The cost of cyberattacks on a global scale is predicted to increase by 15% per year and surpass $10 trillion. Attacks by ransomware, which currently cost US firms $20 billion annually, are a significant component of this cost. In the US, a data breach typically costs $3.8 million. Public companies lose, on average, 8% of their stock value following a successful breach, which is another worrying fact. We’ll discuss what a cyber security threat is, why it’s important in engineering, and some examples in this post.
What is Cyber Security?
The term “cyber security” covers all facets of safeguarding a company’s assets, personnel, and operations from online dangers. A variety of cyber security solutions are needed to reduce business cyber risk as cyberattacks become more frequent and sophisticated and corporate networks become more complicated.
The Different Types of CyberSecurity
The field of cyber security is broad and includes several academic fields. Its seven main pillars are as follows:
#1. Network Security
The majority of attacks take place across networks, and network security solutions are made to spot and stop these attacks. These solutions incorporate data and access controls, including Next-Generation Firewall (NGFW) application restrictions, Network Access Control (NAC), Data Loss Prevention (DLP), Identity Access Management (IAM), and NAC (Identity Access Management), to enact safe online use regulations.
#2. Cloud Security
Securing the cloud becomes a top priority as businesses utilize cloud computing more and more. An organization’s whole cloud deployment (applications, data, infrastructure, etc.) can be protected from attack with the help of cyber security solutions, controls, policies, and services.
#3. Endpoint Security
The zero-trust security concept advises enclosing data wherever it may be in micro-segments. Using endpoint security with a mobile workforce is one method to achieve that. Employing advanced threat prevention techniques like anti-phishing and anti-ransomware, as well as technologies that offer forensics like endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions, businesses may secure end-user devices like desktops and laptops.
#4. Mobile Security
Mobile devices, such as tablets and smartphones, are frequently disregarded but have access to corporate data, putting firms at risk from phishing, malicious software, zero-day vulnerabilities, and IM (Instant Messaging) assaults. These attacks are stopped by mobile security, which also protects operating systems and devices from rooting and jailbreaking.
#5. IoT Security
Although deploying Internet of Things (IoT) devices undoubtedly increases productivity, it also exposes businesses to new online threats. Threat actors look for weak devices that are unintentionally connected to the Internet in order to utilize them for illicit purposes like gaining access to corporate networks or joining another bot in a large bot network.
#6. Application Security
Like anything else that is directly connected to the Internet, web apps are a target for threat actors. Since 2007, OWASP has kept track of the top 10 risks to serious online application security issues such as cross-site scripting, injection, and weak authentication, to mention a few.
#7. Zero Trust
The traditional security paradigm focuses on the perimeter, creating fortified walls around a company’s most important assets. This strategy has a number of drawbacks, including the possibility of insider threats and the quick demise of the network perimeter.
Cyber Security Examples
Here are a few current examples of cyber security that affected the entire world.
#1. Kaseya Ransomware Attack
A supply chain attack against the US-based remote management software vendor Kaseya was made public on July 2, 2021. The business disclosed that ransomware could be installed on consumer computers by attackers using its VSA solution.
#2. SolarWinds Supply Chain Attack
This enormous, extremely creative supply chain attack was discovered in December 2020 and was given the name SolarWinds in honor of its Austin-based victim, an IT management company. It was carried out by APT 29, a gang that regularly commits cybercrime and is linked to the Russian government.
#3. DDoS attack on Amazon
Amazon Web Services (AWS) was the victim of a significant distributed denial of service (DDoS) assault in February 2020. A 2.3 Tbps (terabits per second) DDoS assault that had a request rate per second (rps) of 694,201 and a packet forwarding rate of 293.1 Mpps was experienced by the company and mitigated. It’s regarded as one of the biggest DDoS attacks ever.
#4. Microsoft Exchange Remote Code Execution Attack
A significant cyberattack against Microsoft Exchange, a well-known enterprise email server, was launched in March 2021. It made use of four different zero-day flaws found in Microsoft Exchange servers.
#5. Twitter Celebrities Attack
Three attackers broke into Twitter in July 2020 and took control of well-known Twitter accounts. They carried out social engineering attacks—later recognized by Twitter as vishing (phone phishing)—to acquire employee credentials and gain access to the company’s internal management systems.
What is Cyber Security Threat
Cybersecurity threats are actions taken by people with malicious intent in order to steal data, harm computing systems, or disrupt them. We go into more detail about each of these categories below. Common categories of cyber threats include malware, social engineering, man-in-the-middle (MitM) attacks, denial of service (DoS), and injection attacks.
Cyber threats can come from a wide range of sources, including adversarial nation-states and terrorist organizations, lone hackers, and legitimate users like employees or contractors who use their privileges for bad purposes.
Common Sources of Cyber Security Threat
Here are a few typical sources of cyber security threat to businesses:
- Nation states: Hostile nations have the ability to launch cyberattacks against regional businesses and institutions with the intent to disrupt communications, create chaos, and cause harm.
