What Is Cyber Security? Importance Of Cyber Security in Nigeria

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What is Cyber Security?
What is the Significance Of Cybersecurity?
What are the Components Of Cybersecurity?
What are the Advantages Of Cyber Security?
Types of Cybersecurity
What Are Cybersecurity Threats?
What Are the Most Dangerous Cybersecurity Threats?
Cybersecurity Management

Cybersecurity refers to the safeguarding of internet-connected equipment and services from malicious attacks by hackers, spammers, and cybercriminals. Companies employ the approach to guard against phishing attempts, ransomware attacks, identity theft, data breaches, and financial losses. Technology is more important in daily life than it has ever been in today’s world. The advantages of this trend range from near-instant Internet connectivity to modern conveniences afforded by smart home automation technologies and concepts such as the Internet of Things. Here, we’ll look at the dangers of cyber threats and how cybersecurity management can help curb these dangers.

What is Cyber Security?

Cybersecurity is the protection of internet-connected systems from cyber threats such as hardware, software, and data. Individuals and businesses utilize the method to prevent illegal access to data centers and other digital systems.

A robust cybersecurity strategy can provide a good security posture against malicious attacks aimed at gaining access to, altering, deleting, destroying, or extorting an organization’s or user’s systems and sensitive data. Cybersecurity is also important in thwarting attacks that try to disable or impair the operation of a system or device.

What is the Significance Of Cybersecurity?

With an increasing number of users, devices, and programs in the modern organization, as well as an increased deluge of data, most of it is sensitive or secret, the relevance of cybersecurity is growing. The increasing volume and skill of cyber attackers and attack strategies exacerbate the problem.

What are the Components Of Cybersecurity?

The cybersecurity area is divided into numerous sections, each of which must be coordinated inside the company to ensure the effectiveness of a cybersecurity program. These sections are as follows:

Application safety
Data or information security
Network safety
Planning for disaster recovery and business continuity
Operational safety
Cloud safety
Security of critical infrastructure
Physical safety
End-user training

Maintaining cybersecurity in an ever-changing threat landscape presents a challenge for all organizations. Traditional reactive tactics, in which resources were directed toward safeguarding systems against the most serious known risks while less serious dangers went undefended, are no longer adequate.

A more proactive and flexible approach is required to stay up with shifting security dangers. Several important cybersecurity advisory bodies provide assistance. To guard against known and unexpected risks, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) suggests using continuous monitoring and real-time assessments as part of a risk assessment framework.

What are the Advantages Of Cyber Security?

The following are some of the advantages of developing and sustaining cybersecurity practices:

Cybersecurity for businesses against cyberattacks and data breaches.
Data and network protection.
Unauthorized user access is avoided.
Improved recovery time following a breach.
End-user and endpoint device security.
Compliance with regulations.
Continuity of operations.
Improved developer, partner, customer, stakeholder, and employee trust in the company’s reputation.

Types of Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity is a broad field that encompasses several disciplines. The major types include:

#1. Network Safety

The majority of attacks take place over the network, and network security solutions are designed to detect and prevent these attacks. Data and access controls such as Data Loss Prevention (DLP), IAM (Identity Access Management), NAC (Network Access Control), and NGFW (Next-Generation Firewall) application controls are included in these solutions to enforce safe online use policies.

IPS (Intrusion Protection System), NGAV (Next-Gen Antivirus), Sandboxing, and CDR (Content Disarm and Reconstruction) are advanced and multi-layered network threat protection technologies. Network analytics, threat hunting, and automated SOAR (Security Orchestration and Response) technologies are also crucial.

#2. Cloud Safety

As more businesses utilize cloud computing, cloud security becomes a top priority. A cloud security strategy encompasses cyber security solutions, controls, policies, and services that aid in the defense of an organization’s complete cloud deployment (applications, data, infrastructure, and so on).

While many cloud providers provide security solutions, these are frequently insufficient for establishing enterprise-grade security in the cloud. To safeguard against data breaches and targeted assaults in cloud settings, additional third-party solutions are required.

#3. Endpoint Protection

The zero-trust security concept recommends building micro-segments around data in any location. Endpoint security is one method for accomplishing this with a mobile workforce. Endpoint security allows businesses to protect end-user devices such as PCs and laptops by implementing data and network security policies, advanced threat prevention such as anti-phishing and anti-ransomware, and forensic technologies such as endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions.

#4. Mobile Safety

Mobile devices, such as tablets and smartphones, provide access to corporate data and expose firms to threats such as malicious apps, zero-day exploits, phishing, and IM (Instant Messaging) assaults. Cyber security protects OS systems and devices from rooting and jailbreaking by preventing these assaults. This, when combined with an MDM (Mobile Device Management) solution, allows businesses to ensure that only compliant mobile devices have access to company assets.

#5. IoT Safety

While the use of Internet of Things (IoT) devices increases efficiency, it also exposes enterprises to new cyber dangers. Threat actors look for susceptible devices that have been mistakenly linked to the Internet for illicit purposes such as gaining access to a business network or connecting to another bot in a global bot network.

