Online Security FAQ

Cybersecurity is how you secure hardware, software, and data from cyberthreats. It’s a collective term for various types of protection against online attacks.

• Critical infrastructure cybersecurity protects those institutions that society relies on, such as electricity grids, water suppliers, traffic light control stations, and hospitals.
• Application security eliminates threats in the development stage of hardware and software.
• Network security safeguards your data from unauthorized access through a network. Some examples include passwords, firewalls, antivirus, and email security.
• Cloud security is the mitigation of cybersecurity risks of data, applications, and infrastructures in cloud computing platforms.
• Internet of Things (IoT) security is the act of securing IoT devices. IoT devices include any device that connects to the internet, such as Wi-Fi routers, printers, security cameras, smart appliances, and some kids’ toys.

How does cybersecurity work?

As a subset of IT security, cybersecurity provides multiple layers of protection across all software and devices you use to protect you from digital threats. A cybersecurity network is the combination of the various security types mentioned above to detect, examine, and fix weaknesses and vulnerabilities in a system to prevent hackers from entering. On the user end, this typically means using various kinds of internet security software to ensure protection.

Why is cybersecurity important?

Cybercriminals attack anything that is vulnerable, whether it’s the IT system of a big multinational or a small company. Individuals aren’t safe either. Sensitive information that hackers may look for includes social security numbers, passport information, and financial details. They will use these for a variety of exploitative schemes, ranging from stealing money to committing crimes in your name. In a worst-case scenario, they can ruin your life without you noticing until it’s too late.

The different types of cyberthreats

Cyberthreats come in various forms, and protecting yourself means knowing about what you’re dealing with:

• Malware and ransomware are software programmed to harm a user’s computer or the users themselves. Malware is a collective term for worms, viruses, Trojans, and spyware. Hackers use ransomware to lock a user’s system and demand payment to return access.
• Social engineering is when cybercriminals trick people into giving them sensitive information, such as passing by as someone from tech support of a product you use.
• Phishing and spear phishing are types of social engineering where the victim receives a text message or an email with content that calls for user interaction – clicking on a link to provide personal information or downloading a file with a virus.
• Distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks prevent legitimate traffic on a server or website by bombing them with messages and connection requests, thus slowing or crashing them.
• Advanced persistent threats (APTs) are when an attacker infiltrates a system and remains hidden, stealing data from the inside.
• Man-in-the-middle attacks are when cybercriminals insert themselves in a conversation between two people to eavesdrop or impersonate one of the parties.

Taking the first steps to improve cybersecurity

Cybersecurity starts with changing your mindset. That is, investing time in educating yourself about the dangers and different cybercrimes. Adopt a zero-trust approach and always be cautious when opening emails, even if you think you know the sender. When it’s a link, place your cursor over it (without clicking) to see the full URL and if it looks odd, don’t click on it, and avoid downloading any attachments.

Some software can significantly help in providing further protection. Running them together is the most effective strategy, starting with a reliable antivirus or a complete internet security suite. You should always use a VPN when connecting to public Wi-Fi, although it’s always preferable to use a private network.

It’s also important to think about using a password manager to generate and store strong and unique passwords for all your online accounts. Finally, identity theft protection is essential when you suspect that your data has already been stolen.

All types of businesses suffer data breaches. The good news is that many companies have finally realized the importance of cybersecurity, such as internet security software. Endpoint security is one level above traditional cybersecurity software, providing a line of defense for each device connected to a company network. Endpoints can be computers, phones, smart printers, Internet of Things (IoT) gear like smartwatches, medical devices, and more. In short, an endpoint is any device with an internet connection.

How is endpoint security different from network security?

It’s easy to confuse regular internet security methods with endpoint security. Network security tools like antivirus software and internet security suites are crucial, while additional programs like password managers offer one extra layer of protection. However, network security tools protect only the individual endpoint on which they’re installed. By contrast, endpoint security protects all devices on a network. It’s constantly searching for suspicious activity and zero-day cyberthreats, whereas network security relies on its database and only protects against known malware.

Endpoint security comes in three forms. On-site businesses typically use the traditional method, where the administrators’ computers are physically connected to all the endpoints. However, the necessity for physical proximity and connection can be problematic and having one administrator monitor the entire company network is quite challenging. Moreover, traditional endpoint security is unable to identify fileless malware – a cyberthreat that infects a computer through legitimate software.

Why is endpoint security important for small businesses?

Home users have no use for endpoint security since a regular antivirus is usually enough to protect them. But in a small business, numerous devices are connected to a shared network and it’s virtually impossible to check whether team members run regular malware scans, receive and open phishing emails, or worse – unintentionally open the door for a cyberattack.

Every endpoint can be an entry point. One solid company policy could be to provide work devices, but most small businesses can’t afford this, hence the rapid growth of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies. Unfortunately, if a hacker enters an endpoint, they can move quickly from there. Endpoint security offers encryption for hard drives to stop a hacker in their tracks. Kaspersky Endpoint Security Cloud’s Encryption Management tool is perfect for these scenarios.

Small businesses often use office suites for work. These are handy for checking work emails, communicating with the team, and sharing files. Endpoint security can monitor these programs by connecting to inboxes and protecting them from infected attachments, phishing emails, and spams.

How does endpoint security work?

Endpoint security software uses numerous tools to provide widescale protection. For example, the Endpoint Detection and Response feature protects you from zero-day threats and fileless malware by updating its database daily. Kaspersky Endpoint Security Cloud Plus provides an affordable yet comprehensive version called Root-Cause Analysis.

Endpoint security platforms are advanced antimalware and anti-ransomware solutions that eliminates threats on all endpoints simultaneously. While proactive web security tools learn about modern malware and adapt to them, email gateways protect from phishing and social engineering attempts. Endpoint security also uses Actionable Threat Forensics to isolate a threat quickly and effectively. If a hacker gets in, the other devices are still safeguarded and encrypted by the Insider Threat Protection tool. But the best thing about endpoint security is that it provides centralized endpoint management, where one administrator can monitor several devices.

It’s safe to say that endpoint security is the next step in business cybersecurity. Educating your team and using traditional antivirus software is still very important, but one accidental click is enough to open Pandora’s Box. Endpoint security can minimize this danger to save your company from calamity.