“Cyber security” is an umbrella term for the tools, technologies, and IT strategies used to ensure thorough, long-term protection of digital data. With much of our information now accessible online, the right skills and awareness are critical to curb common (and constantly emerging) cyber threats to our private data. These include small-scale cyber crimes instigated by single actors or groups (typically for financial gain or to cause disruption), politically-motivated cyber-attacks, and large-scale incidents of cyber-terrorism.
The field can be broken down into a multitude of areas, including but not limited to:
Mobile security: This type of cyber security refers to the protection of mobile devices, such as smartphones, tablets, laptops, and remote systems or hardware. Such practices are especially critical among businesses currently implementing or pursuing work-from-home practices.
Network security: This comprises all processes, policies, and practices used to secure one’s network systems and network-related resources, both hardware and software.
Cloud security: With the cloud becoming an increasingly popular tool in modern business – allowing for ease of remote work and communication – the ability to encrypt and secure such data in motion, in use, and in storage has grown ever-more crucial.
Application security: This type of security focuses on protecting the data of on-premise or cloud-based applications, Typically, such a measures are integrated during the design process of the application itself.
Storage security: These security practices focus on protecting the integrity of data while in storage, ensuring that it is also easily restorable in the case of a cyber attack (usually done through secured data copies).