Cybersecurity 101: Understanding the 7 Layers of IT Security

Digitization has paved new ways for businesses to be more profitable over time. From increased productivity to faster access to information, it has transformed our business processes in more than just one way. However, it comes with a set of disadvantages that should be taken care of. Whether you are running an IT firm, a healthcare company, or a retail brand, you must ensure that your network and cloud systems remain protected from all sorts of risks and threats in the digital world. As of 2022, the cost of data breaches is calculated to be $9.44M on average. With the growing dependency on technology, businesses and organizations have become vulnerable to a wide range of cybersecurity attacks. To prevent these issues, businesses need to understand the significance of cybersecurity and ensure that all 7 layers of network security are in place.

Importance of Cybersecurity for Businesses

According to Verizon’s 2022 Data Breach Investigations Report, the most common threat vector is the human element as it can cause up to 82% of data breaches. It may show up as stolen credentials or phishing attacks via emails. Even data leaks can lead to identity theft, which can negatively affect the brand’s reputation within a split second. Therefore, whether you own a small business or a large enterprise, you must incorporate all the preventative measures to reduce the risk of cybersecurity threats to your systems and data security.

7 Layers of Cyber Security

Many people consider cybersecurity as a single layer of technology. However, it comprises a total of 7 layers. So, let’s explore them one by one:

Mission Critical Assets

Mission critical assets is the most significant of all cybersecurity layers as it consists of critical data; hence, it should always remain protected from cybersecurity risks. It may include applications, servers, and databases that are vital to the organization. For this reason, you need to have an incident response plan in place to avoid the possibility of security breaches in the future.

Data Security

As the term implies, data security refers to the storage, backup, transfer, and duplication of data for protection against various cybercrimes. It can be in the form of frequent backups, file and disc encryption, enterprise rights management, two-factor authentication, and rules that ensure data disposal.

Application Security

This layer includes the process of software application code and data configuration and designing while safeguarding it against cyberattacks. In addition to this, its features include authorization, authentication, encryption, application security testing, and logging. It helps identify, resolve, and prevent cybersecurity issues that may arise within the application.

Endpoint Security

Endpoint security ensures that the user devices’ endpoints, such as smartphones, tablets, laptops, and desktops remain protected from breaches. Depending on the needs of the organization, these systems can work on the network as well as the cloud. Besides, it can monitor and safeguard various endpoints within the network.

Network Security

Network security protects both hardware and software by enforcing security procedures and policies.  The goal of network security is to detect security threats and block the access of unauthorized users and devices to the business’s network. Some of the most commonly used security measures include cloud security, intrusion detection software, VPNs, and firewall protection.

Perimeter Security

Perimeter security is responsible for controlling unauthorized users’ access to the network through gateways and routers. In addition, it safeguards the network’s boundaries by enforcing VPN for remote access, incorporating strong firewall settings, network monitoring, vulnerability management, data encryption, and secured devices.

Human Layer

The human layer is one of the most significant parts of the cybersecurity layers. It includes human management controls to keep the business’s security in check and avoid the risk of cyberattacks and other malicious activities within the organization.

Mobiz Offerings

Mobiz offers a wide array of cybersecurity services for businesses of all sizes to protect their companies from various cyber risks and threats. From network security, cloud security, and remote network and users to incident management, DevSecOps, and NetSecOps, you can count on us to protect your online assets. So, as long as you have cybersecurity domains in place, you don’t need to worry about encountering cybersecurity attacks in the future.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the 5 stages of the cyber security lifecycle?

The 5 stages of cybersecurity are as follows:

Stage 1: Identify: To understand the assets, systems, and people within the network and its security.

Stage 2: Protect: To defend the online assets and data of the organization.

Stage 3: Detect: To look for breaches and various cybersecurity events that your business may encounter.

Stage 4: Respond: To take action against a breach or an anomaly.

Stage 5: Recover: To set up the practices for restoring the system’s functionality.

What is layer 4 vs layer 7 load balancing?

The main difference between layer 4 and layer 7 load balancing is that layer 4 makes use of a TCP connection from the client to the server. Whereas layer 7 makes use of two TCP connections between the client and server. Besides, layer 4 performs load balancing according to its built-in software algorithm, whilst layer 7 uses the content of the data to produce informed load balances. Another difference between the two is that layer 7 is applicable for microservices yet layer 4 is inapplicable to microservices.