Key Cybersecurity Concepts
Understanding the foundational concepts of cybersecurity is essential for grasping how systems and information are protected. The following key concepts form the bedrock of cybersecurity practices:
CIA Triad (Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability):
- Confidentiality: Ensuring that sensitive information is accessible only to authorized individuals. Techniques include encryption, access controls, and secure authentication methods.
- Integrity: Maintaining the accuracy and consistency of data over its lifecycle, preventing unauthorized modifications or corruption. Checksums, hashing, and version control are commonly used to ensure data integrity.
- Availability: Guaranteeing that systems, applications, and data are accessible when needed. Redundancy, backups, and disaster recovery plans help achieve this.
Defense in Depth:
A multilayered security approach where multiple security measures are implemented at different levels (network, application, device) to reduce vulnerabilities.
Least Privilege Principle:
Granting users and systems only the minimum level of access necessary to perform their tasks. This limits potential damage in the event of a breach.
Zero Trust Model:
A security framework where no entity (internal or external) is trusted by default. Verification is required for every access request, regardless of its origin.
Threat, Vulnerability, and Risk:
- Threat: A potential danger that could exploit a vulnerability to cause harm.
- Vulnerability: A weakness in a system or process that could be exploited.
- Risk: The likelihood of a threat exploiting a vulnerability and causing damage.