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Understanding Vulnerability in Cybersecurity: How to Keep Your Data Safe

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A vulnerability in cybersecurity is a flaw in a company’s hardware, software, or network that makes them prone to cyberattacks. In the past few years, cybersecurity vulnerabilities have accelerated tremendously due to reasons such as remote work and poor implementation of cybersecurity best practices.  

A 2020 research revealed that India had witnessed a 100% rise in cyberattacks, with the number of cybersecurity incidents touching a total of 3.94 lakhs. Furthermore, the report revealed that phishing attacks were the most common form of cybercrime.  

To combat these threats, it is crucial to identify and fix vulnerabilities in cybersecurity.

Here, we look at how to keep businesses safe from cyberattacks. We will start with understanding the meaning of vulnerability in cybersecurity.

What Is A Vulnerability In Cybersecurity? 

In the world of cybersecurity, a vulnerability is a weakness in a system or software that can be exploited to access sensitive data related to business or customers. Many reasons cause cybersecurity vulnerabilities, which we will discuss in detail.  

Here are some real-life examples of vulnerability in cybersecurity:  

• Missing data encryptions  
• Downloading codes without integrity checks  
• Using broken algorithms 
• URL redirection to untrustworthy websites  
• Weak and unchanged passwords  

Also Read: Who is a Cyber Security Analyst? Salary, Skills & Career

What Are The Top Three Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities, And How To Fix Them? 

There are many cybersecurity vulnerabilities that you can face in today’s time. Some include system misconfigurations, weak authorization credentials, poor data encryption, poor access control, system complexity, and software bugs.  

Here we have listed the top three cybersecurity vulnerabilities- their causes and how to fix them.  

1# Lack Of Security Awareness  

Sometimes employees take cybersecurity too lightly due to the lack of security awareness or others. This can expose the company’s sensitive information and lead to frequent break-ins from unauthorized sources.

What are the causes of poor security awareness and how to fix it? 

The most common cause of poor security awareness is less or no security awareness training. Therefore, companies across industries can arrange security awareness training programs for their employees.

Many training programs are available that companies can choose from. However, when choosing a security awareness program, companies should have the following approach: 

• The program must reinforce security awareness concepts  
• The training program must track an employee’s success  
• The program must conduct mock tests. For instance, ‘live fire’ exercises are used to check the understanding of employees about phishing emails and other tactics 

2# Lack Of Credential Management  

Poor credential management and authentication practices across organizations put everyone at risk. Often people use the same passwords, easy-to-guess passwords, or use unauthorized websites that put the company at risk. Hackers use these vulnerabilities to break into the company’s network or system.  

What are the causes of the lack of credential management and how to fix it? 

The main reason for poor credential management and weak authentication is the lack of knowledge about credential lifecycle and policy. This means that employees are unaware of password policies, services that shouldn’t be accessed, or unsafe websites.  

Sometimes businesses need an endpoint security system in place which puts the company devices and servers at risk. Endpoint security protects the company’s device from being misused. It strengthens the firewall and blocks unauthorized websites.  

Here are some ways you can solve these issues:  

• Adopt strict password policies and encourage employees to develop long and more complex passwords.  
• Encourage employees to change passwords frequently and avoid making poor password decisions.  
• Use multi-factor verification (MFV) for sensitive data. This keeps sensitive data safe and secure because it provides the authorization of sensitive data to one person.  

3# Poor Data Backup And Recovery  

The increase in ransomware has made it important for companies to back up their data as backing data makes it easy to recover all the sensitive information on time.  

For the unversed, ransomware is a type of malicious software that blocks access to a computer system or network. 

What are the causes of poor data backup and how to fix them?  

Many organizations neglect one or more facets of backup and recovery, including database replication, storage synchronization, and more. This leads to data loss during the backup process.  

The only way to fix this for organizations is to develop a backup and recovery strategy that puts backing up all important data as a priority. This ensures that the company doesn’t lose any data during the transfer. Alternatively, it also helps the company recover data in case of a data breach. You can look at tools that accommodate granular backup and recovery.  

Also Read: Top Cybersecurity Trends to Keep your Businesses Safe in 2023

Get Well-Versed In The Latest Hacking Techniques And Technology

A vulnerability in cybersecurity opens doors to frequent break-ins. Therefore, companies must take quick steps as soon as they realize a vulnerability in their system or network. For that, companies need to be well-versed with the latest hacking techniques and technology. This will help them identify cybersecurity threats and vulnerabilities.  

Acquire the right technical knowledge and upskill yourself with the latest cyberattack techniques and technology by taking an online certificate course.

Emeritus has partnered with renowned institutes like IIM and IIT to offer cybersecurity certificate courses directly from industry experts. The courses are designed for fresh graduates and experienced professionals to improve their preparedness and response against cybersecurity vulnerabilities and attacks.   

Frequently Answer Questions 

1. What Is Vulnerability Management?  

Vulnerability management is the practice of identifying and mitigating vulnerabilities. It provides a 360-degree view of a business’s system, network, and processes, helping companies avoid cybersecurity mistakes.  

Vulnerability management consists of three vital steps:  

1. Vulnerability detection: This process includes three methods- vulnerability scanning, penetration testing, and Google hacking that help companies test their cybersecurity practices.  
2. Vulnerability assessment: A vulnerability assessment determines the organization’s vulnerabilities and fixes them in time.  
3. Addressing vulnerabilities: In this step, organizations work with expert cybersecurity professionals to identify ways to treat a vulnerability.  

2. What Are Cybersecurity Databases, And Do I Need One? 

A vulnerability database is a place where all security vulnerabilities are collected and maintained. The database stores information about vulnerabilities and their potential impact on the organization. Some examples of vulnerability databases are National Vulnerability Database (NVD) and Open-sourced Vulnerability Database (OSVDB).  

Every organization irrespective of the size and line of business must use vulnerability databases. It helps them maintain a full list of vulnerabilities their business is facing. Moreover, it gives them details about vulnerabilities that hackers can misuse

3. How Are Cybersecurity Threats, Risks, And Vulnerabilities Different?  

In cybersecurity, terms like vulnerability, risk, and threat might sound similar but they have different meanings.  

Risk refers to the possibility of a negative event and its impact on the company’s data. Risk cannot be avoided. But with cybersecurity, you can minimize its effect.  

Conversely, a threat refers to a process that increases the possibility of a negative outcome. For instance, vulnerability is a threat that can expose a company’s sensitive data. Lastly, vulnerability is a weakness in an organization’s network or computer system.