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Cybersecurity Definitions

Learn the different cybersecurity terms.
In the cybersecurity industry, it is important to know and understand the vast amount of cyber security definitions.

When a company is hit by malware, data breaches, a targeted attack, or other kinds of cybersecurity threats, there need to be cybersecurity measures put in place. Otherwise, the company or organization can be adversely affected by the malicious attacks, leading to significant losses.

Because of how interconnected everything is due to the Internet and how much data is collected and stored, a threat that succeeds in breaching your cyber defenses can do unprecedented damage to your company.

Cybersecurity, also called computer security or information technology security, serves to protect organizations from malicious cyber attacks. These attacks can be successful or attempted criminal or unauthorized use of data.

In the cybersecurity industry, it is important to know and understand the vast amount of cyber security definitions. Since the cybersecurity landscape is constantly evolving, the cyber terms used and included in your cybersecurity glossary also need to be continuously updated.

While cybersecurity is often used synonymously with IT security and info security, there are certain nuances that should not be overlooked.

There are so many different categories of cybersecurity that are included in a cybersecurity introduction course. The common categories include computer viruses, denial of service attacks (DoS), injection attacks, and social engineering. A cybersecurity PPT will touch on many of the common cybersecurity reactions to such threats.

There are many advantages of cybersecurity. With good cybersecurity, the human factor that contributes to cybersecurity risks may be more effectively countered.

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What Is Cybersecurity

When asking the question of what is cyber security, you might also want to learn about the history of cybersecurity and see a selection of cybersecurity examples. The supplemental information may be able to help you better understand the cyber security definition.

An example of cybersecurity threats is the threat of malware. Malware can be insidious if it passes through your cybersecurity defenses. In this day and age where malware risks and hacking efforts are continuously advancing, sometimes the path of cyber security is less about threat prevention and more about managing threats and problems that are already there.

There are many sources of cyber threats. A threat actor is a source of cyber threats that exist in the world today.

Hostile nation-states, you may be surprised to learn, are national cyber warfare programs that create cyber threats. This can include propaganda, espionage, data theft, and other types of dangers.

Terrorist groups are another threat to cybersecurity. These threats are generally expected to grow as terrorist groups recruit or hire more people with expertise in tech and hacking.

Of course, there are then the infamous corporate espionage cases. If you have trade secrets, for example, corporate spies may go after them in order to sell or use your trade secrets to gain profits or a competitive advantage.

Hacktivists, also known as hacker-activists, aren’t isolated to one kind of political idea or activism issue. Hacktivists exist all across the sociopolitical spectrum, and while these hacktivist groups do not necessarily seek to cause the most severe damage to organizations, they often do hurt groups’ images and reputations.

Another group of threats is disgruntled insiders. They might not need much expertise in technological fields because they already know or have access to sensitive information. Insiders, whether accidentally through poor configuration and mistakes or on purpose, maybe human threats due to their ease of introducing malware or leaking sensitive data.

Interestingly, natural disasters or other physical attacks and accidents can cause disruptions to your key digital infrastructure as well.

There are many specific ways through which a cyber attack can occur. Viruses, for example, can quickly spread through your system and deliver whatever payload the threat actor wants to deliver. For example, a virus might delete massive amounts of files or modify and corrupt them to serve its nefarious purposes.

Denial of service attacks (DoS) can be very problematic because the perpetrators seek to disrupt your network, temporarily or even indefinitely. While many large organizations may not disclose how often these happen or if there are successful DDoS attempts, denial of service attacks are very common and threatening.

From banks to social media websites to online businesses, DDoS attacks are far too common. The average attack has a duration of under four hours. There are ways to counteract DDoS attacks, such as using VPNs and other more complex security measures.

Phishing attacks are incredibly commonplace and take advantage of the human factor in security risks. Meanwhile, password attacks can be dangerous too as they can create a lack of trust in the organization’s systems. Although hacking in real life is significantly different from how it is portrayed in media, it definitely does enable hackers to gain access to confidential information. For example, hackers might crack account credentials and leak sensitive information, such as usernames and passwords to the public.

Types Of Cybersecurity

From businesses to users to even national security, cyber threats can affect anyone and everyone due to their potentially widespread and devastating nature. That is why cyber security is so critical to not just a company’s success and interests, but also the safety of its employees, clients, and everyone involved.

There are many types of cybersecurity. Depending on the kind of attack, a different kind of cyber security measure might be the most optimal and effective counter.

If you are searching up how many types of cybersecurity exist, there are the main 5 types of cyber security that you might want to research. These five types of cybersecurity are:

  • Critical infrastructure security
  • Application security
  • Network security
  • Cloud security
  • Internet of Things security (IoT)

Since there are so many different types, it is often recommended that an organization employs numerous security measures and plans in order to cover its bases.

There are various types of cybersecurity careers that specialize in different kinds of security methods and vectors.

Common jobs in the cybersecurity market include cybersecurity analysts, network architects, consultants for cybersecurity, systems analysts and engineers, cybersecurity administrators, software developers, vulnerability analysts, penetration testers, as well as security specialists. Usually, IT professionals will have a degree in a related field and have completed certifications in cybersecurity.

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Cybersecurity Terminology

If you search for cyber attack today on any search engine, you will find many examples of cyberattack or cyber attack cases in the news. There are also countless other cyber attacks that either go unnoticed or unreported for whatever reason.

By understanding the common cyber security terminology and what the NIST risk management framework are, you can more easily find the kind of cyber security frameworks and solutions to help provide your organization with adequate cyber security coverage.

The NIST framework formally called the NIST Cybersecurity Framework, is a set of guidelines meant to mitigate organizational cybersecurity risks. It is a framework that is published and updated by the US National Institute of Standards and Technology. It is based on the many guidelines and best practices that have been used in the cyber security industry since its inception.

The NIST framework can help companies and businesses of all sizes and markets protect their sensitive data better. It includes five functions, or five main principles: identify, protect, detect, respond, and recover. By following these five main principles and diving into them in-depth, companies can implement them into their cyber security plans and strategies.

Types Of Cybersecurity Services

There are many types of cybersecurity tools and types of cybersecurity services that aim to protect organizations from cyber attacks and data breaches. These services may also work towards risk management and strategies on what to do when there are cyber attacks that have been successfully implemented against you.

Some services, for example, are specifically developed in order to protect you from bot attacks. Others are anti-malware and meant to prevent or reduce the threats of viruses that want to penetrate your computer systems.

Services and solutions include firewalls, antivirus, antispyware programs, VPNs, and more. User authentication and cryptography are also ways to help provide security to your users and your company’s important, sensitive data.

Computer malware come in many different types and appearances and is constantly evolving. From Trojan malware to ransomware, anti-malware programs and services need to be able to deal with many kinds of risks and threats that your organization may become exposed to. As virtual currencies enable ransom demanders to ask for more anonymous and secure payment methods (such as through Bitcoins), ransomware attempts may be more common than ever.

Antispyware is often important because of the threat of corporate espionage and data theft. Keylogging and spyware programs that enter a computer system can steal a lot of sensitive information, such as passwords, credit card numbers, personal information, browsing history, internet activity, and much more. As one can imagine, there are many ways this stolen information can be used and distributed. Money may even be directly stolen via cyber crimes.

Network security is a part of cybersecurity that ensures potential security threats are actively managed and blocked.