What Is Cybersecurity?

Cybersecurity is the practice of protecting systems, networks, and programs from digital attacks. These attacks are usually aimed at assessing, changing, or destroying sensitive information; extorting money from users via ransomware; or interrupting normal business processes.

Today, cybersecurity is primarily focused on IT infrastructure, devices and compute resources that support the operations of a company or organization. As time goes on, however, cybersecurity will need to be applied to all organization IT assets and the cloud. 

Top 7 Primary Types of Cyber Attacks

Cyber attacks come in various forms, each with its own set of methods and motives. Here are some of the primary types:

#1: Malware

• Description: Malicious software designed to harm a computer, server, or network.
• Method: Malware attacks often spread through email attachments, infected websites, or drive-by downloads.
• Impact: Can steal data, encrypt files, install other malware, or disrupt system operations.

#2: Phishing Attack

• Description: Phishing includes fraudulent attempts to obtain sensitive information (e.g., usernames, passwords, credit card details) by disguising as a trustworthy entity.
• Method: Typically done through email, SMS, or fake websites that mimic legitimate ones.
• Impact: Can lead to identity theft, financial loss, and unauthorized access to accounts.

#3: Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) Attack

• Description: In the man-in-the-middle-attack, An attacker intercepts communication between two parties to eavesdrop or manipulate the data.
• Method: Often involves exploiting vulnerabilities in Wi-Fi networks or using fake certificates.
• Impact: Can lead to data theft, unauthorized access, and manipulation of communications.

#4: Denial-of-Service (DoS) and Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) Attacks

• Description: An attacker floods a system, server, or network with traffic to exhaust resources and bandwidth,making it unavailable to legitimate users.
• Method: DDoS attacks use multiple compromised devices (botnets) to amplify the attack.
• Impact: Can cause significant downtime, disrupt services, and lead to financial losses.

#5: SQL Injection

• Description: An attacker injects malicious code into a web application’s database through a vulnerability in the input fields.
• Method: Typically involves manipulating input fields with SQL commands.
• Impact: Can lead to unauthorized access to sensitive data, data manipulation, or even deletion.

#6: Zero-Day Exploit

• Description: A zero-day attack that exploits a software vulnerability that the vendor is not aware of or has not yet patched.
• Method: Attackers often discover these vulnerabilities through code analysis or by purchasing them on the black market.
• Impact: Highly dangerous as there is no immediate defense available.

#7: Social Engineering

• Description: Manipulating individuals into divulging confidential information or performing actions that compromise security.
• Method: Often relies on psychological tactics, such as impersonation, urgency, or trust.
• Impact: Can lead to unauthorized access, data breaches, and financial losses.

There are also additional types of attacks like brute force, XSS, DNS tunneling, and insider threats.

The 3 Different Types of Cybersecurity Frameworks

Here are the three different types of cybersecurity frameworks.

#1: Control Frameworks:

Control frameworks provide a structured set of security controls (specific actions or configurations) that organizations can implement to mitigate cyber risks. The focus is on technical security measures, such as access control, encryption, patch management, etc.

Here are a few examples of control frameworks:

• NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF)
• Center for Internet Security (CIS) Controls
• ISO 27001/27002

Here’s how they help:

• Establish baseline security requirements
• Assess the technical maturity of security controls
• Prioritize implementation based on security risk
• Create a roadmap for improving security posture

#2: Program Frameworks

Program frameworks help organizations develop and manage a comprehensive cybersecurity program, encompassing people,processes, and technology. The focus is on overall security program maturity, governance, risk management, incident response, etc.

Here are a few examples of program frameworks:

• ISO 27001 (partly overlaps with control frameworks)
• COBIT (Control Objectives for Information and Related Technologies)
• Information Security Forum (ISF) Standard of Good Practice

Here’s how they help:

• Assess the overall readiness and effectiveness of the security program
• Guide the development of policies, procedures, and training
• Measure progress and maturity over time
• Facilitate communication and alignment across the organization

#3: Risk Frameworks

Risk frameworks provide a systematic approach to identifying, assessing, and managing cybersecurity risks. The focus is on understanding and quantifying risks, prioritizing mitigation efforts, and making informed decisions about resource allocation.

Here are a few examples of risk frameworks:

• NIST Risk Management Framework (RMF)
• FAIR (Factor Analysis of Information Risk)
• OCTAVE (Operationally Critical Threat, Asset, and Vulnerability Evaluation)

Here’s how they help:

• Align security efforts with business objectives
• Determine risk tolerance and appetite
• Identify and prioritize the most significant risks
• Measure and report on risk reduction over time

What is the NIST Cybersecurity Framework?

The US National Institute of Standards and Technology Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) provides a methodology for exploring cybersecurity risk, analyzing best practices, and applying advanced technologies to improve cybersecurity. 

The CSF focuses on best practices that can be applied across a wide range of IT security solutions throughout the cyber security lifecycle. The guidelines help prepare organizations for implementing cyber security best practices and them to make sure they are prepared for attacks. 

