TYPES OF CYBER SECURITY
Cybersecurity refers to the protection of devices, processes, infrastructure and assets of the organization from cyber-attacks, data theft, breaches, unauthorized access, etc. With the advent of technology and the increasing interconnectedness of organizational systems and networks, effective cybersecurity management and strategy are a necessity for organizations of all sizes and types. Accordingly, investments are flowing into this field and the market is predicted to grow to a 170-billion dollar one by 2020. This, in turn, has led to a spurt in demand for experts in the field and accordingly, there has been a soar in demand for cybersecurity courses and programs.
Cybersecurity is an umbrella term which encompasses different types of security.
Application security: This constitutes the measures and countermeasures meant to tackle threats and vulnerabilities that arise in the development stage of an application such as design application, development, deployment, maintenance, upgrade, etc. Some of the techniques used include input parameter validation, session management, user authentication and authorization, etc.
Information security: This refers to the protection of information and data from theft, unauthorized access, breaches, etc. in order to uphold user privacy and prevent identity theft.
Disaster recovery: This involves planning and strategizing to enable organizations to recover from cybersecurity/ IT disasters. This includes risk assessment, analysis, prioritizing and establish disaster response and recovery mechanisms in place. This enables organizations to recover faster from disasters and minimize losses.
Network security: This constitutes monitoring and preventing authorized access and exploitation of internal networks of an organization. By leveraging both hardware and software technologies, network security ensures that internal networks are safe, reliable and usable. Antivirus and anti-spyware software, VPN, IPS, Firewall, etc. are used to prevent cyber-threats facing the organization.
Website security: This is used to prevent and protect websites from cybersecurity risks on the internet. Holistic website security programs will cover the website’s database, applications, source codes and files. There has a steady rise in the number of data breaches on websites in the past few years resulting in identity thefts, downtime, financial losses, loss of reputation and brand image, etc. The main reason for this has been the misconception among website owners that their website is protected by website hosting provider. Thus, leaving them vulnerable to cyber-attacks. Some of the important techniques and tools used for website security are website scanning and malware removal, website application firewall, application security testing, etc.
Endpoint security: This enables organizations to protect their servers, workstations and mobile devices from remote and local cyber-attacks. Since devices on a network are interconnected, it creates entry points for threats and vulnerabilities. Endpoint security effectively secures the network by blocking attempts made to access these entry points. File integrity monitoring, antivirus and anti-malware software, etc. are major techniques used.
To gain a deeper understanding of cybersecurity and its various types, enrol yourself in a cybersecurity program or course.