The internet has brought us better and has transformed our lives in many ways. Cybercriminals and malicious hackers use it as a playground to hack and steal along with this positive transformation. The increased security threats drive everyone to protect their systems and networks of their homes and companies. Keeping our computers and information safe is all we want. To keep yourself away from these cyber-attacks and threats, you need to be aware of and implement computer security. If you do not take proper security measures, you may face the consequences like ruining the business, losing data, reputation, and privacy.
Computer Security is the protection provided to your computer system from any harm, theft, or unauthorized access. It is a process of preventing and restricting unauthorized access to your computer systems.
Computer security is an essential element in keeping your information and data secure. It would be best if you focused on keeping your system away from malware, viruses, or intrusion.
Your computer gets attacked due to a lack of adequate defenses. Cybercriminals or hackers take advantage of this weakness and exploit its integrity, confidentiality, and availability.
There are many reasons for a cyber attack. It is our responsibility to understand the various motives and take adequate countermeasures. Once you know the motive, it is easy for cybersecurity professionals to secure the system. The role of a Cybersecurity Professional is to protect and defend against continuously strengthening malicious threats. The following are some importance of computer security:
A malicious hacker hampers the functioning of your computer through its security vulnerabilities. There are different types of computer security threats present today. Here are some of the most common types of security attacks. Check them out.
With different malware, attackers create malicious software that disrupts the system’s functioning and damages the computer. They installed this malicious software in the target’s computer without their knowledge to extract their personal information and damage the device. Some common types of malware are:
Phishing is a practice through which the attacker sends a fraudulent message, as it is from a reputed company. It usually comes via email, bank, or other financial companies. The goal here is to steal sensitive information like credit card details, bank login details, etc.
Besides obtaining credit card information, phishing is used to get employee login details to infiltrate an organization’s network. One way to understand and steer away from phishing communication is through user education. Users need to be taught how to identify a phishing message and what to do with one when they receive it.
The Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) attack, also known as the eavesdropping attack, occurs when the attacker intercepts themselves into a two-party conversation. By interjecting themselves into a communication process, the attacker becomes a passive listener and silently steals your information.
For instance, in an online transaction, communication between you and your bank, the attacker will intervene without your knowledge and spoofs your card and pin details.
Once the attacker interrupts the traffic, they can alter the contents of your messages, impersonate the person you think you are talking to, and filter and steal data. Common entry points for MitM are through unsecured public Wi-Fi or software breaches with the installation of malware on the target’s computer.
Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS), commonly known as denial of service attack, is used to flood the systems or networks with unwanted traffic. This useless traffic restricts the user’s access to the system or server. As a result, the design, server, or network will not fulfill legitimate requests. The attacker or the botmaster commands all the botnets to access the system simultaneously to create traffic. Botnets are a group of computers connected by an attacker compromised by a virus.
SQL (Structured Query Language) Injection is a type of attack that mainly happens on websites. A SQL Injection occurs when the attacker inserts a malicious code into the target system that uses SQL statements to store data. It forces the system to reveal confidential information by submitting malicious code to a vulnerable website.
As the name suggests, it is a type of attack through which the attacker retrieves passwords. Hackers employ the following techniques to crack a password:
All organizations install computer security to protect three significant elements.
Confidentiality ensures that the information is secure and only available to the intended audience. Integrity asserts that only authorized personnel can add and alter information and function. It protects the information being accessed by unauthorized parties. Availability asserts that the system and data are always available according to the level of service.
We use various computer security methods for protecting information and data from falling into harm’s hands. These growing computer threats have pushed us to take rigorous preventive measures to stay safe. Several courses like CompTIA Security+ Course are designed for a better understanding of external attacks. Some of the methods to secure your computer system are given below:
The internet is transforming and evolving our lives. Unfortunately, the number of cyber threats is skyrocketing. The vast network has become a battleground, hackers vs. cybersecurity professionals.
New security threats pop up from time to time, and it is the responsibility of the professional to stay up to date with the techniques. With fitting Cyber Security Training, you will be prepared for today’s challenges. Apart from the means used by professionals, we must make sure our computer systems stay safe. The given methods will help lay a good foundation for computer security.
SENIOR TRAINER: NETWORKING AND PROGRAMMING
Jon Baleva is an IT professional with 20 years of experience in programming and networking. He is an expert in Python & IT Security domains as well as in Operating Systems (OS). He has trained professionals and students in IT Programming courses, Microsoft Azure, Linux & MAC OS. He is also a writer who writes on tech-related topics for various tech magazines in Philippine. He is now an IT Trainer with Edoxi Training Institute, Dubai.