Cyber Security Getting Organizations Ready to Combat New and Evolving Threats

In today’s world, daily life is now more than ever dependent on technology – from instant access to information on the internet to smart home automation and IoT. With so many benefits of technology, it can be hard to understand and recognize the risks and threats that are ever-present behind every device and platform. Cybersecurity threats that are presented by the modern and advanced devices are a real danger. A significant increase in cyberattacks over the recent past have highlighted major flaws in devices and services. Cybersecurity has become important as government, military, medical organizations, and financial institutes collect, process, and store massive amounts of data on computer and other devices. This can include sensitive information such as intellectual property, financial data, personal information, and other types of sensitive data for which unauthorized access can prove to be detrimental. 

Cybersecurity is a discipline that includes how to defend devices and services from internet and electronic attacks by actors such as hackers, cybercriminals, and spammers. Majority of the cybersecurity components focus on attacking first, today cybersecurity focuses on determining the best way to defend all assets – from computers to networks – from nefarious attacks. Cybersecurity is the practice of defending computers, servers, networks, mobile devices, electronic systems, and sensitive data from malicious cyberattacks. 

Cybersecurity can be divided into some common categories such as network security – wherein computer networks are secured from intruders; application security – which focuses on keeping software and device protected from threats; information security – which protects integrity and privacy of data, and operational security – which includes processes and decisions for better handling and protecting data assets. Industrial Cybersecurity also includes end-user education which includes teaching users to delete suspicious mail attachments, advice against plugging in unidentified USB drives, and various other aspects that are crucial for security of any organization. 

Over the recent past, there has been a growing interest in information security, and cyberattacks in the industry and consumer sector have emerged as the matter of concern. Cybersecurity threats have cost the world a whopping USD 6 trillion by 2021 and the number of these attacks have only increased fivefold after the emergence of COVID-19 pandemic. One of the major reasons for cybercrime to thrive during the pandemic is the increased vulnerability and susceptibility of victims to fall for scams during emotionally heightened states. Additionally, healthcare organizations have become prime targets during health crisis. According to Reports and Data, the global cyber security market is expected to reach USD 486.86 Billion in 2030, registering a CAGR of 9.5% during the forecast period, 2021-2030. 

Cybersecurity threats have become a public health hazard and malware has become a large and fast-growing technical and cultural challenge in today’s technology-dependent environment. Comprehensive cybersecurity services generally focus on methods to counter and remove threats from a host of offenders and other actors who can potentially harm cyberspace and IT and cause financial and data losses. Going after threat actor is one of the major parts of risk cybersecurity and this can be achieved through effective, alternative architectures. 

The world, as of now, is in the middle of cybersecurity arms race with increasing threats from hackers and fraudsters presenting massive danger to business, society, and safety. This has raised challenges and highlighted the impact and ability of emerging technologies to bolster online security in the coming years. Recent technological advancements and emergence of new tools have helped improve the arsenal of cybercrime fighting repository. 

One of the most popular and effective technology is the blockchain – which at its heart, is a security mechanism. Blockchain is a digital ledger that enables secure sharing of information and identity authentication without the risks of exposing data to unauthorized users. Blockchain’s decentralized nature has made it the prefect technology for cybersecurity with the ledger technology being extensively used in everything from medical and financial data sharing to anti-money laundering monitoring. Blockchain can offer advanced security controls by using public key infrastructure to authenticate parties and encrypt and secure their communication. 

Cloud technology and cloud security has advanced significantly over the recent past with developers ensuring the data is properly protected against hacks and unauthorized access. Cloud security leverages advanced technologies, services, controls, and practices to protect cloud data, applications, and infrastructure from cyber threats. 

One of the most significant developments that has allowed security professionals to combat sophisticated attacks is the advent and advancement of artificial intelligence and machine learning. The technology can collect data from a vast network and leverage it to adapt to new types of treat and with devices becoming more intelligent with AI and ML, they are becoming increasingly adept at scouting security threats and adapting as needed. 

Cybersecurity is complex and it is important for organizations to adopt best practices for IT security to enhance security of network and devices. Cybersecurity has some advantages more than it did ever before as technology continues to advance and data breaches continue to increase.  

Bhakti Shuke is a content writer at ReportsAndData with a zeal for designing and developing all sorts of first-rate content. She is passionate about science and healthcare but also has a fervor to stay updated with the latest happenings in the world. When she is not writing, she can be found immersed in a book pretending the outside world doesn’t exist.