CSF guidelines for managing IT security include:

• Implementing best practices for data security
• Communication security
• Endpoint and application security
• Software and system management
• Network monitoring and management
• Business continuity planning and mitigation
• Vulnerability management

It also includes best practices for improving cybersecurity overall, including mitigating the impact of cybersecurity risk and cyber threat management.

Highlighting the Benefits of the NIST CSF

Here are the benefits of the NIST cybersecurity framework.

1. Long-term cybersecurity and risk management
2. Applicable across supply chains and third-parties 
3. Covers technical and business risks
4. Flexible and customizable 
5. Built for governance and compliance

What is a Cyber Security Maturity Model?

Cyber security maturity models provide an approach for assessing how effectively a business and its IT infrastructure are designed to protect the organization against attacks. 

The models help organizations better understand how to help ensure good IT cybersecurity hygiene—a set of steps, processes, and infrastructure required to create a cybersecurity environment that protects data and protects networks from intruders.

A cyber security maturity model assesses the readiness of an organization to implement and manage cybersecurity practices to protect its key assets against both deliberate and unintentional cyber attacks.

The maturity model covers the following domains:

• Risk management
• Asset, change and configuration management
• Identity and access management (IAM)
• Threat and vulnerability management 
• Situational awareness
• Information sharing and communications
• Event and incident response
• Operational continuity 
• Supply chain and external dependencies management
• Workforce management and cyber security program management.

Key cyber security maturity model concepts to consider include IT infrastructure – everything the business uses to operate its business such as email servers and firewalls, device security and communications infrastructure. 

Sensitive data on systems that include confidential and proprietary business information, or cybersecurity risk must be considered. And finally, information security policies and procedures. They are designed to protect systems from unauthorized access, loss, and exposure and guide the development and maintenance of a framework and approach to business practices that secure critical systems.

What is the Cyber Security Kill Chain?

Understanding attack vectors and vulnerabilities is the first step in stopping them. In cyber security, the Cyber “Kill Chain” represents the stages of an attack. Kill Chain is also a term used to describe a process of identifying threats or vulnerabilities to be eliminated before an attacker is able to exploit them.

Cyber Kill Chains also describe the sequence of events that take place after a critical event and are an important indicator of the level of threat or level of awareness within a particular organization, as known as an organization’s security posture. 

By analyzing kill chains, organizations can focus on what cyber attacks can be protected against and prevented. Understanding the “Kill Chain” also refers to the layers and layers of security that can be applied in the cyber security process that help organizations understand an attacker’s tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) and knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs). 

Cyber Kill Chains establish a framework for preventing threats from entering your system. As new threats are found, they are added to the kill chain. 

This process is called workflow management, and ensures that organizations are always protected.

Cyber Security Best Practices

Here are the cyber security best practices for securing your organization.

1. Establishing an incident response plan in case of a cyber attack or data breach.
2. Avoiding weak passwords for sensitive accounts, and limiting administrative access for small  groups while securing all endpoints.
3. Ensuring that your organization maintains a posture of improving cybersecurity each year by training employees on best practices and ensuring that all major vendors and service providers are using a common set of best practices.
4. Utilizing multiple levels of management and security controls in an effort to secure the entire organization.
5. Being aware of emerging threats, which can impact your organization. It is important that all employees, regardless of rank, be familiar with current threats, vulnerabilities, and known methods of attack.

What is a Cybersecurity Risk Assessment?

A cybersecurity risk assessment is a process used to identify potential threats to an organization’s business. The goal of the assessment is to:

• Identify gaps in organizational risk management
• Identify areas of lack of understanding and control
• Identify emerging threats

Once a vulnerability is identified, the security team attempts to mitigate the risk.

A cybersecurity risk assessment is part of the perimeter security assessment process, and the process uses applicable, proven best practices to mitigate any threats. Once the perimeter security assessment is completed, it is sent to the policy and program team for implementation. 

Other forms of processes, such as data breach notification and information security management, are additional steps that are included in a formal process as part of the holistic approach to managing cybersecurity risks and mitigating them. 

Each step in the process should be implemented in a logical order, consistent with technical standards. As a result of the risk assessment process, best practices can be developed to help organizations achieve cyber security compliance and become more secure. Ensuring that best practices are employed within an organization’s chain of command is also important, as well as establishing standards to guide the process. 

The use of a single, consistent method to assess organizations is important to ensure a coordinated approach. It also leads to a holistic approach to tackling cybersecurity risks.

What Perimeter 81 Offers Your Organization

Perimeter 81 is transforming the world of cybersecurity and secure network access and helping businesses of all industries and sizes securely move to the cloud and empower their modern, mobile workforce. 

Our knowledgeable and experienced team comes together every day to deliver a truly innovative SaaS service and create a one-stop-shop for cybersecurity offerings.