Cyber security is the defence against cyber threats for systems connected to the internet, including their hardware, software, and data. Individuals and businesses both utilise this technique to prevent illegal access to data centres and other digital systems.

A strong cyber security plan can offer a good security posture against malicious assaults intended to gain access to, alter, delete, destroy, or extort sensitive data and systems belonging to a business or user. Security measures are essential in preventing attacks that try to take down or impair a system or device’s functionality.

Why is cyber security important?

The importance of cyber security is only going to increase as there are more people, devices, and programmes in the modern business, along with an influx of more data, most of it sensitive or confidential. 

The issue is made even worse by the increase in the quantity and level of sophistication of cyberattackers and attack methodologies.

What are the elements of cyber security, and how does it work?

The subject of cyber security can be divided into a number of distinct parts, and it is essential for a company’s coordination within that field to have a successful cyber security programme. The following is a list of these sections:

• Application security
• Information or data security
• Network security
• Disaster recovery/business continuity planning
• Operational security
• Cloud security
• Critical infrastructure security
• Physical security
• End-user education

For many businesses, maintaining cyber security in a threat environment that is continuously changing is difficult. Traditional reactive strategies, which focused resources on defending systems against the most significant known threats while leaving less significant threats undefended, are no longer an effective method.

An approach that is more proactive and adaptable is required to keep up with shifting security dangers. A number of significant cyber security consulting bodies provide direction. 

For instance, as part of a framework for risk assessment, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) advises adopting continuous monitoring and real-time assessments to protect against both known and unidentified threats.

What are the different types of cyber security threats?

It can be difficult to stay on top of emerging technology, security trends, and threat intelligence. It is required to safeguard data and other assets from many types of cyberthreats. Some examples of cyberthreats are:

• Malware – A form of harmful software known as malware allows any file or programme to be used against a computer user. Worms, viruses, Trojan horses, and spyware are included.
• Ransomware is also a type of malware. It entails an attacker encrypting and locking the victim’s computer system files, then demanding cash to decrypt and unlock them.
• Social engineering – An attack known as social engineering uses human contact to persuade users to circumvent security measures in order to obtain sensitive information that is ordinarily protected.
• Phishing –  A type of social engineering in which phoney emails or texts are delivered that appear to be from reliable or well-known sources. These communications, which are frequently random attacks, aim to steal sensitive information like credit card numbers or login credentials.
• Spear phishing – A type of phishing attack that has an intended target user, organisation or business.
• Insider threats – Security lapses or losses brought on by people, such as staff members, subcontractors, or clients, are referred to as insider threats. Insider threats can be malicious or careless. 
• Distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) – Involve several systems interfering with the operation of a targeted system, such as a server, website, or other network resource. Attackers can slow down or disrupt a target system by flooding it with messages, connection requests, or packets, blocking legitimate traffic from accessing it.
• Advanced persistent threats (APTs) – Targeted attacks that last a long time and involve an attacker infiltrating a network and avoiding detection for a long time in order to collect data.

Botnets, drive-by-download attacks, exploit kits, malicious advertising, phishing, credential stuffing assaults, cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks, SQL injection attacks, business email compromise (BEC), and zero-day exploits are additional frequent forms of attacks.

What are the cyber security challenges?

Hackers, data loss, privacy concerns, risk management, and evolving cybersecurity tactics all present ongoing threats to cybersecurity. In the near future, it is not anticipated that the number of cyberattacks would decline. 

Additionally, the emergence of the internet of things (IoT) has added attack access points, necessitating a greater requirement for network and device security.

The fact that security dangers are constantly changing is one of the most challenging aspects of cyber security.  New attack routes are created as a result of the emergence of new technologies and their use in novel or unconventional ways. 

It can be difficult to keep up with these constant changes and advancements in assaults and to update procedures to defend against them. 

Concerns include making sure that all cyber security components are regularly updated to guard against any vulnerabilities. 

For smaller companies without the workforce or internal resources, this can be particularly challenging and a reason why they should look at outsourcing their cyber security.

Additionally, businesses have access to a wealth of information on people who use one or more of their services. The risk of a cybercriminal wanting to steal personally identifiable information (PII) increases as more data is gathered. 

For instance, a ransomware assault may target a company that saves personally identifiable information in the cloud. Businesses ought to take all reasonable precautions to avoid a cloud breach due to costly fines and penalties.

End-user education should be a part of cyber security measures, as staff members may unintentionally introduce malware onto the premises on their laptops or mobile devices. Employees who regularly receive security awareness training can help protect their business from cyberthreats.

Lack of qualified cyber security staff is another issue facing cyber security. Businesses need cybersecurity employees to assess, monitor, and respond to problems as the amount of data they gather and utilise expands. The shortage of security experts in the workforce, according to (ISC)2, is projected at 3.1 million.

How is automation used in cyber security?

Automation is becoming a crucial part of keeping businesses safe from the numerous and sophisticated cyberthreats that are on the rise. Cyber security can be enhanced in three key areas by utilising artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning in sectors with high-volume data streams:

• Threat recognition –  Platforms powered by AI are able to evaluate data, identify known dangers, and forecast new ones.
• Threat reaction –  Platforms powered by AI can also design and automatically implement security measures. 
• Human augmentation –  Security professionals frequently have too many warnings and boring duties to complete. By automating large data analysis and other repetitive operations, AI can assist reduce alert fatigue by prioritising low-risk warnings automatically and freeing up human labour for more complex tasks.

Automation in cybersecurity also helps with attack and malware categorisation, traffic and compliance analysis, and more.

Cyber security tools

Cyber security suppliers frequently provide a range of security goods and services. Typical security devices and platforms include:

• Identity and access management (IAM)
• Firewalls
• Endpoint protection
• Antimalware
• Intrusion prevention/detection systems (IPS/IDS)
• Data loss prevention (DLP)
• Endpoint detection and response
• Security information and event management (SIEM)
• Encryption tools
• Vulnerability scanners
• Virtual private networks (VPNs)
• Cloud workload protection platform (CWPP)
• Cloud access security broker (CASB)

Conclusion

There is much to be discussed when it comes to cyber security, and it can come across quite daunting when you read the full aspect of it. Here at ATS Connection we try to help businesses be mindful of the rising cases of companies being hacked by talking about the subject of cyber security in hope that it can help you be more cautious.

We offer cyber security management services to take this all of your shoulders and protect your company and it’s data.

If you would like to know more then please fill in the form below and one of our cyber experts will be in touch.