Everything Cyber security – It’s Dos and Donts

Everything Cyber Security – Dos and Don’ts

What is cyber security?

Cyber security is the implementation of technologies, operations, and control mechanisms to defend against cyber attacks on systems, networks, programs, devices, and data.

Its purpose is to minimize the risk of cyber attacks and protect against unauthorised access to networks, and technologies.

The process of protecting computers, servers, mobile devices, electronic systems, networks, and data from malicious attacks is known as cyber security.

It is also referred to as information technology security or automated data security. The term is used in a variety of contexts, including business and mobile computing.

Cyber security classifications

• Operational security consists of procedures and decisions that govern the handling and protection of data assets. They include the permissions that users have when connecting to a network as well as the procedures that govern how and where data can be stored or shared.

• Network security: This is the method of protecting a computer network from intruders, whether they are targeted attackers or opportunistic malware.

Application security is concerned with keeping hardware and software safe from threats. When a system is compromised it may enable access to the data it is supposed to protect.

Security starts in the design stage, long before a program or device is deployed.

• Information security safeguards the integrity and privacy of data while it is in storage and transit.

• Disaster recovery and business continuity can be categorized as how a company responds to a cyber-security incident or any other event that results in the loss of operations or data.

• Disaster recovery policies govern how an organization improves its operations and information in order to resume normal operations following an event. Business continuity is the plan that an organization utilize when there is an inability to operate due to a shortage of resources.

An overview of the magnitude of the cyber threat

The global cyberattack is changing at an alarming rate with an increasing number of data breaches.

Every year, there are breaches. According to a RiskBased Security report, data breaches exposed a startling 7.9 billion records in the first nine months of 2019. This figure is more than double (112% higher) than the amount of information revealed during the same time period in 2018.

Retailers, government entities and medical services are the most vulnerable, with malware criminals responsible for the majority of incidents. Some of these industries are more enticing to cybercriminals because they collect personal, financial and medical data, however all businesses that are using networks are vulnerable to customer customer attacks, data theft, and corporate espionage.

With the level of the cyberattack estimated to grow, the International Data Corporation predicts that global spending on cyber-security solutions will reach massive proportions of $133.7 billion by 2022.

Types of cyber threats

The threats countered by cyber-security are three-fold:

1. Cyber-terrorism: The main aim is to undermine electronic systems to trigger fear or panic.

2. Cyber-attack mostly include politically motivated data gathering.

3. Cyber-crime: This includes single actors or groups that target systems mainly for to cause disruption or for financial gain.

Ever wondered how malicious actors gain access of computer systems? Below are common ways used to threaten an organization’s cyber-security:

Malware

Malware simply means malicious software. Malware is a software produced by a cybercriminal or hacker to interrupt or destroy a genuine user’s computer. It is one of the most common cyber threats. Malware, is frequently distributed through the use of suspicious emails attachments or legitimate-looking downloads, malware may be used by cybercriminals to make money or in ideologically biased cyber-attacks.

Malware comes in a variety of flavors, which includes

• Virus: An application that replicates itself and expands throughout a computer system, contaminating files with malicious code.

• Ransomware: Malware that encrypts a user’s files and data and threatens to delete it unless a ransom is paid.

• Spyware is a program that secretly records what a user does in order for cybercriminals to use this information. For example, spyware could record credit card information.

• Trojans: A type of malware that masquerades as legitimate software. Cybercriminals try to manipulate users into downloading Trojans that bring harm or gather information on their computers.

• Botnets: This networks of malware infects computers are used by cybercriminals to carry out tasks online without the user’s knowledge.

• Adware: It comes in form of an advertising software that can be used to distribute malware.

Attack with a man-in-the-middle

A man-in-the-middle cyber threat occurs when a cybercriminal hijacks communication between two people in order to extract passwords or information. On an unprotected Wifi connection, for instance, an attacker might also intercept data passing between the victim’s device and the networks.

End User’s protection

End-user protection, also referred as endpoint security, is an important factor of cyber security. After all, it is mostly the end-user who unknowingly downloads malware or another type of cyber threat to their mobile device, laptop or desktop.

So, how do cyber-security safeguards safeguard end users and systems? To begin, cryptographic protocols are used to encrypt emails, files, and other critical data in cyber-security. This not only safeguards data in transit, but also protects against loss or theft.

End-user security software also scans computers for malicious code, quarantines it, and remove it from the machine. Security software can detect and remove malicious code hidden in the main boot record, as well as encrypt or erase data from the computer’s hard drive.

Phishing

Phishing arises when cybercriminals send emails that appear to be from a real company and request sensitive information from victims. Phishing threats are commonly used to deceive victims into providing credit card information and other personal information.

A spread denial-of-service attack

A denial-of-service attack happens when cybercriminals overload networks and servers with traffic, attempting to prevent user request from being accomplished. It makes the system inaccessible and hinders a company from conducting critical functions.

Injection of SQL data

SQL (structured language query) injection is a cyber-attack technique that is used to gain access to and steal data from a database. Cybercriminals take advantage of flaws in data-driven applications to insert malicious code into a database through a malicious SQL statement and they would have an access to sensitive information.

Steps to protect yourself against cyber attacks

How can businesses and individuals protect themselves from cyber threats? Below  are some cyber security recommendations:

1. Use anti-virus software: Security software such as Kaspersky Total Security detects and removes threats. For the best protection, it is advisable to  Keep your software up to date .

2. Use strong passwords: Make sure your passwords are strong and difficult to guess.

3. Update your operating systems: This ensures that you have the most recent security patches.

4. Avoid using public or unsecured WiFi networks: Unsecure networks expose you to man-in-the-middle attacks.

5. Try to avoid opening email attachments from untrusted sources: These could be malware-infected.6. Avoid clicking on email links from unknown senders or unfamiliar websites: This is a common technique used to distribute malware.