According to Jon Purizhansky from Buffalo, NY, one hears a lot about cyber security these days. So, what exactly is cybersecurity? Cybersecurity is the practice of protecting systems, networks, and programs from digital attacks. These digital attacks, also known as the cyberattacks, target governments, corporations, non-governmental institutions and private individuals and are aimed at accessing, changing, or destroying sensitive information; extorting money; or interrupting business or government processes.
Implementing effective cybersecurity measures is becoming more difficult, because there are more devices than people, and attackers are becoming more innovative. Cyber attackers can be governments, companies, criminal organizations, terrorists and individuals.
Jon Purizhansky from Buffalo, NY mentions that multiple layers of protection must be implemented to create successful cybersecurity approach. In an organization, the human factor, processes, and technology must all complement one another to create an effective defense from cyber attacks. Human factor is important, because people must choose strong passwords, be thoughtful when opening email attachments and remember to back up data. Processes are important, because organizations have to have protocols for dealing with both attempted and successful cyber attacks. It’s important that both, members of organizations and private individuals are able to identify attacks, protect systems, detect and respond to threats, and recover from successful attacks and this ability comes with following protocols.
Lastly, technology is important because it provides organizations and individuals with computer security tools needed to protect themselves from cyber attacks. Three main entities must be protected: endpoint devices like computers, smart devices, and routers; networks; and the cloud. Common technology used to protect these entities include next-generation firewalls, DNS filtering, malware protection, antivirus software, and email security solutions.
Cybersecurity attacks can have truly devastating effects in today’s world. Everyone relies on critical infrastructure like power plants, hospitals, defense infrastructure and financial service companies. Securing these and other organizations is essential to keeping our society functioning. There are four classical types of cyber-attacks. They are:
1) Ransomware, which is a type of malicious software designed to extort money by blocking access to files or the computer system until the ransom is paid. This attack is typically perpetuated by criminals and criminal organizations.
2) Malware is a type of software designed to gain unauthorized access or to cause damage to a computer.
3) Social engineering is used to trick you into revealing sensitive information. They can solicit a monetary payment or gain access to your confidential data. Social engineering can be combined with any of the threats listed above to make you more likely to click on links, download malware, or trust a malicious source.
4) Phishing is the practice of sending fraudulent emails that resemble emails from reputable sources. Once you click on a link or open an attachment , the attackers become able to steal sensitive data like credit card numbers and login information. It’s the most common type of cyber attack.
Jon Purizhansky mentions that cyberwarfare is also becoming part of warfare employed by nation states. North Korea and China are good examples , although with time we will probably see every military in the world establish branches that engage in cyber warfare both offensively and defensively.