IoT security secures these devices using device discovery and classification, auto-segmentation to manage network activity, and the use of IPS as a virtual patch to prevent exploits against weak IoT devices. In some circumstances, the device’s firmware can be supplemented with small agents to avoid exploits and runtime attacks.

#6. Application Safety

Threat actors attack web applications, as well as anything else directly connected to the Internet. OWASP has monitored the top ten risks to major online application security problems since 2007, including injection, broken authentication, misconfiguration, and cross-site scripting, to name a few.

The OWASP Top 10 assaults can be prevented using application security. Bot attacks are also prevented by application security, as is any harmful interaction with applications and APIs. Apps will be protected even while DevOps provides new content thanks to continuous learning.

#7. Zero trust.

The traditional security paradigm is perimeter-focused, with walls like a castle built around an organization’s key assets. This technique, however, has significant drawbacks, including the possibility of insider threats and the quick dissolution of the network perimeter.

As organizational assets move off-premises as a result of cloud adoption and remote work, a new security strategy is required. Zero trust employs a more granular approach to security, safeguarding individual resources through a combination of micro-segmentation, monitoring, and role-based access control enforcement.

What Are Cybersecurity Threats?

A cybersecurity threat is an attempt by an individual or group to obtain access to a computer network, alter data, or steal confidential information. An information security threat is a direct attack on your organization’s computer networks and IT stakeholders.

Cyber attacks and data breaches do not spare any firm. Some attacks have the potential to completely destroy computer systems.

To keep your data safe as cyber threats get more complex, your company must deploy security procedures and firewalls while also analyzing cybersecurity risks.

What Are the Most Dangerous Cybersecurity Threats?

#1. Malware

Malicious software, also known as malware, is the most prevalent type of cyberattack. Spyware, ransomware, backdoors, trojans, viruses, and worms are examples of malware. Spyware enables attackers to gather information about your computer activity by secretly sending data from your hard drive.

Ransomware disables file access on a device, rendering all files (and the systems that rely on them) inaccessible. Malicious actors typically demand a monetary ransom in exchange for a decryption key. To get access to a system, a backdoor bypasses standard authentication mechanisms. This grants the attacker direct access to application resources such as databases and file servers, as well as the ability for malicious actors to issue system commands and update malware remotely.

Trojans are pieces of malware or code that masquerade as a genuine application or file in order to deceive you into loading and running the malware on your system. The purpose of a trojan is to corrupt or steal data from your company, or to do other harm to your network.

Malware, once installed, can prevent access to crucial network components, harm your machine, and export confidential data to unexpected destinations.

Your firm can protect itself from malware-based cyber attacks by doing the following:

Using renowned antivirus and anti-malware software, as well as email spam filters and endpoint security solutions.
Ensure that all of your cybersecurity updates and patches are current.
Requiring your workers to participate in regular cybersecurity awareness training to teach them how to avoid dubious websites and emails.
Restrict user access and application rights.

#2. Spear-phishing and phishing

Phishing is a type of attack that seeks to dupe users into providing sensitive information such as usernames and passwords, bank account information, Social Security numbers, and credit card information.

Hackers typically send phishing emails that appear to be from trusted senders such as PayPal, eBay, financial institutions, or friends and coworkers. The fraudulent communications attempt to trick users into clicking on links in the emails, which route them to fraudulent websites that request personal information or install malware on their devices.

Opening attachments in phishing emails can also install malware or allow hackers to remotely manage your devices.

Spear-phishing is a more sophisticated type of phishing assault in which fraudsters only target privileged people such as system administrators or C-level executives. Attackers may utilize information from a person’s social media accounts to appear more legitimate to the target.

Smishing, vishing, clone phishing, domain spoofing, URL phishing, watering hole phishing, and evil twin phishing are all examples of phishing. Everything can be expensive.

#3. MiTM (man-in-the-middle) assaults

Man-in-the-middle attacks occur when hostile actors insert themselves between two parties in communication. After intercepting the incoming message, the attacker filters and steals sensitive information before returning various responses to the original user.

Malicious actors may create bogus Wi-Fi networks or implant malware on consumers’ computers or networks. MiTM attacks, also known as eavesdropping attacks, seek to get access to your business or consumer data.

#4. DDoS (distributed denial-of-service)

A DDoS attack attempts to bring a company’s website down by flooding its servers with requests. It’s like repeatedly dialing a company’s phone number so that legitimate callers only get a busy signal and never get through.

Requests come from hundreds or thousands of IP addresses that have been compromised and misled into repeatedly requesting a company’s website.

A DDoS assault can overload your servers, drastically slowing them down or taking them offline momentarily. Customers are unable to access your website or complete orders during these outages.

#5. Structured Query Language (SQL) Injection

SQL injection attacks happen when hackers try to gain access to databases by uploading malicious SQL scripts. Once successful, the malicious actor has the ability to access, modify, or remove data contained in the SQL database.

#6. DNS (Domain Name System) attack

A DNS attack is a type of cyberattack in which thieves exploit DNS vulnerabilities. Attackers exploit DNS vulnerabilities to redirect site users to malicious pages (DNS hijacking) and exfiltrate data from vulnerable systems (DNS tunneling).

