Every enterprise has its own set of information that must stay confidential at all costs. Unauthorised access can potentially lead to theft and loss of data, which consequently threatens the overall operations of the company. Considering this, it’s important for all businesses to regularly sustain cybersecurity.
What is Cybersecurity?
Cybersecurity is the use of technologies, processes, and controls that protect networks, programs, devices, and systems from cyber threats. It aims to reduce the risks of having cyber attacks and shields data against unauthorised exploitation.
Kaspersky, a multinational cybersecurity and anti-virus provider, adds that cybersecurity is a practice of providing defence for computers, data, electronic systems, mobile devices, networks, and servers from malicious attacks. Other terms used to pertain to cybersecurity are electronic information security and information technology security.
Nowadays, cyber threats are increasing in scale, number, and level of impact, thus making cybersecurity an indispensable and critical issue. Protecting digital information assets is essential for the security of companies and organisations. It’s vital to prevent unauthorised access to computer systems and their components, such as software, hardware, and data.
Kaspersky enumerated several common categories of cybersecurity: network security, application security, information security, operational security, disaster recovery and business continuity, and end-user education. Each one addresses a specific field and focuses on the causes of cyber threats distinct to their central area or scope.
Cyber Threats
Statistics show that the American government alone allocates about a $19 billion budget annually on cybersecurity. For fighting the proliferation of unknown codes and detecting the onset of cyber threats, the National Institute of Standards and Technology suggests for the implementation of projects that enable real-time monitoring of all devices.
There are three main classifications of threats: cybercrime, cyber attacks, and cyber terror. Cybercrime aims for the disruption of organisational operations, usually for monetary gain. Cyber attacks focus primarily on data theft and can be motivated by political espionage. Cyber terror is an act intended to cause panic by infiltrating sensitive electronic systems.
The discussed threats affect all enterprises and organisation, regardless of popularity, size, and net worth. Government offices, hospitals and pharmaceutical companies, finance firms and agencies, and manufacturing corporations are among the industries that receive the largest numbers of cyber attacks.
Security Assessment Methods
There are various ways to evaluate the level of security of company systems. For instance, two kinds of tests can be conducted in Australia — penetration testing and vulnerability assessment.
A penetration test is more commonly known as a pen test. It’s an authorised simulated attack on electronic systems to analyse the efficiency of their security. The test allows organisations to identify their weaknesses and determine some potential unauthorised parties that are likely to gain access to data assets. It’s more tedious and involves a full risk assessment to measure the possibility of successful malicious activities. On the other hand, as the term implies, a vulnerability assessment only focuses on identifying vulnerabilities.
Information technology security must be considered by all organisations as a priority. To ensure that your defence systems are effective against cyber threats, it’s best that you hire penetration testers or have IT personnel that make use of complex pen testing tools at least once a year.
