Cyber security threats are evolving

Cyber security threats are evolving

Cyber security is defined as the protection of system, networks and data in cyberspace. It has become a critical issue for all, especially the businessmen.

According to Ernst and Young, cyber security threats are rapidly increasing. Brazil has the largest number of internet users in Latin America. Cyber security threats have reached a peak in Brazil due to the use of malware– a kind of software that is used to infect the computers.

According to Naveen Bhatia, Vice President and General Manager of Asia Pacific, “Security is not only nice to have but it is a must to have.”

In Latin America, the concept of Hacktivism is widely increasing. In hacktivism people hack computers in order to show their support for a cause. Mexico witnessed the largest number of hacktivism attacks during the 2012 presidential elections.

According to the Norton report, around 22 million Brazilians and 6 million Colombians are victims of cyber crime and threats.

The most famous cyber security threat of 2014 was the Sony hack. The confidential data of Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) was hacked on November 24, 2014. The data included personal information of the Sony employees, emails exchanged between the employees, etc. The hackers called themselves the “Guardians of Peace.”

Hacking was done as a sign of disapproval of the release of “The Interview”. It is a comedy. The movie is about the assassination of Kim Jong Un – a North Korean leader. The US blamed North Korea for hacking the data. The movie received criticism from some Hollywood figures and President Barack Obama as the released documents carried unwanted comments about them. The movie was canceled in many theaters due to safety issues. Later on, Sony released the movie online and gained mixed views. “The Interview” was the most successful online movie by Sony.

But after the latest scientific analysis by the New York times it was found that the hacker's language in the threat was written by a native Russian speaker and not a native North Korean.

India faced many cyber security issues in the year of 2014 which were not so easy to solve. Despite all these threats, the government did not take any necessary step to meet the challenges.

India is trying to utilize the “Digital India” policy to its best as it aims to reduce cyber threats in the country. India needs to strengthen its cyber security in the areas of cyber terrorism, International cyber security cooperation and cyber warfare.

Internet has been useful to millions of people to gather information, strengthen their communication, etc. But at the same time, there are people on the other side who misuse the disadvantages of the digital world. Privacy of an individual or institution has become a great concern in the cyber world. People across the globe are awaiting for the day when there will be an implementation of new laws to provide security and safety in the digital space.