#7. Insider threats

Insider risks occur when a person within a company either unintentionally or intentionally grants access to critical security networks. When an employee fails to follow correct information security measures and clicks on a phishing link or installs malware, this can happen. They may also inadvertently send client data to an insecure third party or grant unauthorized access to a malicious actor.

#8. Drive-By Download attack

A drive-by download attack occurs when a person visits a website and a code is installed without their knowledge. This is a popular type of cybercrime in which the criminal installs a Trojan or malware or steals information without the individual’s awareness.

Cybersecurity Management

Cybersecurity management refers to the strategic efforts of an organization to preserve information resources. It focuses on how businesses employ their security assets, such as software and IT security solutions, to protect business systems.

Internal and external security threats such as industrial espionage, theft, fraud, and sabotage are making these resources increasingly vulnerable. To limit an organization’s risk exposure, cybersecurity management must apply a variety of administrative, legal, technological, procedural, and staff approaches.

Importance of Risk Management in Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity is critical to operational processes because it protects data and IT systems from theft and loss, including personally identifiable information (PII), protected health information (PHI), personal data, intellectual property data, and information systems. Without a cybersecurity strategy, your firm cannot protect itself from data breaches. Your firm becomes a great target for cybercriminals in the absence of appropriate cybersecurity management practices.

Cybersecurity Management Framework

While no widely accepted framework for cybersecurity has been formed, several businesses have decided to implement various guiding principles, safeguards, and technology, such as:

Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) Top 10
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) program
International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 27000 series

These act as de facto frameworks for cybersecurity management, outlining procedures and guidelines for safeguarding digital assets.

Advantages of Cybersecurity Management

A good cybersecurity management policy considers the dangers to an organization’s resources. Those in charge of running the program codify protocols and procedures. Following the discovery of vulnerabilities, the management policy will detail measures to prevent malicious code from penetrating the organization’s perimeter protection systems, servers, and workstations. It also explains how to implement mitigation measures and who is in charge if a breach occurs.

A cybersecurity management program delivers vital services to an enterprise, such as:

Designing and implementing an efficient enterprise security architecture
Mitigating advanced threats
Securing Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices
Identity and access management (IAM)
Providing security intelligence

Some external cybersecurity management firms also offer IT security advice to assist businesses in developing the best security strategies for their environments today and in the future.

Cybersecurity Management Best Practices

#1. Know Your IT Assets and Environment

Effective cybersecurity management necessitates a thorough understanding of your company’s IT infrastructures and resources, including all data and other digital assets, BYOD devices, systems, networks, third-party services, technologies, endpoints, and other important items.

Understanding all aspects of your IT landscape is crucial. This is especially because any aspect of your network can be leveraged to infiltrate your system. It is also critical that you regularly examine your assets and manage your IT environment.

#2. Implement a Risk Management Strategy.

Managing risk in the absence of a well-planned and successful cybersecurity risk management strategy is counterproductive. To stay current, organizations must have solid strategies and plans.

Determine your risk tolerance level before beginning planning, and then construct a risk profile. Include roles and responsibilities for all workers and important stakeholders, as well as incident response and escalation plans and other pertinent information.

#3. Make Cybersecurity Risk Management a Part of Your Organization’s Culture

Even the best cybersecurity risk management policies and processes will be rendered ineffective if they are not adequately applied throughout the organization. As a result, make certain that all parties involved are aware of your ideas, strategies, and procedures. Integrate cybersecurity risk management into the company’s principles and culture. Each party involved in the management of cyber hazards must be aware of, understand, and accept their obligations.

#4. Use Risk Assessments that are Continuous, Adaptive, and Actionable.

Risk identification and evaluation are critical components of risk management. The risks involved with cybersecurity are always changing. A change in organizational operations, for example, or the introduction of new technologies, can drastically alter your risks. As a result, the overall risk assessment of the organization must be revised. To guarantee effective security, you must evaluate and modify your methods on a regular basis.

Risk assessments are particularly important since they advise businesses about where vulnerabilities now exist as well as which threats are on the horizon.

#5. Put Strict Security Protocols in Place

A comprehensive and user-friendly security system is required for effective risk mitigation. Here are a few methods:

To maintain track of traffic, provide instant and actionable information, and continuously protect against known and new threats, use a web application firewall (WAF) managed and located at the network’s edge.
Secure BYOD devices as well as all other gear in your IT environment.
Put in place strict security protocols for remote staff.
Use automatic patching whenever possible to maintain all security systems up to date.
Put in place strict access controls and authentication policies.
When possible, consolidate systems and data. Segregated and distributed data is more difficult to manage and secure.
Create a continuous, dependable backup system.

#6. Increase the Visibility of Your Network

Visibility throughout your whole network is essential for avoiding and minimizing cybersecurity events. Insider attacks, third-party components with built-in vulnerabilities, and human error can all put your environment at risk. It is critical to have real-time and trustworthy visibility into your organization’s risk profile.