2 weeks Ago
Cybersecurity awareness month is a time that needs to be taken advantage of. This gives us a crucial opportunity to learn a body of knowledge about cybersecurity. In an age where our personal and professional lives are intertwined with technology, the importance of cybersecurity cannot be emphasized enough.
This month offers a dedicated time for people to dive into cybersecurity principles and recognize its vital role in protecting our information. Cybersecurity is essential for protecting sensitive information, safeguarding national security, maintaining business continuity and preventing financial loss, making it a key focus in today’s digital world. At the roots of cybersecurity, several components, such as network, information, application, operation and endpoint security, work together to make a solid defense against digital threats.
Network security protects data as it travels across a network using tools like firewalls and intrusion detection systems. Information security focuses on safeguarding the data using models like the CIA triad as a baseline to develop policies and procedures to protect information. Operational security includes policies and procedures for handling data and incident response.
A framework very well known when implementing operational security is the NIST risk management framework. Endpoint security protects personal devices such as desktops, laptops and mobile devices from being exploited by malicious actors. These cybersecurity components form a defense system that helps individuals and organizations manage and mitigate digital risk.
Although these are the components of cybersecurity in general, cybersecurity is crucial for several reasons. Protecting sensitive information is one of them, and this is because if that information were to get into the wrong hands, it could lead to catastrophic events. Another reason is to prevent financial loss.
Cybercriminals can gain access to your personal or company’s bank account and drain the account. While those reasons are bad, the worst is safeguarding national security; if these get into the wrong hands, it could cause many international problems. These are only some of the reasons cybersecurity knowledge is essential in today’s world.
Cybersecurity Awareness Month is an invaluable opportunity to enhance our understanding of cybersecurity and its critical role in our daily lives. By exploring essential components such as network, information, application, operational and endpoint security we can build a robust defense against threats. These components protect sensitive information, prevent financial losses, safeguard national security and ensure business continuity.
Recognizing and implementing effective cybersecurity practices becomes more crucial in a world where technology is deeply integrated into our personal and professional lives. Utilizing this awareness month helps us acknowledge the importance of these measures and helps us manage and mitigate risks associated with everyday cyber activities. There is more to be told about cybersecurity and its importance which will be emphasized in later weeks by NIATEC Scholars.
Marcos Cantu is a student at Idaho State University pursuing his Master of Business Administration with a concentration in information assurance. He is in the National Science Foundation-sponsored and Office of Personnel Management-administered Scholarship For Service program at ISU. The SFS is a unique program designed to recruit and train the next generation of information technology professionals, industrial control system security professionals and security managers to meet the needs of the cybersecurity mission for federal, state, local and tribal governments.
The SFS program is offered at ISU through the National Information Assurance Training and Education Center..
