Understanding Cyber Security is no longer an option – it is a must

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Understanding Cyber Security is no longer an option – it is a must

Understanding Cyber Security is no longer an option – it is a must

Today, individuals worldwide are beginning to rely on technology for almost everything. The majority of people use the internet to access information and services that were once only available in person; these include banking, shopping, education and much more. All of this means that there are now an ever-increasing number of people who use online facilities connected to the internet at some point every day. While having all of these facilities available has many benefits, it also comes with significant risks.

One major risk faced by millions around the world is cyber threats. Cyber threats are dangers caused by hacker activities within computer networks or software programs, including theft of private data, viruses that corrupt systems or malware that damage existing technology infrastructure. To give one example: ‘The Home Depot hack  compromised more than 56 million credit and debit cards over seven months.’

Cyber threats consequences 

The consequences of cyber threats can be extremely harmful and costly. For example, in 2016, ‘the total cost of data breaches in the UK was £122.9m [over £1m sterling] per incident on average’ with ’91 per cent of businesses affected by cybercrime reported some sort of financial loss. Furthermore, it is believed that cybercrime damages the economy to the tune of billions each year worldwide. This means that understanding cyber security is not just important but vital.

s technology continues to advance at such an incredible rate, so does the risk from cyber security issues. It is thought that attacks will become even more sophisticated and damaging as we move forward. This is why internet safety and security must become a priority for all users.

There are several ways in which people can protect themselves from becoming victims of cyberthreats, including: 

  • Becoming more educated on the topic by reading articles such as this one 
  • Updating software to fix bugs that allow hackers access 
  • Joining community forums that discuss cyber threats and how they affect users worldwide

By taking steps to increase their online knowledge and awareness, individuals will hopefully avoid dangerous situations significantly as technology advances at an ever-increasing rate. If everyone takes a proactive approach towards cyber security, the future of the digital world could be a much safer environment going forward.

Why is cyber security important?

Today, more than ever before, cyber security is important. Individuals are purchasing items online every day while employees send out sensitive information over company networks. However, it is surprising how many people do not fully understand the risks involved with a lack of cyber security knowledge. Contact RemoteDBA.com to know more. 

Cyber security is about protecting yourself or your company’s data from being stolen or corrupted by hackers looking for ways into networks through software vulnerabilities. This article will cover some basic concepts in cyber security by discussing what it means to be hacked and the difference between open-source software and closed source software. By understanding these topics, individuals can protect themselves from threats that may exist on the internet today.

Protect your data 

One of the first ordered steps to protect yourself against threats online is to stop using open-source software. This is because open-source software, which is freely available to be changed by anyone in the world, leaves users more susceptible to attacks. On the other hand, closed source software is kept private and only disclosed to individuals authorized to use it; therefore, closed source software keeps hackers out of your network by ensuring vulnerabilities are fixed before they are exploited.

Most people know what an operating system (OS) is; however, many do not understand how an OS works or interacts with it daily. , What makes it unique compared to Windows or Linux is that Apple created its user interface design called Aqua to attract Mac users. For example, Mac OSX uses Darwin, which lies underneath all of Apple’s applications within Mac OSX. This is important because Apple created Aqua and Darwin itself instead of using open source software, so hackers cannot exploit the vulnerabilities found in the source code.

A hacker can break into a network through an unpatched vulnerability on an OS such as Microsoft Windows or Apple Mac OSX that uses Darwin as its base layer underneath all of its applications. Operating systems such as Linux and BSD, which use open-source software for their base layers under their operating systems, are more susceptible to cyberattacks than ones that use closed source software such as Apple Mac OSX or Microsoft Windows. This is because all vulnerabilities within the source code of open-source software are easily accessible to anyone who knows where to look, therefore making it far easier for a hacker to find ways into your network.

To prevent being hacked, one must use closed source software because it has been developed to prevent hackers from accessing the vulnerabilities found within its code. This is so all individuals who have permission to access the source code can view and edit it simultaneously instead of having individual programmers work on one piece of code at a time. However, even though closed-source software does not use open source software as its base layer, all updates and bug fixes should be done using an open-source model where everyone can freely access and update/fix the changes made by others (Nakamoto 1).   

The first step you should take towards cyber security is understanding that your personal information is not safe on an unsecured network. Open-source this is because operating systems and web browsers contain the most vulnerabilities and therefore need to be updated regularly than other applications. Consequently, you should protect yourself by using closed-source software when it just comes to operating systems and not open-source software for anything else.

The next step to protecting yourself from cyber attacks is understanding how hackers gain access into your network; this includes knowing what a DNS hijack is and how it can allow hackers into your network undetected (Lewandowski 1). A domain name system (DNS) hijack occurs when someone gets access to your router by changing its DNS settings without you knowing about it, which allows them to spy on all of the data that passes through the router, such as passwords or credit card numbers. This also gives them direct access to any devices connected to that router’s network, which are numerous if you have an active account.

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