Post the pandemic, the entire world had to shift more and more into virtual space. And well, it brought along its sets of boons and banes. One of the issues of concern of shifting to the online space is the threat to security. How often do we come across news of data leaks from reputed companies? It is quite frequent these days! In this article, let’s dig a little deeper into how important cyber security is. Also, if you find this submission intriguing, Simplilearn can help you gain a Master’s in Cyber Security.

Let’s get some basics clear in the first place-

What is Cyber Security?

Cyber Security is a method or rather a practice of protecting networks that are connected to the internet. Through this, you can protect your systems, networks, and programs from digital attacks. Cyber attacks are mostly aimed at financial gain or getting access to intimate data of any company or sometimes to could be done just to interrupt the efficient working of the company. The main objective of Cyber security is to eliminate these kinds of digital attacks on the personal and private data of any individual or company.

Parts of Cyber Security:

To accomplish the task of protecting you from cyber threats, the best cyber security program will offer help in all these domains-

• Application Security
• Endpoint security
• Cloud Security
• Data Security
• Database security
• Infrastructure Security
• Network security
• Operational security
• Identity Management
• Mobile security

The program must also include recovery in case of loss and further, business continuity planning. This should include all the recovery plans that are needed to be followed after such an attack. Also, there must be a preventive manual for employees too.

Now, that we are through with the basics let’s see why cyber security is essential in this virtually driven world-

Why is Cyber Security Essential?

Cyber security is important because it encompasses all the things that are related to protecting our data from digital attackers. In the absence of this, our data might fall into the wrong hands and cause great damage to the company or the individual.           This data can be personally identifiable information, or passwords, or Intellectual property, or any data that is important for you.

God forbid, if any of this private information gets into the hands of a cybercriminal, he could use it to his absolute advantage. He can make your sensitive and private information public, or use passwords to transfer financial funds, or alter your information and make things difficult for the company.

Companies need cyber security to protect their financial data, intellectual property, and the backend data of the offices. Whereas, in the case of Individuals, the threat is more of Identity theft and money transfer. Organizations like the government, military, and other socially critical organizations store a huge amount of sensitive data in data warehouses. A discrepancy in these can lead to the loss of trust between these organizations and the public.

Types of cyber threats that any business or an Individual must be aware from:

1. Phishing: The most popular one in the mainstream, Phishing basically refers to cyber threats that are generated either through fraudulent emails, messages, or calls from seemingly legitimate sources that ask you for your credit card and other important credentials. Do not provide any sort of information to them.
2. Man–in–the–Middle Attack: In this kind of attack, the cybercriminal basically hacks the conversation or data transmission between two networks. This could be done when the users are using unsecured Wi-Fi networks and more.
3. DDoS Attack: DDoS stands for Distributed denial of service attack. In this kind of attack, the cybercriminal sends a huge amount of traffic to the business’s network. So much so that it cannot use genuine requests and eventually fall into the category of the unusable site.
4. Social Engineering: This type of attack usually requires users to break security procedures. This could be either by clicking any link or by downloading a file. This is mostly done, combined with phishing, so that the user is convinced to do the task.
5. SQL Injection: SQL is the abbreviation of Structured Query Language. This kind of attack is mostly carried out for stealing the data of businesses or companies. It is done by altering the SQL database program code for the company. This way malicious code is injected through SQL code and used to the advantage of the cyber-criminal.
6. Malware: This software can include different types of self-replicating viruses, botnets, Trojans horses, Adware, worms, and any other program file that can harm your computer. This can enter into the system, through illegitimate sites, or even pen drives and CDs.

These are some of the threats that cyber security protects businesses or Individuals from. These can cause immense trouble in the working of the company or the individual.

Businesses and organizations are now taking more care in the area of cyber security. They are protecting their databases and systems from potential attackers. Thus, Cyber security is getting more at the forefront than ever before. So, if you are keen on expanding your knowledge about Cyber Security, its main parts, and also its implementations, well then you are at the right place. Simplilearn has brought to you its Master’s in Cyber Security. Wherein they will take you in great detail in the subject matter of cyber security. This course is brought to you in association with one of the top universities of the west. So, what are you waiting for? A new career and a great promotion along with a fine CTC are awaiting you on the other side of enrollment. Not to forget that this is a cyber security certification course, so you will receive a certificate of completion from simplilearn attested by the university. Take the next big step in your career with the Master’s in Cyber Security today! Let’s get protecting!