Cybersecurity as a whole involves any activities, people and technology your organization is using to avoid security incidents, data breaches or loss of critical systems. It’s how you protect your business from threats and your security systems against digital threats. Although the term gets bandied about casually enough, cybersecurity should absolutely be an integral part of your business operations.
Cybersecurity Defined
The CISA (Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency) defines cybersecurity as “the art of protecting networks, devices and data from unauthorized access or criminal use and the practice of ensuring confidentiality, integrity and availability of information.” Every organization uses some form of information technology (IT)—whether it’s for bookkeeping, tracking of shipments, service delivery, you name it—that data has to be protected. Cybersecurity measures ensure your business remains secure and operational at all times.
Why Is Cybersecurity Important?
Cybersecurity is the technological counterpart of the cape-wearing superhero. Effective cybersecurity swoops in at just the right time to prevent damage to critical systems and keep your organization up and running despite any threats that come its way. (See? Superhero stuff.) If you want to stay in the business of making money—and we know you do—you need cybersecurity.
Types of Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity can mean different things depending on which aspect of technology you’re managing. Here are the categories of cybersecurity that IT pros need to know.
Critical Infrastructure Security
Critical infrastructure security includes the things you do to protect the computer systems your organization needs to stay operational. Seems like a no-brainer, right? This includes any technology, processes, safeguards and other protections you use to keep those critical systems safe and running.
Network Security
Network security involves all of the activities it takes to protect your network infrastructure. This might involve configuring firewalls, securing VPNs, managing access control or implementing antivirus software. Cybersecurity pros in this field will protect against network threats and data breaches that occur on the network.
Endpoint Security
Endpoints are any devices connected to your network. This could include desktops, laptops, tablets, mobile devices or smart TVs. Protecting endpoints requires activities such as threat and anomalous activity detection, multi-factor authentication, user training and policy development surrounding endpoint usage. This may also include safeguarding physical locations containing endpoint devices.
Application Security
Application security involves the configuration of security settings within individual apps to protect them against cyberattacks. This might involve resolving bugs in code and implementing cybersecurity measures to protect against bad actors. Securing applications helps to strengthen data security in the cloud-native era.
Information Security
Information security includes any data-protection safeguards you put into place. This broad term involves any activities you undertake to ensure personally identifiable information (PII) and other sensitive data remains under lock and key.
Cloud Security
Cloud security specifically involves activities needed to prevent attacks on cloud applications and infrastructure. These activities help to ensure all data remains private and secure as its passed between different internet-based applications.
Mobile Security
Who over the age (or under) of 18 doesn’t have a mobile device? We all do. Our mobile devices go everywhere with us and are a staple in our daily lives. Mobile security ensures all devices are protected against vulnerabilities. Since we all store sensitive information and use our devices for everything from shopping to sending work emails, mobile security helps to keep device data secure and away from cybercriminals. There’s no telling how threat actors might use identity theft as another weapon in their arsenal!
Internet of Things (IoT) Security
Internet of things security includes all the ways you protect information being passed between connected devices. As more and more IoT devices are being used in the cloud-native era, more stringent security protocols are necessary to ensure data isn’t compromised as its being shared between IoT. IoT security keeps the IoT ecosystem safeguarded at all times.
Zero Trust
Zero trust is a cybersecurity strategy where every user is verified and every connection is authorized. No one is given access to resources by default. Under this model, cybersecurity pros require verification from every source regardless of their position inside or outside the network perimeter. This requires implementing strict access controls and policies to help limit vulnerabilities.
Keep Reading: This post is excerpted from a longer article addressing this topic. Visit our What Is Cybersecurity? page for additional important insights.
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