What is the Purpose of IT Security?

Information has become increasingly valuable in recent years. Therefore, protecting it has become even more important. IT security is defined by three IT protection objectives: availability, integrity, and confidentiality. These need to be protected. In addition, there are other parts that need to be added: authenticity, accountability, non-repudiation, and reliability.

Confidentiality of Information

The confidentiality in IT security means that data should be accessible only by certain authorized individuals. For example, only a specific group of people can access the data they contain. In other words, access protection must be defined. This implies that access rights must also be assigned.

Another central point in the confidentiality of information is the transmission of data. This should always be encrypted symmetrically or asymmetrically. This means that unauthorized individuals cannot access the content.

Integrity of Information

The integrity of information means that the contents and data should always be complete and correct. Therefore, systems must work together for their own interests. Data should not be altered through a sale or transaction process to be usable. Therefore, it is also important to note that authorized third parties should not have the possibility of having access to the current data (partially). Since only mistakes can be made, it must be proven that this manipulation art can be prevented, security can be developed, and security can be used.

Availability of Information

Ensuring the availability of relevant information means that data processing within systems should be carried out without problems. Data must be obtainable at the desired time in the correct way. This means that computer systems must be protected against failures. Therefore, there are also load tests to monitor limits in all cases to ensure the continuity of business operations.

Which Areas Does IT Security Cover?

Endpoint Security

All necessary endpoint devices, such as PCs, desktop computers, tablets, and cell phones must be protected. This includes associated applications and operating systems. Endpoint security is concerned with protecting everything that changes within the company network up to the Internet.

Internet and Cloud Security

Since information is distributed over the Internet or sent by email, IT security has taken on a new importance. The risk of systems, information, and data becoming targets of cyber attacks increases. From that point on, it is also true that the data of users or users and users are protected. Because users leave digital footprints through their movement on the World Wide Web via their digital identities.

User Security

Even users in your company can be a big risk, as they do not know what they are doing. The IT department must be very careful to counter this, as awareness is present. Whether through an application on a private smartphone or through updates on a desktop computer, the risk is there. If an email attachment is very large, it should not be immediately directed to your private email address. The IT department must create user awareness so that every employee in the company pays the greatest attention to IT security.

How can a cyber attack affect your data?

If one of these three areas of IT security is violated, it can have serious consequences for the affected companies and businesses. Cyber attacks allow cybercriminals to access confidential information such as internal information or personal data. The result can be industrial espionage, misuse of credit card data, or theft of personal identities. Manipulated data can cause production to stop because the machines no longer work properly.

Cyber Attack Methods: Which attacks are there?

Cybercrime is constantly evolving, and new methods are being developed to identify security vulnerabilities and exploit them. In general, IT security is asymmetric: for a cybercriminal to cause significant damage to a company's business procedures, they need to successfully exploit a single weakness. On the other hand, companies must provide comprehensive protection to protect their IT security.

Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs)

Advanced Persistent Threats (Advanced Persistent Threats) mean "advanced and persistent threat." Hackers use a lot of time, effort, and resources to get into a system. First, they break into a computer to monitor internal processes and then sabotage the entire network from there. This gives cybercriminals permanent access to a network, allowing them to spread more malicious software to attack the entire system.

Malicious Software

Malicious software can be any type of malicious program that can damage a virus-infected system. This includes worms, viruses, Trojans, and ransomware programs. In particular, WannaCry, Petya, and Ryuk have shown that when IT security is inadequate, malicious software can bring companies to the brink of closure or even bankruptcy. Read more about malicious software here.

Phishing

Phishing is an electronic form of fraud in which a fake email is sent to the recipient, and generally at first it is not recognized as such. This cyber attack method, in the form of a professionally looking email, is designed to trick the recipient into revealing confidential information. Read more about phishing here.

DDoS Attacks

DDoS stands for Distributed Denial of Service. In a DDoS attack, bots cause many requests to be sent to the victim's server. As a result, the affected servers become overloaded and certain services are paralyzed. Find out more about DDoS attacks here.

What is Critical Infrastructure?

Critical infrastructure refers to companies, organizations, and facilities necessary for maintaining basic social functions, health, safety, and the economic and social well-being of the population. These include, for example, energy and water companies, logistics companies, hospitals, and the financial sector. The disruption or destruction of these companies' operations will have significant effects. In addition to others, learn about the consequences and possible measures in case of cyber attacks targeting the energy and logistics sectors:

• Energy suppliers are at the center of hacker attacks
• Cybercrime threatens the logistics sector
• Cyber attacks targeting the automotive industry are increasing

IT Security Conclusion

Cybercrime has an increasing effect on a country's economic and political processes. The results of cyber attacks show, through countless events, that IT security is indispensable in today's world. If the three goals of confidentiality, integrity, or availability are not met, it can have a destructive effect on the profitability of a company.

Hornetsecurity is a first-class managed security service provider. Products include everything needed for seamless and most importantly secure communication via email and the Internet. No additional hardware or software is required.

Source: What is IT Security? - Definition and measurements!