It is a good idea to explain the literal meaning of Cybersecurity before working on the concept. The word "Cyber" means an abstract and wide infrastructure that processes in the infrastructure of information systems. It can simply be used as "cyber society" or "cyber life".
"Cybersecurity" is the body of instruments, policies, security concepts, security warrants, guides, risk management approaches, activities and training, the best applications and technologies in the cyber environment.
The concept of cybersecurity is often confused with Information Security. The difference between them is that information security is a technical definition whilst cybersecurity is a social one.
Considering corporations, Cybersecurity means enabling availability of functions with critical importance for operation and protecting confidential data thanks to the information security. Considering governments, Cybersecurity means protecting computer systems of citizens, corporations, critical infrastructure and government computer systems against attacks or stealing. Despite different definitions, cybersecurity expresses common activities and sources which enable a secure, private and safe access to data information targets of the individuals, corporations and governments.
During the last 10 to 15 years, of when we have been actively using the Internet, several new concepts including the word "Cyber" such as Cyberspace, Cyber spying, Cyber weapon and Cyberwar have emerged. Cyberwar has more significance than other concepts.
Today, information systems of governments and corporations can become inoperative, aircraft can crash on air, banks can stop their operations, traffic lights can malfunction or fires and explosions can happen in nuclear facilities in the event of a Cyberwar. Considering the effective results of the examples, it is clear that the statement by Rex Hughes, a NATO Security Consultant, as “The first shot of the next major international conflict or war will be fired in cyberspace” is extremely true.
In 2010, a group of hackers protesting the ban of YouTube carried out DDoS attacks to several government websites in Turkey which is an example of Cyberwar.
During Cyberwar, hacker groups, commercial brands, companies and governments can be considered as interested parties.
When threats in the related environment about Cybersecurity are considered, the following can be listed as the ones which come to mind first;
• Unauthorized access to the system
• System collapse
• Preventing the services
• Changing data
• Exterminating data
• Exposing data
• Stealing data
The most common cyberattack types in the world are preventing the services (DoS, DDoS), social engineering, viruses, Trojan, key logger software, network scanning, phishing, spams, clickjacking, fake addresses, spyware software’s and malwares.
Some cyberattacks which had big scale effects in the world are as follows;
• I Love You virus infected approximately 45 million computers worldwide and caused almost $ US 10 bln financial loss.
• Nimda worm caused approximately $ US 3 bln financial loss.
• Love Bug virus caused $ US 10 bln loss.
• MyDoom Trojan caused $ US 4.8 bln loss.
Investments of governments and corporations on Cybersecurity have been increasing day by day as well as the precautions. Publishing laws and legislations, governments' investments in technology and defining security strategies, corporations' allocating more budget on cybersecurity and training human resources accordingly are the most important examples.
It should be noted that all the investments and studies on the subject fundamentally has the purpose to protect governments, corporations and individuals. Considering the concept as a curve beginning from the individuals and reaching to the government, everybody has their own simple duty to follow. Increasing awareness on the concept of Cybersecurity can be a good point to start.
Emre Onan
TAV Technologies Information Technologies Management and Information Security Manager