Feel Safe With Cybersecurity

Are you safe?

Can you remember all the times you have opened up your emails in the morning only to see a strange subject line or email address appear in your unread mailbox? Think about the amount of spam emails you receive on a weekly basis. These can be harmless, but more often than not they pose a threat to your online security by placing your device or personal information at risk.

Many of us have experienced a breach of our personal and business information, or at least know of someone who has experienced a password attack, malware attack, social engineering attack and other types of security breaches when using various Apps such as email, banking, e-commerce and others. In recent months, these have become ever more prevalent, enhancing the need to safe guard the valuable and sensitive information about ourselves and our businesses.

Feel secure with cybersecurity

What is cybersecurity and why is necessary to everyone currently? In simple terms, it is the process of protecting sensitive information from digital attacks. In addition, cybersecurity is also designed to combat threats against network systems, hardware, software and data. It can be used by individuals and enterprises alike, in order to protect their data and other sensitive information from unauthorized access. Robust cybersecurity can protect a network from dangerous threats that aim to access, destroy and alter sensitive data, and prevent attacks that threaten to disrupt a system’s operation.

With the ongoing progress in technology the necessity of cybersecurity systems is more than obvious. The more advanced our devices get the more innovative cyber-attacks occur. Cybercriminals target customers’ personally identifiable information (PII) (names, addresses, national identification numbers, passwords and credit card information), then sell these records in underground digital marketplaces through channels such as the dark web.

Not only are individuals faced with cyber threats, entire countries have experienced a sensitive data. During the third quarter of 2022, Europe experienced a turning point in cyber-attacks related to the conflict in Ukraine, that one could term a cyber-war of high intensity between Russia and Ukraine and spanned across Europe targeting the Baltic and Nordic countries that targeted critical national infrastructure including aviation, banking, energy and health care sectors. Russian hacktivists make use of DDoS attacks to disrupt servers. Understanding the scale of the potential repercussions of cyberattacks raises the question of what cybersecurity programs do individuals and organisations need to invest in? and how extensive should they be. To answer these questions, it is important to first gain an understanding of cybersecurity breaches and consider the benefits that this sophisticated technology provides. Some of the benefits in maintaining and investing in cybersecurity are protection from cyber-attacks and data breaches, protection against unauthorized access, business continuity and improved recovery time after a breach.

Types of cybersecurity

There are many different types of cybersecurity and anyone can choose the right one according to their needs and the variety that are currently available. Let’s take a look at those most commonly used:

• Network security/Firewall– It protects devices from network intruders, including wireless and wired connections.
• Cloud security– It protects and encrypts data and information that are stored in the cloud, while they are in storage, during processing and/or in motion within the cloud.
• App security– It helps applications protect the data and their operation system itself. This type of cybersecurity is built during the design stages of the application, keeping in mind how data should be handled, user authentication, the overall layout and all the security measures that should be taken prior to the launch.
• Mobile security– It helps users protect their mobile devices and sensitive information, with the help of security apps.
• Backup storage security– It creates encrypted data copies that remain in the same pool so the user can easily restore them in case of a breach, thus minimizing the impact of the attack.
• Email security– This form of security prevents the common threats, that is data breaching through phishing. Applying this type of security measure protects email accounts and devices from any unauthorised access, compromise or depletion.
• Anti-virus/ anti malware security– These programs scan malware, monitor files, detect abnormalities and fix or remove them. They are probably the most common and widespread form of cybersecurity.

Look out! Threat detected!

Cyber criminals’ main goal is to sell-off their targets’ valuable data assets, including their credit card information, login credentials of financial accounts, subscription credentials, social security numbers, usernames and passwords. While cyber threats become more and more adaptable and innovative, cybersecurity should be up to date, because almost everything is online now and even entire countries’ data are often at risk. Therefore, we urgently need international interventions and protocols that are enforced, as well as, a more expansive approach that fosters cyber resilience.