ITcybersecurity

IT cybersecurity refers to practices, technologies, and processes designed to protect information technology systems from threats and vulnerabilities. It covers networks, endpoints, applications, data, and processes, as well as people who use and manage them. The goal is to safeguard confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information assets.

Key objectives include risk management, incident preparedness, and regulatory compliance. Organizations assess threats and vulnerabilities to determine controls and defenses appropriate to their risk profile.

Core domains include network security (perimeter and internal segmentation), endpoint security, application security, data protection and encryption, identity and access management, cloud security, secure software development, and security operations including monitoring and incident response. Governance, risk management, and compliance frameworks underpin these activities.

Approaches include defense in depth, least privilege, strong authentication, patch management, vulnerability assessment, encryption, and incident response planning. Widely referenced standards and frameworks include NIST Cybersecurity Framework, ISO/IEC 27001, CIS Controls, and SOC 2.

Common threats include malware, ransomware, phishing, supply chain attacks, credential stuffing, and insider threats. Effective defense combines preventive, detective, and corrective controls, along with threat intelligence, security monitoring, and forensics capabilities.

Challenges and trends include shortages of qualified professionals, budget constraints, and regulatory complexity. Increasing cloud adoption and remote work raise new risks, while advances in automation and AI offer both defensive tools and potential new attack surfaces.