Cyber Security Basics: Protect Your Business from Digital Threats

Many digital threats have proved to be dangerous and can harm individuals and organizations. For instance, malware, phishing, DDoS attacks, MitM attacks, APTs, and more. These threats cause a lot of damage in the form of loss of productivity, financial losses, data breaches, and reputational damage.

If you want to ensure that such digital threats don’t become a part of your brand or business story, then you must take the necessary steps and precautions for protecting your data/information.

But what are cyber security basics and how do you go about protecting your business from digital threats?

The Concept of Cyber Security in Layman Terms

Cyber security for business has become crucial in the digital age that we live in today. So much reliance on the internet and technology has made businesses susceptible to malware attacks, data breaches, and hacking. When that happens, the list of things you lose includes not only money but also customer trust and brand reputation.

To prevent these types of ‘avertable’ tragedies, it’s a must to invest in cyber security. This should be an important, and non-negotiable, part of every long-term business strategy. But what does it mean to get cyber security?

Cyber security involves protecting digital assets – computers, smartphones, etc. Or any other information you want to keep safe from unauthorized access, damage, or theft. You implement certain measures for securing your online activities.

Cyber security is the same as placing a lock on the front door of your house so your physical property is protected against any harm or robbery. In this case, cyber security safeguards your “digital” property. As a result, cybercriminals will find it next to impossible to gain access to any personal or sensitive data of yours.

Cyber Security Basics for Beginners

1. Confidentiality

One of the essential principles of cyber security is confidentiality – only authorized individuals have the rightful passage to this kind of sensitive information.

If you want to protect your financial and/or personal data, the confidentiality principle is the most important. It also applies when you want to keep safe even your intellectual property.

2. Integrity

Reliability and security are the primary points here – your systems and data are kept miles and miles away from the reach of unauthorized changes or modifications. The principle of integrity consists of implementing defenses for protecting your data so no one tampers with it.

The safeguards implemented ensure verification that the data hasn’t been corrupted or altered.

3. Availability

Recent cyber attacks on businesses have only brought into the limelight the fact that your systems and data have to be made accessible to those authorized when needed. This implies putting into effect practices that guarantee access and operation while also preventing any service disruptions.

4. Authentication

Authentication or verification involves confirming the identity of the users and systems that attempt to gain access to resources.

A very fitting example would be password-based authentication. Either that or biometric factors like facial recognition or fingerprints.

5. Authorization

How to prevent cyber attacks on businesses? Through the simple principle of digital authorization, which just means granting access to resources that are needed, and not everything else.

You set up permission levels and access controls, so unauthorized entry to your sensitive resources and information is blocked.

6. Non-Repudiation

Valid, verified transactions make up the non-repudiation principle. Certain measures are taken to keep individuals from repudiating or denying that they’ve carried out a transaction or any sort of communication.

Conclusion

If your business model is a modern one, cyber security becomes a huge concern. Hundreds and hundreds of data breaches are confirmed among businesses in any given nation alone – breaches that compromise gigantic records. Personal data is at stake, even attacks directed toward the banking industry happen in massive numbers.

All of these, however, are data breaches that are confirmed. So imagine how many more cyber attacks occur when you take into account those that go unreported or undetected!