What is Cybersecurity? Cybersecurity, also referred to as information security, is a practice that ensures the confidentiality, integrity and availability of information.

In simple words, this is composed of a set of security practices, through tools, approaches and risk management, designed to protect a network, data, devices and online programs, from possible attacks and unauthorized external access. Cybersecurity must be a concern on the part of all companies worldwide, as a secure business environment is central to the development of economic and social activities.

Given that any company may suffer this problem, it is essential for the organization to have in mind 5 specific objectives such as security measures: Identify; Protect; Detect; Reply and Retrieve.

Why is Cybersecurity so important?

Cybersecurity is extremely important as a number of government, corporate, military, medical and financial organizations store a large amount of data on computers and devices, data that is mostly confidential and with sensitive information, which, if exposed, can have high negative consequences. But not only can large companies fall victim to cyberattacks. Small and medium-sized enterprises can also be the target of external threats, which jeopardize the future of the organization and those who work in them.

Today it is essential that all companies become aware of the issue of digital security, as the number of cyber attacks has been increasingly frequent these days. From day to day increases the number of devices connected to each other through the internet, which also increases the risk of attacks. Not forgetting that most digital criminals are in constant innovation and well funded.

To help you understand the number of attacks existing worldwide, we show you a chart created through a study done in 2020, which shows by color, which countries suffer the most from this problem.

Cybersecurity Ranking in the world (2020)[/caption]

As you can see, Portugal is at a relatively safe level of cybersecurity compared to the rest of the world, with a score of 56 out of 70. However, security flaws can and will always happen to anyone, you, or someone you know. According to this same study, the countries with the highest levels of cybersecurity were Denmark and Japan. At the opposite end, with lower values we have Algeria and Tajikistan.

As Marsh Portugal Cyber Risk specialist explains, at the end of 2019, 85% of companies in Portugal placed cyber risks as the top 5 of their main concerns, 60% more than in 2017. 33% reported it as the main concern. It should also be noted that the CNCS (National Cybersecurity Center) highlights attacks on state agents in Portugal, linked to armed forces and intelligence services from several countries, among those that pose the greatest risk in 2020.

Types of cybersecurity threats and how they are characterized

A cyberattack is a deliberate attempt by an individual or set of people to violate the information system of another person or organization. In most cases, the criminal intends to find some benefit of his own when entering the organization’s system.

Some of the most recurrent types of attacks are called Phishing and Malware.

The first, as the name implies, is the act of “picking up” personal information, it can be through an email or other type of communication, leading the victim to think that it comes from someone you trust and get her to share confidential data and engage in risky actions. The criminal often uses emotions such as fear, curiosity and greed to grab his victim. Afraid of the consequences if you do not, the person must open documents or click on certain links that can endanger an entire network, and the security of the individual or organization.

A practical example of what can happen: by clicking on the link the criminal sends, it redirects to the imitation of a website, and be asked to access it with your username and password. By doing this, the victim will be passing all this information to the attacker, and is putting at risk all data that is online, bank accounts being emptied or until information is sold on the black market, hence its extreme risk.

Malware on the other hand refers to any software that may damage a device or steal information, for example, the common viruses. It can be installed on a computer manually by the criminal or gain access through other means, such as simply clicking on a link or opening a page that seems reliable and after all may not be. There are many types of malware that can break any device.

In the article Cyber Attacks and Best Practices can see in better detail what these are, and still get a better understanding of other types of attacks and how to prevent them.

I want to protect my online business, what now?

If you think ordinary antivirus will save you from all threats, you’re wrong. For total protection, experts in the field are recommended, and programs designed specifically to protect your network and data more effectively.

Many cybersecurity programs can be found online to help eliminate or prevent any of these attacks. However these are superficial and require higher investment values for greater protection of your devices. First, if you have detected a potential risk on any device, you should try to find out what type of attack it was, if it has occurred, and keep in mind the 5 security objectives that have been mentioned above: Identify; Protect; Detect; Reply and Retrieve.

To better identify the problem, see the article, Cyber Attacks and Best Practices,  where you can find several steps to take and next steps.

Once the problem has been identified, you should seek help from experts in the field, explain what happened, and understand how they can help you.

At Crispus  we aim to help all companies and individuals, in different branches of cybersecurity, from prevention to effective problem response. We operate from the protection of destruction and theft of data to your network as a prevention of financial implications.

We act on a wide range of technological measures involving networks, systems, routers, antivirus, encryption, firewall, spy and many others, which aim at all the protection and security of companies and organizations.

Ask us now for your first free audit.