17 January, 2020
You must know, cybersecurity is the process of protecting computers, electronic devices, gadgets and data online from malicious attacks by scammers. In today’s time, cybersecurity is of immense importance to a lot of people as online predator’s debut with notorious crimes on the web. Cybersecurity is also known as electronic information security. However, the term varies in a variety of contexts.
Gone are the days when businesses would overlook cybersecurity. Most modern firms are investing heavily in cybersecurity so that they can protect sensitive data online. The shift to digital platforms has numerous advantages for companies, which is why they choose to incorporate strict security measures. As a result, many companies have witnessed massive improvements in their revenue and productivity in a short time. Cybersecurity is a rampantly thriving field in today’s time, which is why a lot of people are keen to know about it. Here are some introductory things you need to know about cybersecurity if you buy an interest in this field:
1. Most Cyber Threats Can Be Prevented
If you browse through the internet, you will come across a vast array of companies that have been attacked by online predators and lost a significant amount of money. Although these threats look complex and notorious to somebody without experience, all of them can be prevented if you take the necessary steps at the right time. People who don’t have hands-on experience of handling such threats often panic and leave such threats unattended. However, the truth be told, every threat and attack can be undone in a limited time slot. So next time your computer shows a pop up alerting you of a virus, contact a professional who can help you with it.
2. Mobile Phones Can Easily Cause Security Breaches
Even if you have the most powerful mobile phone in the world, the device will always stand a chance of getting hacked or lost when outside the office. Most companies rely on mobile devices when employees move out of the premises. However, if the device isn't protected, it will easily get compromised by negative people around. Secondly, people who use public Wi-Fi connections very often are at a higher risk of their devices getting hacked by online predators. Therefore, if you are a frequent user of the mobile phone, it is essential to take the necessary steps to protect it.
3. Most Companies Avoid Encryption
Encryption is a mainstream concept that is designed to prevent outsiders from accessing the valuable data of business if they try to access it. However, seldom do companies implement it in their organization in today’s time. If incorporated in a system, encryption can protect the company for a long time. Encryption is a very old method with numerous benefits for an organization. However, most companies overlook it because of the expense. Furthermore, the system is a bit complex. This is why many people despise installing it in their computer systems.
4. Downtime Can Cripple Businesses
The most dangerous side effect of cyberattacks is, they cause massive downtime in the business. Large businesses can recover in a short time but small businesses often need a lot of time to get back on their feet. Furthermore, the downtime is not good because it allows current and prospective customers to shift to the competitors. This way, a business loses massive revenue in terms of losing clients. An average business takes months to come up with the normal pace of the market. Therefore it is essential to protect a company’s data as much as one can to ensure maximum security against such threats.
5. IT Security Intelligence is Underutilized
Not to forget, intelligence on cybersecurity is available on multiple platforms with the help of IT veterans. However, the shocking part is that most of the information is underutilized because technicians are unaware. So if you’re interested in learning about cybersecurity, you must know how important it is to be aware of everything. In most developed countries, large scale firms are highly protected because the technicians are fully aware of everything. Furthermore, large scale firms have criminal lawyers who possess hands-on experience in solving such cases. For instance, if you're from California, you can google Orange Coutny Criminal Lawyer to get a list of all professionals working in your area.
6. Poor Email Security Poses Major Threats
Ever heard of phishing scams? They are very popular these days and can steal valuable data from a company’s computer system. One of the root causes of poor company security is email messages. Most online predators send phishing scams that cause the entire system to collapse at some point in time. Such emails are sent to steal essential data from the company. Therefore it is essential to have a strong security system that doesn’t allow such scams to cause any damage. The other most important thing for the company to do is to educate the employees regarding the treatment of such emails. Once employees know about dealing with such emails, the number of attacks in the main computer system will eventually go down.
7. IoT is All Set To Present New Security Challenges
No one can deny the fact that the internet of things is the new face of the digital world. The integration is all set to improve efficiency but will surely bring its challenges for people. This means great expertise will be needed to cater for larger threats. IoT is a modern concept that has digitized everything today. The ethos behind this concept is to reduce time and make the world more efficient in terms of everything. Just as they that with big power comes big responsibility, IoT also brings along major challenges for people to resolve. Especially if a company is using outdated and obsolete technology, the risk of several problems occurring is even higher.
8. Attacks Cause Loss of Customer Trust
When hackers attack a company, customers tend to lose some part of their trust. This is very true for companies that are related to the financial sector. Therefore, even if the company becomes successful in winning back its data, getting back customer’s trust will be even more difficult. As discussed, most companies that are related to the financial world, are often highlighted by the media as soon as they are attacked with something toxic. For a business to remain successful In the long run, there is nothing better than having massive customer trust. This trust is what transitions a business into a well reputable brand.
9. Employee Negligence is The Most Worst
No one can deny that the most dangerous threats come from hackers and notorious software’s. However, there is one major factor that can cause massive damage to the company, which is the employee’s negligence. Once an employee fails to perform his/her duty while at work, it can cause massive damage to the company in several ways. This aspect should not be overlooked and must be catered for when a company is devising security measures to protect sensitive data. In the last few years, nothing but an employee’s negligence is what has caused massive damage to the company revenue. Most firms start firing such employees, but it is better to educate them so that they can handle such situations in the future.
10. There is a Shortage of Cyber Security Skills
If you want a promising career for yourself, there’s nothing better than investing time in this field as it is the future of technology. While most firms make the best possible use of IT skills, a number of them lack basic skills to handle their security. This is because of the shortage of cybersecurity experts. So if you’re planning to study something valuable in the near future, you must dive full throttle in this field to benefit from this career option in the future. Currently, companies are actively looking for technicians who possess relevant experience in the field. People who are churning to the IT sector are rampantly following digital marketing and other shining sectors. However, there are few people who are interested in cybersecurity.
11. Cyber Attack is One of The Fastest Growing Crimes in The World
You will be shocked to know, most cyber-attacks are targeted at small scale businesses. This is because such businesses are not encrypted the way as are large scale businesses. Such firms fall prey to online predators and collapse in a short time. It is because of cyber-attacks that many small scale businesses never see the light of the day. Another critical thing to note is that there are multiple kinds of cybercrimes such as online harassment, bullying and data breaching. Most people who fall prey to such crimes are women and young children. Another shocking research revealed that more than half a billion hackers stole valuable information back in 2018. This means that this crime has got out of hand and needs to be restrained on an urgent basis. This is only possible if you aspire to become a technician and help many firms in the light of your skills.
I'm Harry Wilson, a senior digital marketing consultant at Globex Outreach. Writing is my part-time hobby because I get to share my experience with the world. Professionally, I help map out a flawless digital marketing plan for the clients at my firm.