INTRODUCTION TO CYBER SECURITY FOR STUDENTS WHO ARE NEW TO THE FIELD.

Network outages, data compromised by hackers, computer viruses and other incidents affect our lives in ways that range from inconvenient to life-threatening. As the number of mobile users, digital applications and data networks increase, so do the opportunities for exploitation.

WHAT IS CYBER SECURITY?

Cyber security, also referred to as information technology security, focuses on protecting computers, networks, programs and data from unintended or unauthorized access, change or destruction.

WHY IS CYBER SECURITY IMPORTANT?

Governments, military, corporations, financial institutions, hospitals and other businesses collect, process and store a great deal of confidential information on computers and transmit that data across networks to other computers. With the growing volume and sophistication of cyber attacks, ongoing attention is required to protect sensitive business and personal information, as well as safeguard national security.

You’ve probably seen the news about companies around the world being hacked. These are companies that have millions of dollars invested in technology and have top-notch security professionals at the helm. While organizations invest in IT security infrastructure, many of them lack in the biggest security gap: The User.

People are trained to perform their jobs in technology, accounting, sales, etc. but lack the basic knowledge of how to protect company data from the outside. You can’t assume that everyone knows the rules, cautions and dangers. Hackers are getting better and better at disguising their methods, it’s not always obvious.

To have an effective security program, individuals need to know what to do when hackers call them, how to identify a hacker’s emails, how to know which software apps are “safe” to download, among other things. Probably most important is what to do when those hacker attempts are identified.

Security Awareness Training- is a critical component in protecting an organization’s most important asset – its data. Training users to identify and avoid risks and make good judgments online are critical elements of network security.

The key to leveraging security awareness training to protect your data isn’t just a one-time blast; it’s a continual learning process. That’s why a well-organized cyber security training program includes reinforcements throughout the year like posters, newsletters, videos training, evaluations and videos.