Cyber Security Approaches
With the dawn of technology age, the primary concern for any organization or nation is cyber security. Cyber-attacks are increasingly on the rise resulting in loss of millions in revenue, loss of crucial information, or direct physical harm to individuals (Petukhov & Kozlov, 2008). To preserve the fundamental security goals such as integrity, confidentiality, and availability various protection measures have to be considered. Some are effective but not as much as we would like them to be since cyber penetrators often go unnoticed or sometimes notice but not caught.
I think that the first approach to strengthening cyber defense should be a periodic improvement of intrusion detection software (IDS). An organization with a well-tiered IDS system should have a good chance of catching a cyber-penetrator (Patil, Rane & Meshram, 2012). These systems should be updated regularly as they should be the first line of surveillance. Features such as artificial intelligence should be included in these programs to ensure that apart from the updates, they can recognize hacker signatures and malware patterns. Thus, cyber criminals are more likely to be caught with an adaptable automatic detection system.
Companies and institutions should invest in research. Just like any other field cyber security is dynamic. Dedicated research and development teams would be critical in studying the evolving world of technology. They would be responsible for coming up with technologies that match the changing demands and threats in the cyber world preparing organizations in case of an attack (Grimes, 2012). Consequently, investment in research and development would prove instrumental in enhancing cyber security.
The other approach can be an investment in penetration testing. Pen testers are responsible for thinking like cyber attackers. They emulate penetrator behavior in a controlled environment using easily available tools to obtain information about network systems. The tools provide a platform which they use to exploit vulnerabilities and or circumnavigate controls in a system (Petukhov & Kozlov, 2008). Therefore, by playing the fool, pen testers can set traps for hackers or point out a weakness in a network.
In essence, cyber security practical approaches are essential for any organization or institution in today’s era. Using a highly flexible IDS system can be considered as the primary surveillance option. Additionally, companies can opt to invest research and development projects in enhancing their preparedness in the event of a cyber-attack. Lastly, pen testers can be used to set traps for system penetrators or even detect vulnerabilities in the system.
References
Grimes, J. (2012). Cyber security R&D; Something for everyone. Retrieved from https://www.uab.edu/cas/home/images/Documents/Research_and_Centers/Past_Innovation_Forums/073112/073112_Cyber_Security_RD.pdf
Patil, S., Rane, P., & Meshram, D. B. (2012). Ids vs. ips. Proceedings of International Journal of Computer Networks and Wireless Communications, 2. Retrieved from www.ijcnwc.org/papers/vol2no12012/16vol2no1.pdf
Petukhov, A., & Kozlov, D. (2008). Detecting security vulnerabilities in web applications using dynamic analysis with penetration testing. Computing Systems Lab, Department of Computer Science, Moscow State University. Retrieved from https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/9d33/19d49a52395e37bc6ba29c1e3282c0f0a06a.pdf
