Cybersecurity is how you secure hardware, software, and data from cyberthreats. It’s a collective term for various types of protection against online attacks.
- Critical infrastructure cybersecurity protects those institutions that society relies on, such as electricity grids, water suppliers, traffic light control stations, and hospitals.
- Application security eliminates threats in the development stage of hardware and software.
- Network security safeguards your data from unauthorized access through a network. Some examples include passwords, firewalls, antivirus, and email security.
- Cloud security is the mitigation of cybersecurity risks of data, applications, and infrastructures in cloud computing platforms.
- Internet of Things (IoT) security is the act of securing IoT devices. IoT devices include any device that connects to the internet, such as Wi-Fi routers, printers, security cameras, smart appliances, and some kids’ toys.
How Does Cybersecurity Work?
As a subset of IT security, cybersecurity provides multiple layers of protection across all software and devices you use to protect you from digital threats. A cybersecurity network is the combination of the various security types mentioned above to detect, examine, and fix weaknesses and vulnerabilities in a system to prevent hackers from entering. On the user end, this typically means using various kinds of internet security software to ensure protection.
Why Is Cybersecurity Important?
Cybercriminals attack anything that is vulnerable, whether it’s the IT system of a big multinational or a small company. Individuals aren’t safe either. Sensitive information that hackers may look for includes social security numbers, passport information, and financial details. They will use these for a variety of exploitative schemes, ranging from stealing money to committing crimes in your name. In a worst-case scenario, they can ruin your life without you noticing until it’s too late.
The Different Types of Cyberthreats
Cyberthreats come in various forms, and protecting yourself means knowing about what you’re dealing with:
- Malware and ransomware are software programmed to harm a user’s computer or the users themselves. Malware is a collective term for worms, viruses, Trojans, and spyware. Hackers use ransomware to lock a user’s system and demand payment to return access.
- Social engineering is when cybercriminals trick people into giving them sensitive information, such as passing by as someone from tech support of a product you use.
- Phishing and spear phishing are types of social engineering where the victim receives a text message or an email with content that calls for user interaction – clicking on a link to provide personal information or downloading a file with a virus.
- Distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks prevent legitimate traffic on a server or website by bombing them with messages and connection requests, thus slowing or crashing them.
- Advanced persistent threats (APTs) are when an attacker infiltrates a system and remains hidden, stealing data from the inside.
- Man-in-the-middle attacks are when cybercriminals insert themselves in a conversation between two people to eavesdrop or impersonate one of the parties.
Taking the First Steps To Improve Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity starts with changing your mindset. That is, investing time in educating yourself about the dangers and different cybercrimes. Adopt a zero-trust approach and always be cautious when opening emails, even if you think you know the sender. When it’s a link, place your cursor over it (without clicking) to see the full URL and if it looks odd, don’t click on it, and avoid downloading any attachments.
Some software can significantly help in providing further protection. Running them together is the most effective strategy, starting with a reliable antivirus or a complete internet security suite. You should always use a VPN when connecting to public Wi-Fi, although it’s always preferable to use a private network.
It’s also important to think about using a password manager to generate and store strong and unique passwords for all your online accounts. Finally, identity theft protection is essential when you suspect that your data has already been stolen.
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