1.1 What is Cybersecurity and Why It Matters
Cybersecurity is the practice of protecting systems, networks, and programs from digital attacks. For a corporation, this translates directly to Business Continuity. A successful attack does not just steal data — it can completely halt operations.
The CIA Triad: The “Physics” of Corporate Security
- Confidentiality (Privacy): Preserving authorized restrictions on access and disclosure.
- Corporate Example: Protecting merger & acquisition (M&A) plans, client financial records, and employee PII (Personally Identifiable Information). A breach leads to regulatory fines and loss of trust.
- Integrity (Accuracy): Guarding against improper information modification or destruction.
- Corporate Example: Ensuring financial ledgers, code repositories, or patient health records have not been subtly altered to cause long-term damage.
- Availability (Reliability): Ensuring timely and reliable access to information.
- Corporate Example: Defending against Ransomware or DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attacks that take systems offline, costing thousands of dollars per minute in lost revenue.
The “Human Firewall”: Technology blocks nearly 90% of threats. The remaining 10% — often the most sophisticated — exploit human error.
Your role: Be the final line of defense.