Last updated on September 7th, 2023 at 11:53 am
In an era where we depend on computers and other cyber technologies for almost anything, cybersecurity is of paramount importance. We have seen an exponential rise in the number of cyber security scares globally in recent years. The 2022 Thales Data Threat report states that there have been more than a thousand cases of data breaches globally in the past 6 years.
From the Equifax breach of American citizens' private information in 2017, Russian cyber interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, to frequent breaches in Facebook servers, we have seen data of millions getting leaked.
We are living in an era in which data is deemed to be the most expensive commodity of our time. Yet, there is a lack of consciousness and security when it comes to protecting our private information and data. Imarticus Learning has come up with a 6-month extensive cybersecurity course that will train young professionals about ethical hacking and penetration testing. This article will give you a cursory understanding of why every computer science degree requires cyber security training.
What is cybersecurity?
The practice of safeguarding sensitive information and critical systems from digital viruses and attacks is known as cybersecurity. It is the application of controls, processes, and technologies to protect data, devices, networks, programs, and systems from online hacking and other viruses.
Also known as information technology (IT) security, it strives to diminish the threat of cyberattacks and defend against the unauthorized exploitation of networks, systems, and technologies. Cybersecurity measures are protectionary measures designed to combat threats, both from the inside and outside of any organization, against networked systems and applications.
Domains of cybersecurity
A proper cybersecurity strategy will address the innumerable domains present in the cyberworld vulnerable to cyberattacks. It will have layers of protection to defend against all types of cybercrime, not limited to attempted hacking to access, change, or destroy sensitive data and information, cyberattacks that aim to disrupt business operations, or extort money through fraudulent measures.
- Critical infrastructure security: This is the practice of protecting computer networks, systems, and other assets on which economic health, national security, and public safety rely. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has collaborated with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to create a cybersecurity framework that helps business organizations in this issue.
- Network security: These are security measures designed to safeguard any computer network from malware, including wired and wireless (Wi-Fi) connections.
- Application security: This security measure is in-built into applications at the designing stage while considering user authentication, data handling, etc. It helps to protect cyber applications operating in the cloud or on-premises.
- End-user education: This practice aims to create security awareness to amplify endpoint security across the organization. For example, you can train users to evade using unknown USB devices, ignore and delete suspicious email attachments, etc.
- Disaster recovery/business continuity planning: This security measure came in quite handy during the global pandemic. It comprises procedures and tools to respond to unexpected events, such as cybersecurity incidents, power outages, and natural disasters, with minimal disturbance to primary business operations.
Primary cybersecurity practices
Some of the best cybersecurity practices you can implement in your network to enjoy strong cybersecurity and minimize the risk of facing vulnerable cyberattacks are:
- Identity and access management (IAM) depicts the access privileges and roles of each user. It also defines the circumstances under which they will be granted or denied their privileges.
- A complete data security platform safeguards sensitive data across multiple environments, including hybrid multi-cloud environments.
- Security information and event management (SIEM) analyze and aggregates information from security events to automatically catch suspicious user activity. It will then trigger a remedial or preventative response.
Conclusion
In this age of information, every company requires a cybersecurity analyst who not only knows the technical know-how but also understands the importance of cybersecurity. There is a huge demand for such cybersecurity analysts and Imarticus Learning has introduced cybersecurity courses online to help young professionals enter this prospective field.
