CYBER SECURITY : PROTECTING YOURSELF IN DIGITAL ERA

Cybersecurity is the protection of internet-connected systems such as hardware, software and data from cyberthreats. The practice is used by individuals and enterprises to protect against unauthorized access to data centers and other computerized systems.

A?strong cybersecurity strategy can provide a good security posture against malicious attacks designed to access, alter, delete, destroy or extort an organization's or user's systems and sensitive data. Cybersecurity is also instrumental in preventing attacks that aim to disable or disrupt a system's or device's operations.

With an increasing number of users, devices and programs in the modern enterprise, combined with the increased deluge of data -- much of which is sensitive or confidential -- the importance of cybersecurity continues to grow. The growing volume and sophistication of cyber attackers and attack techniques compound the problem even further.

The cybersecurity field can be broken down into several different sections, the coordination of which within the organization is crucial to the success of a cybersecurity program. These sections include the following:

• Application security
• Information?or?data security
• Network security
• Disaster recovery/business continuity planning
• Operational security
• Cloud security
• Critical infrastructure security
• Physical security
• End-user education

Maintaining cybersecurity in a constantly evolving threat landscape is a challenge for all organizations. Traditional reactive approaches, in which resources were put toward protecting systems against the biggest known threats, while lesser known threats were undefended, is no longer a sufficient tactic. To?keep up with changing security risks, a more proactive and adaptive approach is necessary. Several key cybersecurity advisory organizations offer guidance. For example, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) recommends adopting continuous monitoring and real-time assessments as part of a risk assessment framework to defend against known and unknown threats.

The benefits of implementing and maintaining cybersecurity practices include:

• Business protection against cyberattacks and data breaches.
• Protection for data and networks.
• Prevention of unauthorized user access.
• Improved recovery time after a breach.
• Protection for end users and endpoint devices.
• Regulatory compliance.
• Business continuity.
• Improved confidence in the company's reputation and trust for developers, partners, customers, stakeholders and employees.

How is automation used in cybersecurity?

Automation has become an integral component to keep companies protected from the growing number and sophistication of cyberthreats. Using artificial intelligence (AI) and?machine learning?in areas with high-volume data streams can help improve cybersecurity in three main categories:

• Threat detection.?AI platforms can analyze data and recognize known threats, as well as predict novel threats.
• Threat response.?AI platforms also create and automatically enact security protections.
• Human augmentation.?Security pros are often overloaded with alerts and repetitive tasks. AI can help eliminate alert fatigue by automatically triaging low-risk alarms and automating big data analysis and other repetitive tasks, freeing humans for more sophisticated tasks.

Other benefits of automation in cybersecurity include attack classification, malware classification, traffic analysis, compliance analysis and more.You can better protect yourself and your information in the digital age. Remember, prevention is key when it comes to staying safe online.