Thursday, November 15, 2012

Important Aspects of Cyber Security


Cyber security is of paramount importance in view of continuing cyber attacks and increasing range of malware and viruses. Most organizations and enterprises run their business online and hence are connected to the Internet and other private networks. This exposes them to a variety of risks, which includes identity thefts and loss of crucial data. Loss of critical data can cause great damage to any organization, and can even close down a business enterprise. A strong cyber security system is the first line of defense for data loss prevention, which can be supported by a good backup solution. 

Cyber security has now much broader implications, and has to be addressed as a risk management issue of the entire enterprise, rather than merely an IT problem. Security breaches are now common, in not only consumer and financial systems, but also in systems of industrial control, as most systems now use open technologies and platforms. The first line of defense would obviously be early detection of an attack or malware, and in this aspect, deep packet inspection plays an important role. 

Deep packet inspection is a type of filtering system that examines network data packets especially the header, for non-compliance of protocol. This will usually reveal whether it is a malware, intrusion, or some form of spam. The deep packet inspection system then decides whether such packet has to be let through, or diverted to another destination for further analysis and statistical information.  

Although a strong defensive and filtering architecture forms the basis of a good network security system, it should also have an effective incident response plan to counter new threats. In today's world, a computer system will be bombarded with numerous cyber attacks daily, and if the defense mechanism fails to cope with the new threat, there should be an incident response plan in place to control the damage or counter the attack effectively in a timely manner. Incident response is now becoming an important aspect of protection and data loss prevention at the national level, and governments of various countries are forming expert teams and procedures for combating new cyber threats. 

It is not possible to have a foolproof system, as cyber criminals keep improving their techniques and come out with superior malware. Cyber security is an evolving science as new methods and techniques are developed constantly in view of new threats. However, the basic principles and strategies have remained the same, and they still play an important role in developing an effective system for security. In addition, having an effective online backup solution is an important aspect of a security system. With a good backup plan, there is hardly any risk of data being lost, even in the worst cyber attack.