- Terrorist groups: Terrorists launch cyberattacks with the intention of destroying or abusing vital infrastructure, endangering national security, upsetting economies, or harming citizens physically.
- Criminal groups: Organized groups of hackers aim to break into computing systems for economic benefit. These groups engage in online extortion, identity theft, and scams using phishing, spam, spyware, and malware.
- Hackers: Individual hackers use a range of attack methods to target businesses. They typically have personal benefit, retaliation, monetary gain, or political activities as their motivation. In order to increase their capacity for crime and elevate their individual status within the hacker community, hackers frequently create new risks.
- Malicious insiders: An employee who legitimately has access to corporate resources but abuses that access to steal data or break computer systems for their own or other people’s benefit. Insiders can be the target organization’s employees, subcontractors, suppliers, or partners. They might also be unauthorized individuals posing as the owner of a privileged account after compromising it.
Common Types of Cyber Security Threats
Although cybersecurity experts put a lot of effort into closing security gaps, attackers are constantly looking for novel ways to avoid IT detection, get around defenses, and take advantage of developing weaknesses. The most recent cybersecurity risks are reinventing “known” risks by utilizing work-from-home settings, remote access technologies, and new cloud services. Among these rising threats are:
#1. Malware
The term “malware” describes nefarious software variations, such as worms, viruses, Trojan horses, and spyware, that grant unauthorized access or harm a computer. Attacks by malware are becoming more “fileless”. They are made to avoid common detection techniques, like antivirus software that checks for malicious file attachments.
#2. Ransomware
Ransomware is a type of malware that encrypts files, data, or systems and demands a ransom payment from the cybercriminals who attacked the system in order to unlock it. If the ransom is not paid, the data may be erased, destroyed, or made public. State and local governments have been the target of recent ransomware attacks because they are easier to hack than organizations and are under pressure to pay ransom in order to restore the websites and applications that citizens depend on.
User PII or sensitive information is obtained through social engineering techniques like phishing. Phishing scams ask for sensitive information, such as login credentials or credit card information, using emails or text messages that look to be from a reliable organization. The rise of remote employment has been linked to an increase in pandemic-related phishing, according to the FBI.
#4. Insider threats
If they misuse their access privileges, current or former employees, business partners, contractors, or anyone else who has accessed systems or networks in the past can be regarded as an insider threat. Traditional security measures that concentrate on external threats, such as firewalls and intrusion detection systems, may not be able to detect insider threats.
#5. DDoS attacks, or distributed denial-of-service attacks
DDoS attacks aim to bring down a server, website, or network by flooding it with traffic from many coordinated systems. Using the simple network management protocol (SNMP), which is used by modems, printers, switches, routers, and servers, DDoS attacks take down enterprise networks.
#6. Advanced persistent threats (APTs)
An APT is when a hacker or group of hackers infiltrates a system and goes unnoticed for a long time. In order to eavesdrop on corporate activity and collect important data without setting off defensive countermeasures, the intruder leaves networks and systems untouched. An APT is exemplified by the most recent Solar Winds penetration of US federal networks.
#7. Man-in-the-middle attacks
An eavesdropping technique known as “man-in-the-middle” involves a cybercriminal intercepting and relaying messages between two parties in order to steal data. For example, on an unprotected Wi-Fi network, an attacker can intercept data being transmitted between a guest’s device and the network.
What is Cyber Security Engineering
Cyber security Engineering involves building and managing hardware, software, and security rules for the protection of systems, networks, and data. Cyber engineers mix electrical engineering and computer science to understand cyberspace. They use abilities obtained in digital forensics, security policy, and network defense to conduct cybersecurity jobs, as well as work on building hardware and software. “Cyber engineers design secure systems at the interface of operational technology and information technology,” says Dr. Stan Napper, HCU dean of the College of Science and Engineering and professor of Engineering.
What Do You Study in Cyber Engineering and Cyber Security?
Students in the Cyber Security Engineering Program appreciate learning in context, working together with classmates and professors to design and build genuine control systems which perform like those that are commercially accessible, or industrially applicable.
In the first two years of the Cyber Security Engineering Program, Cyber Engineering majors learn foundational knowledge and skills in mathematics (e.g. calculus, linear algebra, cryptography), physics, basic engineering, and computer programming. Additionally, Cyber Engineering majors get the chance to put those talents into practice and showcase them through a series of projects.
Students studying Cyber Engineering in their second year are better prepared for more difficult coursework and projects at the upper levels thanks to additional concepts in electrical circuits, electronics, microprocessors, and computer systems. Students in the field of Cyber Engineering interact with industry partners and learn from their lecturers. Professors at the College of Engineering serve as mentors and advisors, assisting students in the fields of Cyber Engineering, Computer Science, and Electrical Engineering in selecting appropriate courses and curricula as well as a viable career path.
Important ideas in computer networks, cybersecurity operations, and control systems are covered by Cyber Security Engineering programs.
