Importance of cyber security

Look around today’s world, and you’ll see that daily life is more dependent on technology than ever before. The benefits of this trend range from near-instant access to information on the Internet to the modern conveniences provided by smart home automation technology and concepts like the Internet of Things.

With so much good coming from technology, it can be hard to believe that potential threats lurk behind every device and platform. Yet, despite society’s rosy perception of modern advances, cyber security threats presented by modern tech are a real danger.

A steady rise in cybercrime highlights the flaws in devices and services we’ve come to depend on. This concern forces us to ask what cyber security is, why it’s essential, and what to learn about it.

What is Cyber Security?

Cyber security is a discipline that covers how to defend devices and services from electronic attacks by nefarious actors such as hackers, spammers, and cybercriminals. While some components of cyber security are designed to strike first, most of today’s professionals focus more on determining the best way to defend all assets, from computers and smartphones to networks and databases, from attacks.

Cyber security has been used as a catch-all term in the media to describe the process of protection against every form of cybercrime, from identity theft to international digital weapons. These labels are valid, but they fail to capture the true nature of cyber security for those without a computer science degree or experience in the digital industry.

Cisco Systems, the tech conglomerate specializing in networking, the cloud, and security, defines cyber security as “…the practice of protecting systems, networks, and programs from digital attacks. These cyberattacks are usually aimed at accessing, changing, or destroying sensitive information; extorting money from users; or interrupting normal business processes.”

Why is Cybersecurity Important?

In today’s digital world, one cannot ignore cybersecurity. One single security breach can lead to exposing the personal information of millions of people. These breaches have a strong financial impact on the companies and also loss of the trust of customers. Hence, cyber security is very essential to protect businesses and individuals from spammers and cyber criminals.

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