CYBERSECURITY; ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW
What is cybersecurity?
Cybersecurity is the practice and techniques of protecting systems, programs and networks from
a wide array of digital attacks. These attacks are usually orchestrated by hackers and other online
criminals. Cyber risks are currently a major challenge affecting not only organizations but also
individuals. A cyber-attack usually results in a financial or data loss for the victim. These attacks
are specifically designed to destroy or delete sensitive data, prevent access to a website or even
extort money. The attackers prey on unaware victims especially the small business enterprises
and startups. The small enterprises consider themselves invalid to cyberattacks and invest little or
none in protecting themselves against these attacks. This makes them even more vulnerable to
cyber-attacks.
Common types of cybersecurity

Application security- focuses on the development stage of applications and software to
make them more secure. by finding vulnerabilities in application code and fixing them
application are made safer and secure right from the stage of coding.

Information/data security- upholds the privacy and integrity of data in transit or storage
by restricting unauthorized alterations and access to the data.

Networks security- protection of computer networks from intruders or opportunistic
malware.

End user awareness- people are the most unpredictable cybersecurity factor. Educating
and making people aware of the risk and effects of cyber risk is easily the best measure to
eradicate cyber-attacks. virus intrusion is quickly enabled by an employee who carelessly
clicks on an unknown ad or opens an anonymous email attachment.

Operational security- this involves the decisions and processes of data assets handling.
It includes the permission and instructions of accessing and maneuvering a data storage
site.

Disaster management and business continuity- these are frameworks that are put in
place to dictate the measures an entity would take in the event of a disaster or attack
taking place. It involves inhouse analysis of all the possible vulnerability points and all
measures to put the business back to its feet after occurrence of a catastrophe.
Scale of cyberthreats
As the world shrinks into a global village in this era of computer connectivity, cyber attacks
continue to become more sophisticated day by day. Cyber threats are currently a threat to
almost everyone. The rate at which the attacks are being executed is alarming. In the fisrt
nine months of 2019 alone, records indicate that a staggering 7.9 billion records were
exposed in data breaches. This is double the number of records exposed in the same period in
the year before. The trend clearly indicates the rate at which cyber threats are thriving.
Modern Types of cyber threats

Malware
The term refers to malicious software. Malware, is one of the most common ways
hackers gain access to systems. These malicious software and programs are created by
cybercriminals to access and damage a computer system. The programs are easily passed
off as legitimate software downloads or email attachments. The programs are deployed
by hackers to make money or for organized political gains. Common types of malware
used are viruses, spyware, trojans, adware, ransomware and botnets.

Phishing
This is whereby criminals lure unsuspecting victims into giving sensitive information
through legitimate looking emails from actual companies. These attacks are
commonly deployed to dupe the victims into giving out credit card information and
bank details.

Denial-of-service attacks (DOS)
These are attacks to computer systems to render them unusable. By overwhelming a
computer servers and network with traffic, the hackers ensure that the system are
slow or inaccessible therefore barring people from getting services or the organization
from performing vital digital functions.
Cybersecurity framework
To better protect their digital assets and prevent loses arising from cyber risks, organization find
it very reasonable to adopt a cybersecurity framework. Rather than a piece of software promising
to completely protect against attacks, cybersecurity is a set of procedures and policies that are put
forward to better protect an organization from falling prey to cyberattacks. Although they vary
from company to company, the frameworks generally follow this format;

Identifying valuables in the organization.

Detecting violations.

Counter such violations.

Improvement from any damages to systems and data.
Cybersecurity, which is a concern to even government agents should be treated with the weight it
deserves. By adopting and following strict policies and frameworks, organizations are able to
better protect themselves.