Cybersecurity - The Noob's Guide

Cybersecurity is a crucial aspect of modern life, as nearly every aspect of our personal and professional lives is powered by computers and the internet.

Understanding what cybersecurity entails, as well as the various threats and vulnerabilities that exist is essential to protecting yourself and your information.

With over five (5) billion active internet users worldwide, a quintillion bytes of data is generated every second. The importance of protecting this information cannot be over-emphasized.

In this post, we'll dive into what cybersecurity is, key terms and concepts, and how the field is evolving.

What is Cybersecurity?

Cybersecurity, also known as information security (IS), is the practice of protecting computers, electronic devices, networks, and data from attacks, theft, unauthorized access, and other malicious acts. IS is an increasingly important field in the digital age, as people and organizations become more reliant on technology.

Common Terms and Concepts

Threats: Cybersecurity threats are events or situations that have the potential to cause harm or damage to information systems, networks, or data. There are many types of cybersecurity threats, such as malware, phishing, DDoS attacks, and ransomware.

Vulnerabilities: A vulnerability is a weakness in a system or network that can be exploited by a threat actor to gain unauthorized access or steal sensitive data. Examples of vulnerabilities include unsecured wireless networks, outdated software, and weak passwords.

Threats A threat is a malicious actor or event that can exploit a vulnerability to invade an organization's network system.

Risk: A risk refers to a potential data loss, theft, erasure or disruption of the business activities of an individual or organization. It arises from a threat attacking the organization.

Cybercrime: Cybercrime involves the use of technology to commit illegal activities, such as hacking, identity theft, or financial fraud. Cybercrime is a growing threat and costs the global economy billions of dollars each year.

Cyber Law: Cyber law is a branch of law that deals with legal issues related to the use of technology, including cybersecurity. Cyber laws vary by country and cover topics ranging from data privacy to online harassment.

CIA Triad: The CIA triad consists of three core principles of information security: confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Confidentiality ensures that information is only accessible to authorized users, integrity ensures that information is accurate and unaltered, and availability ensures that information is available when needed.

Social Engineering: This refers to the manipulation of people (e.g. company employees) by malicious actors, to obtain sensitive information out of them. It is a very broad spectrum of cyber attacks as it involves physiological warfare.

Unsuspecting people fall victim very easily and are thus vulnerable to this technique.

Phishing: This is one of the most common social engineering attacks globally. Generally, a threat actor (malicious hacker) sends a link (via E-mail, SMS, Whatsapp, etc.) to many random people. The website will require them to fill in a bunch of personal information (name, gender, address) in return for some false benefits.

How is Cybersecurity evolving?

The field of cybersecurity is constantly evolving to keep up with new threats and technologies. With the rise of the Internet of Things (IoT), technologies such as blockchain, and artificial intelligence (AI), new threats are emerging, and new solutions are needed to keep information safe.

Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused an increase in cybercrime, as more people are working from home and using vulnerable personal devices.

In conclusion, cybersecurity is a critical aspect of modern life, and there are many threats and vulnerabilities to be aware of by understanding key concepts and staying safe on the internet.

Written By: muhammed olosasa