There is a scramble for experts in Cybersecurity, here’s what you need to know.
Companies are urging people in the area of technology to take a deeper dive into the Cyberspace
As the world continues to shed its old techniques and the way it approaches obstacles, there is a new world being born. A world where technology is advancing at a rapid pace. I mean Tesla was building autopiloted cars, and now they are in the process of creating humanoid robots. But, as the people of this world are creating upgraded processes for the good of humanity, others are taking advantage of these resources for the worse. Now, it’s a rat race to see which side will ultimately have control over the security of the world’s information/technology
What exactly is Cybersecurity?
If you’ve even dipped into technology, you may have seen this word or topic around. Cybersecurity has to do with the safety part of Computer science and the internet in general. This includes the security of your online account information, the government’s top-secret documents, banking information, and a whole lot more. To minimally protect these important pieces of information, you might have set up a strong password or have completed a two-factor authentication. Google or Apple might have sent you a security update for your device or you might have installed a VPN to prevent any connection hacking.
And though you may have not seen if you were digitally attacked, there is a chance that it has happened from the inside.
Overall Cyberattack Stats
- 30,000 websites are hacked daily
- 64% of companies have had at least one cyberattack
- Since the pandemic, there has been a 300% increase in cyberattacks
- $6 trillion will be spent, annually, due to these cyberattacks as of 2021.
Uncovering Slick Hacking
Phishing, fraudulent messages, is the most common type of cyber hack. Tessian reported that 74% of organizations that are based in the United States had successful phishing attacks.
How people who receive phishing scams have a 96% chance of being through an email. And these, along with other scams such as malware, are considered the lesser hacks. Let’s move up the ladder and discuss the bigger cyber attacks
The Bigger fish
As new technologies, both software and hardware, surface, world governments, and organizations are becoming top targets for hackers. It also doesn’t help that in today’s age, important files and codes are now digitized. This makes it easier for these freak geeks to access them using programs like Ransomware and SQL injection.
- Ransomware: Putting a blockade on a computer system until money is given
- SQL injection attack: Accessing information that wasn’t meant to be displayed, specifically uses the code language SQL. This also involves the use of backend channels
UHS Ransomware Attack
A recognizable health organization, Universal Health Services (UHS) faced a ransomware attack in 2020.
According to CyberScoop, the company lost a whopping $67 million and lost crucial resources. Experts say it happened in part due to the Ryuk program. Ambulances and billing lost connection with the organization, causing them to scramble to pay for labor. NBC News further explains that the attack hit UHS on a weekend, which was a smart move for the hackers since security is lower than normal. These specific attacks are a huge danger, as health providers can’t use medical instruments to care for patients.
Multi-targeted SQL Injection Attack
A little while back in 2017, a hacker decided to use SQLi to infiltrate 60 different universities and government agencies. ZDNet says that the lone hacker “breached” different databases, which allows for the collection of private information. Securityaffairs points out that back in 2016, a Rasputin hacker has attacked governments before and sold the information off. Threatpost also mentions that some officials saw Rasputin's post for the information with a price between $2,000 to $5,000. This was particularly information regarding account credentials to test US voting equipment. In other words, we’ve come across this hacker before and were still attacked by the same guy. These attacks and losses show that as of right now there is a low number of people actually working on creating better systems for our information’s security. Let’s sum up the extent of these attacks.
How bad is it?
Due to the massive incline in cyber threats, companies are popping up with different products to push against it. Techdata.com’s security section informs us that, “Experts project that global spending on cybersecurity products and services will exceed $1 trillion cumulatively over the five-year period between 2017 and 2021 and overall market growth is expected to be 12–15% per year through 2021.” And going forward, Cobalt.io has more statistics on this matter, “A majority of cyberattacks are motivated by financial gain, nearly 86%. The second leading motivator of a cyber attack includes state espionage.” Hackers are all about causing chaos.
Government Grants and Stats
Statistics
Now in 2021, the US government is reaching out for funds to support their cybersecurity system. Again, from Cobalt.io, “There will be nearly 3.5 million open cybersecurity jobs waiting to be filled this year, with over 500,000 open positions in the United States alone.” Fedscoop goes into detail with the topic, “Of the greater $9.8 billion proposed for civilian cybersecurity, $110 million would go to support the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency‘s federal wide cybersecurity efforts..” This literally tells you that part of the world is in dire need of dependable systems.
Also, $750 million, from the proposal mentioned above, is going to agencies that have been victims affected by the recent cyberattacks. This is the current solution to “address exigent gaps in security capability” In addition to private government funds, there are grants that are available to companies/organizations to provide these systems and/or processes.
Grants
This is where the doors open for you. In this day and age, not just governments, but world-run organizations, are putting opportunities up for techies. Here are some popular sites to visit if this sparks your interest:
- Grants.gov: Breaks down the types of grants and services the government can provide
- ICSPA.org (International Cyber Security Protection Alliance): From the site, “The International Cyber Security Protection Alliance (ICSPA) was established to channel funding, expertise, and assistance directly to assist law enforcement cybercrime units in both domestic and international markets.”
Contribution to the Cyberworld
Whether you’re an in-depth techie or honestly have no connection to technology, it’s definitely worth looking into the cyber sector. When researching these grants and opportunities, keep in mind what you are trying to achieve.
What are you going to do about these attacks? What are your next steps in climbing this ladder? The security of “Cybersecurity” is mildly decreasing. Are you up for the challenge of restoring the trust and safety of the internet?
