In the era of rapid technological advancement internet has become an integral part of our life. Everything is just few taps away from us, from communicating through instant messages and emails to banking, travelling, studying, and shopping, internet has touched every aspect of life. So, it is safe to say that Internet is one of the most powerful tools of this generation. But as it is often said that 'With great powers, comes great responsibility'. So, one must be also responsible to be aware of how to use it properly and what are things that must be taken care of while using the internet facilities, whether for individual or for organizational purpose. This is termed as Cyber Security. At a time when world is moving towards being digital, an important question gets our attention, are we? Let us have a closer look what it is all about and its different components.
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| Source - Google |
WHAT IS CYBER SECURITY?
Cyber security is the practice of defending computers, servers, mobile devices, electronic systems, networks, and data from malicious attacks. It is also known as information technology security or electronic information security. So, the goal of implementing cybersecurity is to provide a good security posture for computers, servers, networks, mobile devices, and the data stored on these devices from attackers with malicious intent. Cyber-attacks can be designed to access, delete, or extort an organization’s or user’s sensitive data; making cybersecurity vital., Medical, government, corporate and financial organizations, may all hold vital personal information on an individual. Cyber Security is been categorized into six basic elements i.e., Application security, Information security, Network security, Disaster recovery/business continuity planning, Operational security, and an End-user education.
CYBER SECURITY THREATS
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| Source - Google |
There are diverse ways through which an attacker may try to breech the security of the system
Malware. It is a software that performs a malicious task on a target device or network, e.g., corrupting data or taking over a system. Ransomware is a type of malware which locks down a user’s files and data, with the threat of erasing it unless a ransom is paid.
Phishing. Phishing is a type of social engineering attack often used to steal user data, including login credentials and credit card numbers. The goal is to trick the email recipient into believing that the message is something they want or need and will ask the to perform specific actions—like clicking on a malicious link or attachment.
Spyware. Spyware is a type of cybersecurity threat that steals sensitive information and internet usage data, then relays it to other users. The data is often sent to data collectors and advertisers, who can then use it to target you with ads or sell that information to others.
Spoofing Attacks. A spoofing attack is a method by which a hacker pretends to be someone they are not to gain user’s confidence. If you receive an email from Amazon with purchases you never made, for instance, you are likely to be concerned enough to click the link. The problem, however, is that in the case of a spoofing attack, the link would take you to a fake website URL with a fake login prompt, into which you would then enter your login information, handing it over to the hacker.
Man-in-the-middle attack. A man-in-the-middle attack is a type of cyber threat where a cybercriminal intercepts communication between two individuals to steal data. For example, on an unsecure Wi-Fi network, an attacker could intercept data being passed from the victim’s device and the network.
Denial-of-service attack. A denial-of-service attack is where cybercriminals prevent a computer system from fulfilling a legitimate request by overwhelming the networks and servers with traffic. Attackers can also use multiple compromised devices to launch this attack.
SQL injection attack. It is a kind of attack that employs malicious code to manipulate backend databases to access information that was not intended for display.
Apart from these, there are various other ways through which an attacker may try to manipulate or steal the data from the system.
So, a natural question arises that is there anything we can do to prevent these attacks, or they are inevitable? Certainly not there few practices which if you follow then the probability of getting attacked will be minimal.
Practices to prevent a Security breach
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| Source - Google |
Conducting awareness programs and educating people about Cyber security.
However, the smart technology will be, at the end of the day it must be used by humans only, so people should be educated about the potential risk related to cyber-attacks so they, whether intentionally or unintentionally do not fall in the traps of any attacks.
Keep your systems up to date
Keeping your system or software up to date is particularly important as it will provide a better version of security patch to your system. Often cyber-attacks happen because your systems or software are not fully up to date, leaving weaknesses. Hackers exploit these weaknesses, so cybercriminals exploit these weaknesses to gain access to your network.
Backup and encryption of data
Having a backup of your all-important and sensitive data is important as sometimes it may happen that the aim of the cyber-attack is only to dismantle the existing data, so having a backup in such cases is very helpful, also you should store or transmit data into an encrypted form so that they can be only decoded by the user who have the key to the algorithm.
Restriction on the access of the software.
You might have noticed that whenever you download any application in your device, it asks for certain permission to access some other programs as well. At first it might seem not a big deal, but attackers can exploit certain vulnerabilities and can get access to sensitive information. SO it is advisable that you should only provide those access which are necessary and not all.
Using a Firewall
Putting your network behind a Firewall is one of the most effective ways to defend yourself from any cyber-attack. A Firewall system will block any brute force attacks made on your network or systems before it can do any damage.
General precautionary measures
Only use trusted sites when providing your personal information. A good rule of thumb is to check the URL. If the site includes “https://,” then it is a secure site. If the URL includes “http://,” — note the missing “s” — avoid entering sensitive information like your credit card data or Social Security number. Don’t open email attachments or click links in emails from unknown sources. Try to use different password for different applications and change them frequently.
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| Source - Google |
The increasing penetration of internet in our daily lives has also increased the possibilities of various cyber attacks and hence the need and importance of Cyber security has also grown rapidly .Cyber security is important at all the levels, whether it is for individual, organization or government, they all carry huge amount of confidential data, which if get leaked or stolen, will result into a massacre.
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