In today’s world, it’s important to understand what cybersecurity is to protect sensitive information and to ensure confidentiality at an organization that stores information in the cloud. Cybersecurity has received a great deal of attention in recent years with the increasing importance of the Internet and highly publicized cybersecurity attacks and threats. The term cybersecurity is for the most part interchangeable with the terms computer security, IT security, and information security, according to Tech Target. Cybersecurity relates to all of the processes and ways that access to computer and computer-based equipment is restricted to only authorized users. However, network access by unauthorized users is not the only cybersecurity threat. Threats caused to cybersecurity by natural disasters and other unexpected events also fall under the realm of cybersecurity issues.
Cybersecurity Threats
Those who wish to protect computer networks from potential attacks need to understand what practices an external party might use to break into a targeted computer network. Unfortunately, computing tends to come with certain vulnerabilities that make attack possible. The following are some of the major vulnerabilities of computer networks that cybersecurity efforts attempt to prevent:
- Backdoors – Computer systems, algorithms, or cryptosystems sometimes have backdoors, which are ways of accessing a system without having to go through the authentication procedure. Backdoors may be present as either separate programs that must be installed or modifications to previously existing programs.
- Denial-of-Service Attack – These attacks do not grant an unauthorized party access to a system, but they work to prevent authorized users from accessing the system.
- Eavesdropping – Eavesdropping is possible in computer networks through monitoring electro-magnetic transmissions through some type of hardware.
- Direct Access Attacks – Once an unauthorized party has gained access to a system, it is possible for the unauthorized user to change the operating system, put software worms into a system, putting installations into a system that allow them to eavesdrop, and more.
Jobs in Cybersecurity
Many professional positions have been developed and created in recent years to handle cybersecurity needs both in private companies and in government entities. Different job titles of professionals working in cybersecurity include security engineer, security administrator, security architect, and security specialist. Those who work in cybersecurity work to reduce an organization’s risk of data breaches. While cybersecurity professionals work both for the government and in the private sector, the term cybersecurity has become more commonly seen in descriptions of government jobs. This is in large part because of cybersecurity initiatives that the government has created to raise awareness of cybersecurity threats.
Related Resource: Network Administrator
The Importance of Cybersecurity
Both companies and individuals have sensitive information that they need to protect. In particular, government, military, healthcare, and financial institutions must work with a large amount of private and sensitive data. A Senate hearing that took place in March of 2013 brought special attention to the issue of cybersecurity by naming cyber attack and digital spying as the major threats to domestic security. In understanding what cybersecurity is, it’s important to be aware of the dangers of neglecting this important security issue.
