Cybersecurity 101: Why is it Important?

Would you feel comfortable living in a house to which a stranger had the key? Or if its doors or windows could never close?

Bad news: The internet is that house.

Source: Unsplash.

Good news: You can protect yourself.

The internet, as we know it today, is very different from its beginnings: we are not just talking to each other, but instead, we are exchanging money, playing video games, reading, shopping, etc. And not only through computers but also phones, cars, energy plants, even refrigerators!

Still, the simplicity of all of those devices talking to each other comes at a price: security. So, here is the big question: are you sure you know what to do about cybersecurity?

Yes, security sounds complicated, but no, it doesn't have to be.

A Brief Definition of Cybersecurity

According to Kaspersky¹, cybersecurity is the practice of protecting computers, mobile devices, servers, electronic systems, data, and networks from malicious attacks.

Experts predict that cybercrime damages will cost $6 trillion annually by 2021, a considerable global increase from $3 trillion in 2015². These crimes will be more profitable than the international trade of all major illegal drugs combined.

Yes, you better be cautious.

Challenges of Cybersecurity

The most formidable challenge in cybersecurity is the evolving nature of security risks. The threats countered by cyber-security are three-fold:

• Cybercrime includes individuals or groups targeting systems to cause disruption or financial gain.
• Cyberattacks frequently involve politically motivated information collecting.
• Cyberterrorism intends to undermine electronic systems to cause panic or fear.

Standard methods attackers use to control computers or networks include malware, spyware, and ransomware.

• Malware is any malicious software that damages files or systems. Commonly known as "a virus," that is just a specific type of malware that self-replicates (like the biological ones).
• Spyware is often used for surreptitious data collection.
• Ransomware waits for an opportunity to block access to a system (or part of it) until someone pays a sum of money.

Let's look at this staggering fact: Hackers stole almost 447 million consumer records with sensitive personal information in 2018.³

Are you concerned now?

Getting the Cybersecurity Basics Right

The first step is always prevention. Be cautious. Cybersecurity's best practice for individuals is to be educated and security-minded. That provides the best defense against cybercriminals attempting to gain access to your sensitive data.

It's essential to protect your most valuable data to detect and respond to security incidents. Just adopt basic cybersecurity tricks, and you will be safer than you think. For instance, do you use strong passwords? The basics matter.

Also, it is necessary to spread the word and make everyone aware of the importance of cybersecurity. Believe it or not, 90 percent of cybersecurity breaches in the United Kingdom are human errors.⁴

Cybersecurity is about people and processes; it is not just a technology problem.

Here are some ways in which you can protect yourself:

• Protect devices connected to your networks.
  Use a firewall and install anti-virus software on all devices connected to your network (at home or work). Set it up to check for updates at least daily.

• Control who has access to your systems.
  Review your user accounts and permissions to verify which apps have access to your device to prevent inappropriate access to information.

If you share devices at home, the owner or administrator should limit privileges and separate and monitor sensitive data (credit cards, private pictures, etc.).

• Your passwords need to be strong enough.
  The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has guidelines to mitigate risks⁵ , such as setting up your passwords with a minimum length of 8 characters or using apps such as Google Authenticator.

Additionally, Google recommends managing passwords with a trusted password manager, hiding written passwords, making them memorable, and avoiding personal info.⁶

• Multifactor authentication required.
  It means you need at least two things to access your apps: something you know, such as a password; something you have, such as a token; or something you are, as with biometric identification.

• Back up your critical data regularly.
  Users must back up their critical data regularly and review it periodically to confirm its restoration. Storing backups helps prevent data loss in case of a complication.

The Importance of Cybersecurity

A significant portion of your data can be sensitive information, whether personal information, financial data, or other types for which unauthorized access or exposure could have negative consequences.

As the volume and sophistication of cyber attacks grow, you need to take measures to protect your sensitive information.

Yes, the house that is on the internet may have a shaky foundation. Still, even if it is flawed, there are simple things you can do to protect yourself. There are lots of individuals committed to making it more protected.

It's up to us to make the internet livable despite its flaws.

Sources:
¹ https://www.kaspersky.com/resource-center/definitions/what-is-cyber-security
²https://cybersecurityventures.com/hackerpocalypse-cybercrime-report-2016 ³https://www.idtheftcenter.org/2018-end-of-year-data-breach-report
⁴ https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/90-data-breaches-human-error ⁵https://pages.nist.gov/800-63-3/sp800-63b.html ⁶https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/32040?hl=en