Cybersecurity is the set of tools, risk management approaches, technologies, training and best practices that work together to protect networks, devices, programs, data and people from attack or unauthorized access. It is a rapidly evolving field that deals with multiple threats, both known and unknown.
With more people, businesses and governments getting online, cybersecurity is a growing and highly desirable career option. This is because a strong security system will strengthen a business’ brand and trust among customers, as well as keep malicious hackers out of sensitive information.
There is a massive amount of data being created, storing and transmitted around the world. Some of it is incredibly sensitive, including personally identifiable information (PII) and intellectual property, making it a high priority for companies to secure it. Other data is not as private, but still critical to a company’s operations such as transactional systems or financial information.
This type of data is often the target of attacks such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting or other malware. Denial-of-service attacks (DoS) can also be used to disrupt or take down a device or network by overwhelming it with traffic until it is unusable. These types of attacks can be launched by nation-states or hacktivists, such as the group Anonymous.
Fortunately, there are many ways to train to become a cybersecurity professional. Many professionals with IT backgrounds have transferable skills to this industry, and a few accelerated courses or bootcamps can help streamline the process of learning the necessary knowledge to advance in the field. MDR