Cyber-terrorism

Cyberterrorism intends to undermine internet-based devices to create fear, terror, and panic.

2. Cyber-crime

This type of threat includes any single or maybe group system that targets to disrupt society issues or financial gain.

3. Cyber-attack

Cyber-attack is mostly used for gathering and spreading information. This type of attack is only used for political motives and campaigning purposes.

Cyber-attack includes various threats like;

Malware:

Malware attack is malicious software like viruses and worms. This is the most common cyber threat. A malware threat is initiated when a user clicks on an attachment or malicious link that further leads to operating harmful software.

CISCO report that once the malware is activated, can:

• Block access to the network key
• Install harmful software
• Transmitting data and obtaining information from a hard drive
• Disturb the fundamental parts of the device

Virus:

The virus is a self-replicating program that linked itself to a file. It is based on malicious code that spread from device to device. This type of threat usually makes for the stealing or damaging the sensitive data within the device.

Spyware:

Spyware secretly records and inspect what a user doing so that cyber-attacker or cybercriminal can steal and use the information.

For example, spyware can capture the details of credit cards.

Ransomware:

Cybercriminals demand to pay the ransom through locks down the user’s data or file with the threat of misuse or erasing it.

Adware:

Cyber attackers use advertising software that can spread malicious programs.

Botnets:

It is a network of malware-affected computers that cybercriminals used to attack online on different tasks without the user’s authorization.

SQL injection:

Structured query language injection is a type of cyber threat that is used to control and steal data and information from the database. Cybercriminals used malicious codes in the database through SQL statements. These codes give them access to information that they required.

Why the awareness of cyber security is important?

Cyber security awareness is the combination of both doing and knowing something to protect a business’s information assets and its related sensitive data. 

Cyber security awareness is important because it protects devices from all types of threats and attacks. It protects the data from damaging and stealing. Cyber security entails personally identifiable information (PII) of a user, sensitive data and protected health information (PHI), and intellectual property.

It improves the user’s confidence and makes it reliable online working.