Reasons why cybersecurity degree is worth studying will be highlighted here for you to have a good grasp of knowledge about it. Cybersecurity is the protection of computer systems and networks from attacks by malicious actors that may result in unauthorized information disclosure, theft of, or damage to hardware, software, or data, as well as from the disruption or misdirection of the services they provide.
It is also the practice of protecting internet-connected systems such as hardware, software and data from cyberthreats. Cybersecurity is one of the most significant challenges of the contemporary world, due to both the complexity of information systems and the societies they support. Security is of especially high importance for systems that govern large-scale systems with far-reaching physical effects, such as power distribution, elections, and finance.
Various people or parties are vulnerable to cyber attacks; however, different groups are likely to experience different types of attacks more than others. In April 2023, the United Kingdom Department for Science, Innovation & Technology released a report on cyber attacks over the last 12 months.
They surveyed 2,263 UK businesses, 1,174 UK registered charities and 554 education institutions. The research found that “32% of businesses and 24% of charities overall recall any breaches or attacks from the last 12 months.” These figures were much higher for “medium businesses (59%), large businesses (69%) and high-income charities with £500,000 or more in annual income (56%).
Outlining the very importance of cybersecurity bring us to understanding the key reason why cybersecurity degree is worth studying:
Protections from Different Threats
Cyber security is a discipline that covers how to defend devices and services from electronic attacks by nefarious actors such as hackers, spammers, and cybercriminals. While some components of cyber security are designed to strike first, most of today’s professionals focus more on determining the best way to defend all assets, from computers and smartphones to networks and databases, from attacks.
Good Employment
Companies need the expertise of cybersecurity professionals to prevent data theft and compromise. This has led to fast employment growth and continued demand for professionals in this field. As long as digital assets exist, cybersecurity professionals will be in demand
Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity Planning
Not all threats are human-based. The DR BC subdomain covers processes, alerts, monitoring, and plans designed to help organizations prepare for keeping their business-critical systems running during and after any sort of incident (massive power outages, fires, natural disasters), and resuming and recovering lost operations and systems in the incident’s aftermath.
Protection From Cybercrime
Cyber security has been used as a catch-all term in the media to describe the process of protection against every form of cybercrime, from identity theft to international digital weapons. These labels are valid, but they fail to capture the true nature of cyber security for those without a computer science degree or experience in the digital industry.
Avoiding Financial Loss
In today’s digital world, one cannot ignore cybersecurity. One single security breach can lead to exposing the personal information of millions of people. These breaches have a strong financial impact on the companies and also loss of the trust of customers. Hence, cyber security is very essential to protect businesses and individuals from spammers and cyber criminals.
Common Software Threats That Cybersecurity Helps Avoid
- Cyberterrorism: This threat is a politically-based attack on computers and information technology to cause harm and create widespread social disruption.
- Malware: This threat encompasses ransomware, spyware, viruses, and worms. It can install harmful software, block access to your computer resources, disrupt the system, or covertly transmit information from your data storage.
- Trojans: Like the legendary Trojan Horse of mythology, this attack tricks users into thinking they’re opening a harmless file. Instead, once the trojan is in place, it attacks the system, typically establishing a backdoor that allows access to cybercriminals.
- Botnets: This especially hideous attack involves large-scale cyberattacks conducted by remotely controlled malware-infected devices. Think of it as a string of computers under the control of one coordinating cybercriminal. What’s worse, compromised computers become part of the botnet system.
- Adware: This threat is a form of malware. It’s often called advertisement-supported software. The adware virus is a potentially unwanted program (PUP) installed without your permission and automatically generates unwanted online advertisements.
- SQL injection: A Structured Query Language attack inserts malicious code into a SQL-using server.
- Phishing: Hackers use false communications, especially e-mail, to fool the recipient into opening it and following instructions that typically ask for personal information. Some phishing attacks also install malware.
- Man-in-the-middle attack: MITM attacks involve hackers inserting themselves into a two-person online transaction. Once in, the hackers can filter and steal desired data. MITM attacks often happen on unsecured public Wi-Fi networks.
- Man-in-the-middle attack: MITM attacks involve hackers inserting themselves into a two-person online transaction. Once in, the hackers can filter and steal desired data. MITM attacks often happen on unsecure public Wi-Fi networks.
- Denial of Service: DoS is a cyber attack that floods a network or computer with an overwhelming amount of “handshake” processes, effectively overloading the system and making it incapable of responding to user requests.
