Cybersecurity has become a major issue as digital technologies are developing and playing a crucial role in various sectors. Actually, Cybersecurity is an exercise to protect data, devices, and networks from devastation, unauthorized access, or hacking.

A more powerful Cybersecurity system provides a safeguard for digital technologies and their users. These systems cover various different techniques, approaches, ideas, and threats. However, some valuable assets such as data, digital currency, and main servers are key targets for criminals.

There are various types of Cybersecurity protocols to protect data and digital technologies. Some of the key examples are Network Security, Application Security, Cloud Security, Information Security, and Endpoint Security.

Top Cybersecurity Threats to Consider

There are various critical cybersecurity threats, here are some of the most frequent and dangerous threats.

• Malware (Malicious Software)

Malware has become one of the most common types of online threats. But its severity significantly dropped over the past couple of years. It consists of a broad category including programs and lines of code causing critical damage or unauthorized access. There are various malware types such as spyware, viruses, ransomware, and Trojans.

• Phishing

Phishing targets human exposure to attack. These types of attacks include cheating someone using different tricks in getting sensitive information. Cybercriminals also motivate users to click on something that could install malware on their systems. These types of threats normally come in the form of emails.

• MITM (Man-in-the-middle) Attacks

Man-in-the-middle or MITM attacks are a form of wiretapping. Cybercriminals utilize MITM to intercept data while traveling between nodes. They copy information without disturbing any communication process. Most MITM attacks come from malware, fake links, and exposed Wi-Fi networks. They are hard to detect and considered more dangerous.

• Botnets

Another common type of cybersecurity threat is Botnet. It is a network of many infected computers as one computer gets a threat, could rapidly spread across the network. This type of threat uses DDoS (distributed denial-of-service) attacks with overloading requests to crash a system. However, massive DDoS attacks can cause more destruction including critically shutting down systems.

Major Types of Cybersecurity in 2020

• Anti-Malware Software Installation

The best and most essential cybersecurity strategy or exercise is installing anti-malware software. Most antivirus programs and services can automate malware detection and prevention operations. However, most threats start as malware, so this efficient software has the ability to stop the most common attacks.

• Implementation of Strong & Varied Passwords

The use of strong passwords is another essential cybersecurity method. Weak passwords most often cause data breaches and hacking. Use passwords containing small & capital letters, numbers, and symbols. Hackers can breach more places easily if you use the same password for multiple accounts. You can minimize risks by randomly changing passwords after every few months.

• Enabling the Multifactor Authentication

The enabling MFA (multifactor authentication) is also an excellent security idea for employees and normal users beyond a strong password. This option is simple to use and faster to set up with the ability to detect almost all attacks. MFA adds another security measure to the login and sends a one-time code to a registered smartphone of a user. It also features additional options such as fingerprint scanners or facial recognition services.

• Verification Before Trusting

You should inspect a link or respond to an email very carefully before clicking on it. Any link containing spelling errors, abnormal language, or motivation to immediately click the link is a potential security threat. Don’t trust public Wi-Fi networks because a hacker can use them to execute MITM attacks.

• Frequent Update is Essential

Most cybersecurity measures are changing randomly because cybercriminals are imposing threats with new methods to attack targets. You need to update all software on a regular basis. However, most popular cyber-attacks happened using outdated security software.