Skills for the Modern Age: 5 Crucial Cyber-Security Essentials

Cybersecurity is becoming a critical issue in the world of technology. An IT professional cannot afford to ignore this field that is very dynamic and changes by the day.  For you to be competent and provide effective security to your company’s data you should be familiar with these cybersecurity details:

1. Types of malware

There are three main types of malware which are; computer virus, Trojan horse and worm. Any malware program is usually a combination of two or more of these viruses. A computer virus is a malware program that hosts itself inside other programs, files or digital storage to replicate.  A Trojan horse is a malware program that tricks human beings into performing a task by pretending to be legitimate. A Trojan horse does not self-replicate instead it relies on the curiosity of people to spread. A worm is a self-replicating program that uses code to spread itself.

It is important to know the basics of malware so that you can create a way to access your files in case of a malware attack. You will be able to understand how a malware program spreads and terminate it from its origin.

2. Networking and network packet analysis

An exceptional IT security professional understands networks at the packet level. He is familiar with network basics such as protocols, port numbers, network addresses, the difference between a router and a switch, layers of the OSI Model. For you to understand network packet analysis, you must, first of all, understand networks and the computers that use them. ITProTV lets you access virtual labs and practice tests basics that can help you as a beginner.

3. Basic common Defenses

Every computer has a basic common defence which a good IT professional should apply. They are known as the standards of computer security. They include logging, intrusion detection, encryption, firewall, patch management, end-user training and authentication. Understanding and applying basic IT common defences is a requirement to be a competent IT professional. It is better to go further than knowing them: you should know how good they are at stopping a malicious activity and what they fail at doing. ITProTV provides tutorials on how to decrease risks using these common defences.

4. Authentication Basics

Security professionals understand that authentication is more than providing a valid password or satisfying an ID test. Authentication begins with the process of providing a unique, valid label for any namespace such as email address or principal user name. Authentication involves providing more secrets that are only known to the valid identity holder and his authentication database. When a valid identity holder types in the correct details then it proves that the authenticated user is the valid owner of the identity.

5. Cryptography and data protection

Digital cryptography is the art of making information secure from unauthorised access or modification. Every IT security professional should know the basics of cryptography including asymmetric encryption, hashing and key distribution.

Data protection requires a lot of cryptography. Complete data protection also demands that data be lawfully collected, that you guard its privacy against unauthorised access and back it up securely to prevent malicious modification.

Conclusion

Every IT professional should be familiar with cybersecurity basics. You cannot become an excellent security professional if you do not know the basics of cyber security such as incident response, cloud security and event logging.