What is Cyber Security?

Protecting your cyber assets and critical data

Cyber security has never been simple. And because attacks evolve every day as attackers become more inventive, it is critical to properly define cyber security and identify what constitutes good cyber security.
Why is this so important? Because year over year, the worldwide spend for cyber security continues to grow: 71.1 billion in 2014 (7.9% over 2013), and 75 billion in 2015 (4.7% from 2014) and expected to reach 101 billion by 2018. Organizations are starting to understand that malware is a publicly available commodity that makes it easy for anyone to become a cyber attacker, and even more companies offer security solutions that do little to defend against attacks. Cyber security demands focus and dedication.
Cyber security protects the data and integrity of computing assets belonging to or connecting to an organization’s network. Its purpose is to defend those assets against all threat actors throughout the entire life cycle of a cyber attack.
Kill chains, zero-day attacks, ransomware, alert fatigue and budgetary constraints are just a few of the challenges that cyber security professionals face. Cyber security experts need a stronger understanding of these topics and many others, to be able to confront those challenges more effectively.
The following articles each cover a specific cyber security topic to provide insights into the modern security environment, the cyber threat landscape and attacker mentality, including how attackers work, what tools they use, what vulnerabilities they target and what they’re really after.

Cyber Security Primer

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.
Government agencies, the military, corporations, financial institutions, hospitals, and other groups 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.

Cyber Security Careers

UMUC is uniquely positioned to fill the increasing demand pipeline for cyber security jobs. There will be a 1.5 million projected global shortfall of cyber security professionals by 2019. Source Plus, opportunities are close by: The demand for cyber security professionals is expected to grow. Source When you study with UMUC, you'll be learning in the backyard of prospective employers!

Cyber Security Glossary of Terms

Learn cyber speak by familiarizing yourself with cyber security terminology from the Department of Homeland Security.

Access +

The ability and means to communicate with or otherwise interact with a system, to use system resources to handle information, to gain knowledge of the information the system contains, or to control system components and functions.

Active Attack +

An actual assault perpetrated by an intentional threat source that attempts to alter a system, its resources, its data, or its operations.

Blacklist +

A list of entities that are blocked or denied privileges or access.

Bot +

A computer connected to the Internet that has been surreptitiously/secretly compromised with malicious logic to perform activities under the remote command and control of a remote administrator.

Cloud Computing +

A model for enabling on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing capabilities or resources (e.g., networks, servers, storage, applications, and services) that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service provider interaction.

Critical Infrastructure +

The systems and assets, whether physical or virtual, so vital to society that the incapacity or destruction of such may have a debilitating impact on the security, economy, public health or safety, environment, or any combination of these matters.

Cryptography +

The use of mathematical techniques to provide security services, such as confidentiality, data integrity, entity authentication, and data origin authentication.

Cyber Space +

The interdependent network of information technology infrastructures that includes the Internet, telecommunications networks, computer systems, and embedded processors and controllers.

Data Breach +

The unauthorized movement or disclosure of sensitive information to a party, usually outside the organization, that is not authorized to have or see the information.

Digital Forensics +

The processes and specialized techniques for gathering, retaining, and analyzing system-related data (digital evidence) for investigative purposes.

Enterprise Risk Management +

A comprehensive approach to risk management that engages people, processes, and systems across an organization to improve the quality of decision making for managing risks that may hinder an organization's ability to achieve its objectives.

Information Assurance +

The measures that protect and defend information and information systems by ensuring their availability, integrity, and confidentiality.

Intrusion Detection +

The process and methods for analyzing information from networks and information systems to determine if a security breach or security violation has occurred.

Key +

The numerical value used to control cryptographic operations, such as decryption, encryption, signature generation, or signature verification.

Malware +

Software that compromises the operation of a system by performing an unauthorized function or process.

Passive Attack +

An actual assault perpetrated by an intentional threat source that attempts to learn or make use of information from a system but does not attempt to alter the system, its resources, its data, or its operations.

Penetration Testing +

An evaluation methodology whereby assessors search for vulnerabilities and attempt to circumvent the security features of a network and/or information system.

Phishing +

A digital form of social engineering to deceive individuals into providing sensitive information.

Root +

A set of software tools with administrator-level access privileges installed on an information system and designed to hide the presence of the tools, maintain the access privileges, and conceal the activities conducted by the tools.

Software Assurance +

The level of confidence that software is free from vulnerabilities, either intentionally designed into the software or accidentally inserted at any time during its lifecycle, and that the software functions in the intended manner.

Virus +

A computer program that can replicate itself, infect a computer without permission or knowledge of the user, and then spread or propagate to another computer.

Whitelist +

A list of entities that are considered trustworthy and are granted access or privileges.