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The ability to earn your degree online has grown rapidly in recent years with more schools offering programs and some of the most respected colleges in the world moving into this type of learning. The days when an online degree was undervalued are long gone, and you can earn high-level degrees such as a masters in cyber security online from the comfort of home.
Cybersecurity is a vital skill in the modern world and an industry the offers good pay is predicted to keep growing. It’s an interesting topic in its own right, but you may also be wondering why large corporations have come to place such value on this topic and have committed so many of their resources to having a skilled cybersecurity team.
The Threat of Hackers
The internet has become a common almost inescapable part of modern life. While this is certainly convenient it has made more data accessible by cybercriminals. Information theft and related attacks are growing every year and the methods used are also becoming more advanced. For companies to stay safe they need to be on the cutting edge of information technology.
The Types of Data That Can Be Stolen
When a company’s data is breached or stolen there are several types of data cyber criminals could be interested in. Most hackers target a company’s clients and are after identifying information such as names, addresses, contact information, and social security numbers. This information is then used in other types of fraud such as the sale of false identities and an assortment of credit card scams. Some cybercriminals don’t even use the information they steal and instead sell it to other criminal groups on the black market.
Ransomware
Not all cybercriminals are interested in stealing data for the purposes of identity theft or black-market sales. Some are in it for purpose of extorting large sums of money from the companies they target. Ransomware can involve blocking access to critical data or systems which the hacker will only remove when they are paid. Ransomware is introduced into a company’s information systems through many of the same channels that are used for traditional identity theft. This makes cybersecurity and blocking of these points of access critical.
Final Thoughts
Businesses depend on consumer trust and if they have information stolen their reputation can be greatly damaged. Their business also suffers due to their systems being unusable and there can even be legal concerns due to information theft. Also, you have to consider the customers’ identity theft is a terrible thing to go through and can cause a great deal of stress and also take time and money to correct. With a master’s in cybersecurity, you are well-positioned to protect not only businesses but their customers as well.
