Cyber Security Fundamentals

Study Notes

What is Cyber Security?

Cyber security refers to the practices, technologies, and processes designed to protect digital information, systems, and networks from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification, or destruction.

Types of Cyber Threats

Malware: software designed to harm or exploit computer systems, such as viruses, worms, and Trojan horses
Phishing: fraudulent emails, texts, or messages that trick users into revealing sensitive information
Ransomware: malware that encrypts files and demands payment in exchange for the decryption key
DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attacks: overwhelming websites or networks with traffic in order to make them unavailable
SQL Injection: injecting malicious code into databases to access or modify sensitive information
Cross-Site Scripting (XSS): injecting malicious code into websites to steal user data or take control of user sessions

Cyber Security Measures

Firewalls: network security systems that monitor and control incoming and outgoing network traffic
Encryption: converting data into a code to protect it from unauthorized access
Strong Passwords: using complex and unique passwords to prevent unauthorized access
Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): requiring both a password and a second form of verification (e.g. fingerprint or code) to access an account
Regular Software Updates: regularly updating software and systems to patch security vulnerabilities
Network Segmentation: dividing networks into smaller, isolated segments to limit the spread of malware

Cyber Security Best Practices

Use antivirus software and keep it up-to-date
Avoid suspicious links and attachments
Use strong, unique passwords and keep them confidential
Regularly back up important data
Use two-factor authentication whenever possible
Be cautious when using public Wi-Fi networks
Keep software and systems up-to-date with the latest security patches

Cyber Security Careers

Security Analyst: monitors and analyzes network traffic to identify potential security threats
Penetration Tester: simulates cyber attacks to test an organization's defenses
Incident Responder: responds to and manages cyber security incidents
Chief Information Security Officer (CISO): oversees and implements an organization's cyber security strategy
Cyber Security Consultant: provides expert advice on cyber security best practices and implementation.

What is Cyber Security?

Cyber security refers to practices, technologies, and processes designed to protect digital information, systems, and networks from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification, or destruction.

Cyber Threats

Malware is software designed to harm or exploit computer systems, including viruses, worms, and Trojan horses.
Phishing involves fraudulent emails, texts, or messages that trick users into revealing sensitive information.
Ransomware is a type of malware that encrypts files and demands payment in exchange for the decryption key.
DDoS attacks overwhelm websites or networks with traffic to make them unavailable.
SQL Injection involves injecting malicious code into databases to access or modify sensitive information.
Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) involves injecting malicious code into websites to steal user data or take control of user sessions.

Cyber Security Measures

Firewalls are network security systems that monitor and control incoming and outgoing network traffic.
Encryption involves converting data into a code to protect it from unauthorized access.
Strong Passwords involve using complex and unique passwords to prevent unauthorized access.
Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) requires both a password and a second form of verification (e.g. fingerprint or code) to access an account.
Regular Software Updates involve regularly updating software and systems to patch security vulnerabilities.
Network Segmentation involves dividing networks into smaller, isolated segments to limit the spread of malware.

Cyber Security Best Practices

Use antivirus software and keep it up-to-date to protect against malware.
Avoid suspicious links and attachments to prevent phishing and malware attacks.
Use strong, unique passwords and keep them confidential to prevent unauthorized access.
Regularly back up important data to prevent data loss.
Use two-factor authentication whenever possible to add an extra layer of security.
Be cautious when using public Wi-Fi networks to prevent man-in-the-middle attacks.
Keep software and systems up-to-date with the latest security patches to prevent exploitation of vulnerabilities.

Cyber Security Careers

Security Analysts monitor and analyze network traffic to identify potential security threats.
Penetration Testers simulate cyber attacks to test an organization's defenses.
Incident Responders respond to and manage cyber security incidents.
Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) oversee and implement an organization's cyber security strategy.
Cyber Security Consultants provide expert advice on cyber security best practices and implementation.