The ABCs of Cybersecurity - Part I

From the leaves changing color and falling to the ground to the weather shifting to a crisp cold in the air, October is certainly a time for change. Not only is October a time for us to reflect and grow, but it is a great month for learning as well, as this tenth month of the year is recognized as National Cybersecurity Awareness Month in the United States. In honor of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, we’ll be taking a look at some of the key areas of cybersecurity in a three-part article where we’ll get into the ABCs of cybersecurity.

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Authentication occurs when it is verified that a person is in fact who they claim to be. A person who has permission to access specific accounts or data and has the proper login credentials to view the resources would be authenticated or approved following the authentication process. The most basic process for this in computing is by logging into any account or device with your username and password; the authentication or verification process can be taken one step further with added elements such as multi-factor authentication.

Breach, or data breach, refers to the security event that happens when a company’s system is accessed and information is stolen due to the exploitation of a vulnerability by malicious actors. 

Cybersecurity is the name attributed to the state of being protected and safe from any computer security vulnerabilities or any nefarious attempts from cybercriminals. It is the culmination of putting into place a myriad of different preventative and reactive protections as well as being knowledgeable on emerging threats and how to handle any questions you might have about operating safely in a digital space.

DDoS stands for distributed-denial-of-service, which is the name of a cyber attack involving multiple devices being utilized at once. In this attack, a cybercriminal will take over devices usually via malware and then use each of these devices to send traffic to a single site with the intention of overwhelming the target’s servers with this malicious traffic to the point of blocking any good or legitimate traffic from reaching the site – even to the point of shutting the page down. Common motivators behind such an attack can range from political or moral objection to the sheer desire by a malicious actor to infiltrate a company’s systems because they can. 

Encryption occurs when a company’s data is saved or sent in a way that makes the file unreadable to anyone who is not supposed to see it. The use of encryption allows the sender or holder of the information to protect their data by essentially scrambling it and then only allowing access to the unscrambled data via the use of a decryption password. This is a preferred cybersecurity step among those who want to add an extra layer of protection to their data storage or transfer systems.

A Firewall acts as a sort of fence around a given network which filters in the good and legitimate traffic to the site and blocks any nefarious attempts by cyber crooks. The addition of this barrier can be very beneficial in preventing cyber attacks ranging from DDoS to ransomware attempts and more.

Global – this word may at first seem irrelevant when one thinks of cybersecurity, but it is actually one of the few accurate ways to describe it. Not only is cybersecurity a necessary protection needed across the globe, but it is also an essential building block to be included in every sector out there. The way that businesses consider finance/accounting and HR to be key areas to include when starting out, cybersecurity too should be deemed absolutely necessary as cyber attacks are not unique to one industry and the costs associated with not having any cyber defenses are far greater than operating with any degree of cybersecurity implemented. 

Hackers – otherwise known by many as malicious actors, threat actors, or cybercriminals – is the term to describe anyone who forces their way into a computer network, system, or device. Hackers are often motivated by a baleful desire to infiltrate and either steal information or infect systems with malicious software; however, hacking in and of itself is not necessarily bad. Many companies will conduct permitted “hacks” into their own servers or even hire “good” hackers to vet the business’s systems to ensure that the barriers set in place would be able to withstand an actual attack perpetrated by a hacker. 

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In our next article, we’ll take a look at some cybersecurity terms tied to letters I through Q! Be sure to check the Tego blog to stay updated on these and other emerging topics.

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Image by rawpixel.com for Freepik.

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