What Boards Need To Know About Cybersecurity?

Information technologies are now introduced in almost all spheres of economic activity. They help make business more efficient and sustainable, open up new development prospects, and often actually become the basis of many business processes. However, they also bring new threats.

Definition of the Cybersecurity in Modern Business

Cybersecurity works on the same principle as offline security; that is, its purpose is to ensure the protection of users and their computer systems. In the real world, you can install a video intercom and lock it on all windows, but on the Internet, everything is not so simple. Internet scammers can access your information in a variety of ways. They may even convince you, quite deliberately, to send them data simply because you don’t realize you’re being scammed. The Internet is a dangerous space, especially if you are alone, so you need to be sure that you are safe.

Cybersecurity finds application in a wide variety of areas, from business to mobile technology. In this direction, several main categories can be distinguished:

    1. Network security – actions to protect computer networks from various threats, such as targeted attacks or malware.
    2. Application Security – Protect devices from threats that criminals can hide in programs. An infected application can give an attacker access to the data it is supposed to protect. Application security is ensured at the development stage, long before it appears in open sources.
    3. Information security – ensuring the integrity and privacy of data both during storage and during transmission.

New Information Technologies to Improve Cybersecurity in Boards

Today, when the world is increasingly moving into virtual reality, the problem of protecting personal and commercial information is particularly acute. This is why cybersecurity professionals are among the most in-demand in the job market.

Cybersecurity is about protecting systems, networks, devices, and data from cyberattacks such as code injection, data leaks, and ransomware. The goal of cybersecurity is to protect computer networks (both local and public) from external threats. Information technologies are used not only for business operations but also for unfair competition; they are often used by attackers. The most common threats include:

      • hacking sites and databases;
      • distribution of malware;
      • theft of confidential data;
      • obtaining remote access to the internal infrastructure;
      • editing or destroying databases in order to disrupt the normal functioning or completely block the work of the organization.

The main preventive measure today is the use of firewalls, the so-called “firewalls,” which filter incoming packets. An important security measure is the use of cryptography to protect files, and authentication procedures for accessing data (the simplest way is to enter a password, or biometric checks). Modern operating systems are equipped with algorithms for checking and scanning for possible threats.

What Do Cybersecurity Measures Protect Against?

Cybercriminals are motivated by greed, and there are hundreds of different ways to get you to part with your money. In some cases, criminals target your bank account, and sometimes they try to get your identity. In some truly frightening situations, cybercriminals can gain full access to your computer as if they were right in your home.

The goal of cyber security is to provide protection against cyberattacks. Vulnerability scanning, penetration testing, firewalls, and multi-factor authentication schemes all fall into the realm of cybersecurity. A cybersecurity specialist protects IT systems from hacks and malware, and stops and prevents theft and data leakage. Also, cybersecurity specialists work proactively: they calculate the possible risks and vulnerabilities of the system, and strengthen its protection.