Importance of Cyber Security and Data privacy

Using Computers, smartphones, the Internet has become an integral part of our lives in the modern world. We are surrounded by Information Technologies by various means like Social networking sites, communicating via email or chat tools, So banking and shopping, nearly every aspect of our life revolves around the cyber world. Cybersecurity is the body of technologies, processes, and practices designed to protect networks, computers, programs and data from attack, damage or unauthorized access.

The information and data within your business is a valuable business asset. It can be the key to growth and success.

The security of your data, therefore, must be a priority within your business. It needs to be protected from unauthorised access to prevent it being tampered with, destroyed or disclosed to others.

Your security can be breached in a number of ways, for example by system failure, theft, inappropriate usage, unauthorised access or computer viruses. Every time you engage in anything that involves the Internet your data security is being put at risk.

Modern day working practices such as remote working, portable IT devices and Wi-Fi all increase the threat to data security. Even if you work alone from a single desk-based device you are still at risk.

The effects of a data security breach can be catastrophic. Not just in terms of the interruption to your business operation but also the potential long-term damage to your reputation. You may have spent several years building your brand and reputation for it to be destroyed in just a few hours.

There are many ways to ensure data security – from education of your staff through to software and hardware solutions. No single stand-alone method will offer a complete data security solution so it is important to understand where your vulnerabilities are and protect yourself accordingly.

How we are at Risk?

With the increasing use of digital technologies such as the artificial intelligence, mobile, IoT, big data and cloud in ever more areas of business or society and the growing connectivity of everything come greater challenges on each level of security, compliance and data protection.

Unauthorized users that invade a system are commonly known as Hackers, Trackers or High-Jackers and they have a wide variety of tools to harm a computer system. Hackers usually gain access to systems by planting malicious logic (like a virus, Trojan, malware) somewhere on the net and waiting for users to encounter or open the virus. One of the biggest live example The WannaCry Ransomware attack was a May 2017 worldwide cyber-attack.

How Cyber Attack works?

Infected computer systems may be damaged and affected in a variety of ways, sometimes without a user even noticing. it can still be used to infect other computers without your knowledge!

Hackers use different types of tools and techniques to attack a system. Some hackers just do these activities just to play a “prank” while others may be attempting to steal personal information such as credit card numbers, banking or medical details or other personal information. Sometimes Even worse, hackers take control of an infected computer and use it to launch a cyber-attack on a larger system.

  • Different types of cyber-attack on the Internet
  1. Un-targeted cyber attacks
    • Phishing
    • water holding
    • Ransom-ware
    • scanning
  2. Targeted cyber attacks 
    • spear-phishing
    • deploying a botnet
    • subverting the supply chain
  3. Stages of an attack
    • Survey
    • Delivery
    • Breach
    • Affect

Most hackers use malicious logic to exploit vulnerabilities in software and gain unauthorized access to computer systems. For this reason, it is vitally important to install and update anti-virus, anti-spyware and firewall software.

what you can do in the future to protect your Data and Privacy?

  1. Set one day a week to monitor your credit card statements
  2. Sign up for real-time alerts
  3. Keep your private information private
  4. Routinely change passwords and make them strong
  5. Subscribe to identity protection

“The cyber threat is advancing quicker than we can keep up with it. The cyber threat changes faster than our idea of the risk. It’s no longer possible to write an overall detailing about the risk to a particular system. The more you search or read about cybersecurity, the more you learn its branches”