Hello readers! In today’s world, where everything more connected than ever, cybersecurity is crucial for everyone and every organization. With all the digital technologies being used these days, it is essential to learn at least the basic concepts of cybersecurity in order to protect personal information and keep privacy in order. Thus, here is a simple guide to get you started!
What is Cybersecurity?
Cybersecurity is the process of safeguarding computer systems, networks, and data files from unauthorized access or digital damages and thefts. This involves various practices, technologies, and processes to secure information from unauthorized access, according to integrity, confidentiality, and availability.
Main Ideas in Cybersecurity
- Confidentiality: This ensures that only the intended persons can access and view the information; methods such as encryption are implemented for confidentiality by scrambling data so that only the proper individuals could actually read it.
- Integrity: The data is ensured to be unmodified and valid while in transmission or storage. Hashing and digital signatures are some of the measures taken for ensuring data integrity.
- Availability: Ensures that information and related resources are accessible to authorized users when required. This would involve the protection of systems from attacking techniques, such as Denial of Service, that could bring down the system or render information unavailable.
Common Cyber Threats
Phishing: This is where hackers impersonate a person you would normally trust in order to deceive you into giving them your private information, such as passwords or credit card numbers. Most of the time, they use emails or fake websites.
Malware: Malicious software that is intended to harm or exploit devices. Common forms include viruses, worms, trojans, and ransomware. Malware can steal data, damage files, or lock users out of their systems.
Ransomware: a type of malware that locks the data of a user and then requires a ransom to provide access. This results in huge disruptions and financial losses.
- Man-in-the-Middle Attack: When an intruder is able to intercept the communication between two parties that are secretly interacting with each other, the intrusion could be used to steal data or for data manipulation.
Basic Cybersecurity Practices
- Use Strong Passwords: Create strong passwords that combine letters, numbers, and special characters. Do not use any information like birthdays or common words that are easily guessed. Consider making use of a password manager to securely track your passwords.
Two-Factor Authentication: In addition to your password, requiring that another form of verification be completed to access your account, such as a code being sent to a phone or via an authentication application.
- Keep Software Up-to-Date: Let automatic updating of your OS, applications, and virus protection defend against known vulnerabilities and security threats.
Watch out for emails and links: Refrain from clicking on suspicious links or downloading attachments by individuals you may not know. Assure that the sender is valid and be very wary of unsolicited requests for personal information.
- Back Up Your Data: Use periodic backup of your data into an external drive or into the cloud service. This way, in case of ransomware strikes or hardware failure, the data is recoverable.
Works Cited
- “Cybersecurity for Beginners: What is Cybersecurity?” – Kaspersky, https://www.kaspersky.com/resource-center/definitions/what-is-cybersecurity.
- “What is Cybersecurity?” – TechTarget, https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/definition/cybersecurity.