7 Types of Cyber Security Businesses Should Know About
Every year, October is dedicated to helping build awareness around cyber security. In 2004, the U.S. Congress designated October as Cybersecurity Awareness Month to raise awareness about protecting data against cyber attacks and help consumers stay safer and more secure online.
To protect confidential data from malicious cyber attacks, Cybersecurity Awareness Month was officially launched by collaborations between the U.S. Department of Home Security and the National Cybersecurity Alliance. Since then, businesses have used this month to review their cyber security policies.
For SMBs, it’s essential to understand the different types of cyber security and how taking precautions in certain areas will help protect them. There are seven types of cyber security that all businesses should know about that will help strengthen their online and digital presence:
Network Security
Since all digital data relies upon an internet connection for its transfer and storage, organizations must have a solid network security plan and guidelines. Network security consists of the practices, methods, and protocols designed to secure the data in a network system from cyber security threats. The biggest concern for any business regarding network security is preventing unauthorized users from getting into their system and causing irreversible damage like data theft, ransomware, and spyware.
A research report reveals that between 2019 and 2020, malware increased up to 358%. The best measures to implement for this type of cyber security include:
- Setting up a firewall
- Assigning proper access control
- Working through a VPN
- Encrypting email
- Installing anti-malware and antivirus software for network systems
Cloud Security
The adoption of cloud computing for small businesses and large enterprises became a common trend in 2018, and it has been growing ever since. In 2022, some reports show that 60% of corporate data will be stored in the cloud. However, with the growing number of businesses depending on the cloud, the percentage of security threats is also increasing. It’s important to understand that keeping cloud data secure is different from securing data stored on-premises.
According to the findings of a 2021 survey, 79% of the companies using cloud computing were exposed to at least one data breach in the previous 18 months. Cloud security focuses on the controls and services for protecting cloud data against cyber attacks. SMBs can enhance their cloud security by partnering with a reliable cloud provider and following best practices for cloud security.
Endpoint Security
Endpoint security involves ensuring the safe use of end-user devices such as desktops, laptops, and tablets. Endpoints are the gateways that hackers use to access a business network or cloud solution.
According to Gartner, in 2020, there were only 5.8 billion endpoints in use among enterprises, meaning hackers had billions of entry points for their cyberattacks. Your company’s endpoint security improves when you invest in the right endpoint security solution that detects risks beforehand and offers abrupt solutions.
Endpoint security focuses on the entire network and provides visibility into all connected endpoints from a single location. Standard endpoint security tools include spam filters, firewalls against malicious activity, and anti-phishing software.
IoT Security
While the Internet of Things (IoT) devices have revolutionized the business world, they have exposed us to new cyber security risks. The focus of IoT security is to detect, monitor, and secure the devices connected to the internet and fix the flaws and vulnerabilities that lead to greater cybersecurity risks for your business.
For SMBs, IoT security can be challenging as it’s difficult to install a security tool on individual devices. However, some proven practices increase IoT security, including regular updates, two-factor authentication, audits of connected devices, disabling unused hardware, automatic antivirus software, etc.
Mobile Security
Mobile security is something businesses often neglect because their focus is on protecting confidential business and customer data. It addresses the risk of sensitive information transmitted through mobile devices and the measures to protect personal data from malicious practices like jailbreaking, phishing, hacking, etc.
Recent statistics reveal that one in every four mobile applications is exposed to at least one security defect. So, when employees connect mobile devices to business networks and store crucial data on those devices, it exposes the business to cyber security attacks. Mobile security for an organization improves significantly simply by training employees to separate their personal and business cell phones and information.
Application Security
With the many applications businesses use, application security is a growing focus within organizations. Common application security threats include software injection attacks, cross-site scripting attacks, and buffer overflow attacks.
There are plenty of application security tools, but all businesses need security testing tools and application shielding products. Application security tools enable organizations to identify security weaknesses and vulnerabilities in application source code. Application shielding prevents hackers from penetrating an application and altering the code or attaching malware.
Operational Security
According to a report by the World Economic Forum, 95% of cyber security breaches occur due to human errors. When there are no procedures to identify who should have access to specific information, companies run the risk of a data leak.
For operational security, employees need training on password protection, phishing attacks, and how to identify and counter them. Moreover, re-evaluate your business processes using security assessment to detect risks in everyday practices. Recovery plans, management changes, and restricted control can also lower your business’s chances of operational flaws.
The purpose of operational security is to prevent crucial data from getting into the wrong hands by the negligence of people and by risky operations.
Staying ahead of data threats becomes easier when you completely understand these cyber security types. Taking a proactive approach with all components in your digital environment is only possible when you know what cyber security components are essential. It’s impossible to check and make changes when you don’t even know where to look. Take this Cybersecurity Awareness Month to examine the security strategies of your company, make needed adjustments and protect critical information from cyber attacks.
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