With all of my recent posts on different types of cybersecurity attacks, and how important it is in society today, I think it is time to give a better understanding of “What is cyber security?”. Cybersecurity is the idea of technologies, processes, networks and practices designed to protect networks, computers, programs and data from attack, damage or unauthorized access. In computer context, security includes both cybersecurity and physical security.

Many people ask why is cyber security so important? Year after year, the world spends billions of dollars for for cyber security continues to grow. Organizations are starting to understand that malware is a publicly available commodity that makes it easy for anyone to become a cyber attacker, and even more companies offer security solutions that do little to defend against attacks. Cyber security protects the data and integrity of computing assets belonging to or connecting to an organization’s network. Its purpose is to defend those assets against all threat actors throughout the entire lifecycle of a cyber attack.

To ensure cybersecurity it requires coordinated efforts throughout an information system. Elements of cybersecurity include:

Application security
Information security
Network security
Disaster recovery / business continuity planning
Operational security
End-user education

The most difficult challenge in cyber security is the ever-evolving nature of security risks themselves. Traditionally, organizations and the government have focused most of their cyber security resources on perimeter security to protect only their most crucial system components and defend against known treats. Today, this approach is insufficient, as the threats advance and change more quickly than organizations can keep up with. As a result, advisory organizations promote more proactive and adaptive approaches to cyber security.

An ever-evolving field, cyber security best practices must evolve to accommodate the increasingly sophisticated attacks carried out by attackers. Combining sound cyber security measures with an educated and security-minded employee base provides the best defense against cyber criminals attempting to gain access to your company’s sensitive data. While it may seem like a daunting task, start small and focus on your most sensitive data, scaling your efforts as your cyber program matures.