Today, every form of interaction is on the online platform. The world has been termed a global village thanks to digital technology that enables people to communicate and transact on handheld devices. Individuals and businesses use smartphones, tablets, iPhones, and iPads to enhance communication and often share confidential information. Unfortunately, cybercrime has also increased, making the web an insecure platform for everyone. Consequently, cybersecurity is a prerequisite precaution anytime a transaction is online.
What is Cybersecurity?
Cybersecurity is all about being secure as you work online. Cybersecurity protects your networks, programs, and systems from digital attacks. Cyberattacks aim to access, corrupt, and destroy confidential information allowing hackers to extort money from a user. For instance, hackers can use ransomware to incapacitate business in an organization. The hackers can ask for a ransom as a condition for them to allow you access to your system, networks, and programs.
Cybersecurity concerns all sectors, such as healthcare, education, banking, and business. Cybersecurity measures help to protect individual and business systems away from hackers. However, Cybersecurity is particularly getting more complicated because there are many devices.
How does Cybersecurity Work?
Cybersecurity creates a secure wall that bars malicious manipulation of an organization’s systems. An organization’s employees, technologies, and processes must complement each other to achieve a solid barrier against cyber threats.
1. Employees
Organizations must train employees on cyber-safe practices. Employees should understand and embrace data security basic principles to protect the firm’s systems and clients’ information. As a rule of thumb, users should always create a strong password. Employees should also be wary of spam emails and always back up data for emergencies.
2. Processes
Organizations can be more proactive about cybersecurity by instituting cybercrime policies. The information and technology teams should be trained often on best practices to protect the firm from cybercrime. Organizations can also embrace cybersecurity frameworks from reputed firms to learn how to detect, protect, respond and recover from cyberattacks.
3. Technology
Technology is the tool that provides individuals and organizations with the appropriate interventions to protect themselves from cybercrimes. Users can use technology to protect endpoint devices such as computers and the cloud. Cloud computing is rapidly becoming an alternative for data storage and backup.
Consequently, hackers are increasingly becoming more innovative and more insurgent. Therefore, firewalls, malware protection, and antivirus software are more sure security measures to protect against threats.
Why should organizations and individuals mind cybersecurity?
The world is a global village, thanks to the internet that enables online engagement. A cyberattack can extort an individual and steal confidential information. Malicious users can use confidential personal data to kidnap or harm targeted family members.
On the other hand, organizations can expose their clients to the financial and healthcare sectors. When these institutions remain susceptible to cyberattacks, essential services are denied to those who deserve them.
Cybersecurity is a continuous safety measure that encourages investors to consider doing business with a company. Further, clients are skeptical of previously hacked organizations for fear of losing their money.
Types of cybersecurity threats
The cybercrime in a bank or hospital may differ from the attack on an individual. Some of the common forms of cybersecurity are:
- Phishing
- Ransomware
- Malware
- Data breaches
- Insider threats
- Social engineering
1. Phishing
Phishing refers to fake communication that tricks users into opening their communication for manipulation. For instance, when an attacker phishes a user’s email, they can manipulate the user to provide passwords and carry other instructions to expose their social media accounts and financial details.
Phishing aims to steal sensitive information to install malware on the target user’s devices such as smartphones. Other cyberattacks can penetrate a user’s password database to access login credentials and credit card details.
2. Ransomware
This is a malware attack where the hacker encrypts a target user’s data and threatens to publish, block, or corrupt access to data unless a specified ransom is honored.
3. Malware
This is the most common form of cyber security threat. Malware is malicious software installed into a user’s system. When the target victim clicks on the infused malware, they realize that access is denied. Examples of malware include ransomware, viruses, worms, and spyware. Malware can damage systems and networks and obtain confidential data for malicious purposes.
Common sources of cybercrime against organizations
Common sources of cyber threats include hackers, criminal groups, national states, terrorist groups, and malicious insiders.
- Criminal groups are organized hackers working to break into computing systems for economic gain. Criminal groups often use phishing, malware, spam, and spyware. They’re notorious for online scams, extortion, and accessing private information.
- National state is a hostile country that launches cyberattack against its institutions and companies interferes with communication channels and cause disorder. A national state cyberattack can be a mission to subdue a country’s organizations to approve its reign.
- A hacker is an individual who targets a victim or an organization using a variety of techniques. A hacker can infiltrate a system to avenge, obtain financial gain, or draw attention to a personal course. Hackers develop innovative treats to improve their status in the hackers’ community.
- Terrorist organizations’ main aim is to threaten national security, paralyze, corrupt or abuse infrastructure, corrupt economies and cause harm to citizens of a target country.
- Malicious insiders can be individuals working in an organization with malicious intentions. These employees have legal access to a firm’s assets but abuse the opportunity to steal data or damage systems for personal gain.
Means of protecting organizations from cyber attacks
It is a security risk to operate without proper security measures. Organizations can do the following to secure online activities:
- Encrypt data and create backups
- Conduct employees training on cybersecurity
- Conduct regular software updates
- Use strong passwords
- Assess and monitor third-party vendors
- Reduce cyberattack surface
- Install killswitch
- Install firewalls
- Create a secure cybersecurity policy
Takeaway
Cybersecurity is an online threat that targets individuals and organizations. Therefore, organizations must not leave online safety to chance because cyberattacks are innovative, malicious imposters intending to extort. Organizations should hire cybersecurity companies to help them access their susceptibility to cybercrime and place relevant measures to secure data.