How to Become a Cyber Security Engineering
If you’re wondering how to get into cybersecurity, the correct education and experience can launch you on the path to a lucrative and competitive career as a cybersecurity engineer.
#1. Education
Most firms demand that applicants have a bachelor’s degree or higher in cybersecurity, IT, or a related subject like math or engineering. A Master of Science in Cybersecurity, for example, can help people who want to work in senior roles, which often have more responsibility. These jobs typically pay greater money as well.
#2. Experience
A cybersecurity engineer typically gains experience by doing well in lower-level IT occupations, such as serving as a computer systems administrator. Entry-level jobs in that industry, like those of a data security analyst or penetration tester, may be pursued by those with a particular passion, such as database security.
#3. Certifications
With the use of certifications, cybersecurity experts may demonstrate their knowledge and position themselves as marketable candidates. One of the most well-known and valuable qualifications in the subject is the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) title, given by the International Information System Security Certification Consortium (ISC2). However, there are other notable certificates that are focused on particular domains.
Read Also: INSIDER THREATS: Meaning, Prevention, Program & Importance
Consider a Career as a Cybersecurity Engineering
Companies need to engage highly qualified cybersecurity specialists to safeguard complicated systems as computer networks become more sophisticated and pervasive. For people interested in cybersecurity, this can result in fantastic chances for a rewarding, well-paying profession.
Professionals interested in pursuing this in-demand and competitive career can best prepare by enrolling in a degree program, such as the online Master of Science in Cybersecurity. Students in the program are educated on the most recent cybersecurity techniques, including how to secure crucial platforms that are connected to the internet and business networks.
Why is Cyber Security Important
Cyber security is important because the government, military, corporate, financial, and medical entities acquire, process, and store vast amounts of data on computers and other devices. A considerable percentage of such data can be sensitive information, whether it be intellectual property, financial data, personal information, or other sorts of data for which unauthorized access or exposure could have severe implications.
Organizations transport sensitive data across networks and to other devices in the course of doing business, and cyber security describes the discipline committed to protecting that information and the technologies used to handle or store it. As the volume and sophistication of cyber attacks expand, corporations and organizations, especially those that are responsible for preserving information relating to national security, health, or financial records, need to take steps to protect their sensitive business and personal information.
As early as March 2013, the nation’s senior intelligence officers cautioned that cyber-attacks and digital surveillance constitute the top threat to national security, eclipsing even terrorism.
Cyber Attack Prevention: Common Cyber Security Solutions
Following are a few security solutions typically employed by enterprises to prevent cyber assaults. Of course, tools are not enough to prevent attacks—every firm needs trained IT and security professionals, or outsourced security services, to manage the tools and efficiently deploy them to mitigate threats.
#1. Web Application Firewall (WAF)
A WAF secures online applications by analyzing HTTP requests and identifying suspected harmful traffic. This could be outbound traffic, such as malware installed on a local server contacting a command and control (C&C) center, or inbound traffic, such as a malicious user attempting a code injection attack.
#2. DDoS Protection
A server or network can be protected from denial of service assaults using a DDoS protection system. It accomplishes this by utilizing specialized network hardware that has been installed on-site by the company or as a cloud-based service. Due to their ability to scale on demand, only cloud-based services can prevent massive DDoS attacks that use millions of bots.
#3. Bot Protection
A significant portion of Internet traffic is made up of bots. Bots use up a lot of system resources and place a huge demand on websites. Although some bots are helpful (like those that index webpages for search engines), others have the potential to commit crimes. DDoS attacks, content scraping from websites, automated web application attacks, spam, and malware distribution, and more uses for bots are possible.
#4. Cloud Security
Today, nearly all businesses manage their infrastructure, applications, and data in the cloud. Because they are frequently exposed to public networks and frequently have low visibility because they are highly dynamic and operating outside of the corporate network, cloud systems are particularly vulnerable to cyber threats.
What are the 7 types of cyber security?
Threats to computer security, by type:
- Malware
- Emotet
- Denial of Service
- Man in the Middle
- Phishing
- SQL Injection
- Password Attacks.
Is cybersecurity a good career?
Yes. Cybersecurity offers several benefits. These benefits apply to both one’s personal and professional development.
What skills do I need for cybersecurity?
The top qualifications needed for cybersecurity employment are:
- Problem-Solving skills.
- Technical aptitude.
- Knowledge of security across various platforms.
- Attention to detail.
- Communication skills.
- Fundamental computer forensics skills.
- A desire to learn.
- An understanding of hacking.
Is cyber security harder than coding?
Yes. Because it involves so many diverse components, including programming itself, cyber security can occasionally be more challenging than programming.
Is cybersecurity well paid?
Yes. Due to the prominence of the sector, careers in cybersecurity frequently pay six figures or more.
Is cyber security a stressful job?
Yes. It’s important to admit that working in the cybersecurity sector is stressful by nature.
Is cyber security a hard job?
Yes. According to VMware research, 47% of cybersecurity incident responders report having gone through high stress or burnout during the previous 12 years.
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