Types of Cyber Security
Cloud Security
Cloud security, also known as cloud computing security, consists of a set of policies, controls, procedures and technologies that work together to protect cloud-based systems, data, and infrastructure. These security measures are configured to protect cloud data, support regulatory compliance and protect customers’ privacy as well as setting authentication rules for individual users and devices.
Why is cloud security important?
For businesses making the transition to the cloud, robust cloud security is imperative. Security threats are constantly evolving and becoming more sophisticated, and cloud computing is no less at risk than an on-premise environment.
Cloud security offers many benefits, including:
- Centralised security:
- Just as cloud computing centralises applications and data, cloud security centralises protection.
- Cloud-based business networks consist of numerous devices and endpoints that can be difficult to manage when dealing with shadow IT or BYOD.
- Reduced costs:
- One of the benefits of utilising cloud storage and security is that it eliminates the need to invest in dedicated hardware.
- Not only does this reduce capital expenditure, but it also reduces administrative overheads.
- Where once IT teams were firefighting security issues reactively.
Secure Data in the Cloud
Cloud data security becomes increasingly important as we move our devices, data centres, business processes, and more to the cloud.
Ensuring quality cloud data security is achieved through comprehensive security policies, an organisational culture of security, and cloud security solutions.
Network Security
Network security is a broad term that covers a multitude of technologies, devices and processes. In its simplest term, it is a set of rules and configurations designed to protect the integrity, confidentiality and accessibility of computer networks and data using both software and hardware technologies.
Every organisation, regardless of size, industry or infrastructure, requires a degree of network security solutions in place to protect it from the ever-growing landscape of cyber threats in the wild today.
Types of Network Security
Network Access Control
To ensure that potential attackers cannot infiltrate your network, comprehensive access control policies need to be in place for both users and devices.
Network access control (NAC) can be set at the most granular level. For example, you could grant administrators full access to the network but deny access to specific confidential folders or prevent their personal devices from joining the network.
Antivirus and Antimalware Software
Antivirus and antimalware software protect an organisation from a range of malicious software, including viruses, ransomware, worms and trojans.
The best software not only scans files upon entry to the network but continuously scans and tracks files.
Firewall Protection
Firewalls, as their name suggests, act as a barrier between the untrusted external networks and your trusted internal network. Administrators typically configure a set of defined rules that blocks or permits traffic onto the network. For example, Forcepoint’s Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) offers seamless and centrally managed control of network traffic, whether it is physical, virtual or in the cloud.
Application Protection
What is application security?
Application security describes security measures at the application level that aim to prevent data or code within the app from being stolen or hijacked. It encompasses the security considerations that happen during application development and design, but it also involves systems and approaches to protect apps after they get deployed.
Application security may include hardware, software, and procedures that identify or minimise security vulnerabilities. A router that prevents anyone from viewing a computer’s IP address from the Internet is a form of hardware application security.
Why application security is important
Application security is important because today’s applications are often available over various networks and connected to the cloud, increasing vulnerabilities to security threats and breaches.
There is increasing pressure and incentive to not only ensure security at the network level but also within applications themselves. One reason for this is because hackers are going after apps with their attacks more today than in the past.
What are application security controls?
Application security controls are techniques to enhance the security of an application at the coding level, making it less vulnerable to threats.
Many of these controls deal with how the application responds to unexpected inputs that a cybercriminal might use to exploit a weakness.
A programmer can write code for an application in such a way that the programmer has more control over the outcome of these unexpected inputs.
Types of Application Security
Authentication
When software developers build procedures into an application to ensure that only authorised users gain access to it. Authentication procedures ensure that a user is who they say they are.
This can be accomplished by requiring the user to provide a username and password when logging in to an application.
Authorization
After a user has been authenticated, the user may be authorised to access and use the application. The system can validate that a user has permission to access the application by comparing the user’s identity with a list of authorised users.
Encryption
After a user has been authenticated and is using the application, other security measures can protect sensitive data from being seen or even used by a cybercriminal. In cloud-based applications, where traffic containing sensitive data travels between the end user and the cloud.
