With a huge number of young and bright students entering the digital world, India is probably the largest producer of skilled cyber security professionals in the world.
Understanding your opponent’s mind is the first step to victory on any battlefield and today cyberspace has truly become a battlefield. ‘Data’ has become the most valuable asset in the world and protecting this ‘data’ has become a priority in all sectors.
According to a Kaspersky report, the number of terrorist attacks against the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) in India increased from 1.3 million in February 2020 to 3.3 million in March 2020. In just one month, when Indian workers began working extensively at Home (WFH), and since then, the number of attacks has increased in parallel with rapid digitization due to the epidemic. According to the Computer Emergency Response Team-India (CERT-In), there were more than 600,000 cyber-attacks in the first half of 2021.
Finding solutions to cybercrime has become an essential requirement and there is no question that the first step must be quality cyber security training. Most cyber-attacks can be prevented by investing in human resources instead of blindly spending on new software or advanced technology. Above all, a quality cyber security education will ensure that an employee takes all precautions to keep your network secure and your data secure.
Research shows that 95 percent of cyber-attacks are caused by mistake or negligence. This is why the best strategy for any company to create an elastic cyber security policy is to reduce human error.
The art of cyber self-defense training
Now the training of students, to become skilled cyber security professionals, has become a matter of national importance. It can be equivalent to fighting to prepare soldiers for battle and to defeat your enemy; You must first be able to think like them.
In the famous book ‘The Art of War’, the author says that in order to defeat the enemy, one must first recognize the enemy. This statement could not be more relevant in the case of cyber security training. You must first be able to think like a hacker, you must analyze the vulnerable areas that the hacker can exploit and prepare your defense accordingly.
Furthermore, it is not just about knowing the weaknesses of the network but also about being able to think of unique ways to exploit the same vulnerabilities that hackers are capable of. It’s about being able to approach your network defenses from different angles and cover different aspects so that you have a contingency plan ready for all possible attacks.
Decoding the mind of a hacker
Unlike conventional crime, cybercrime involves complex planning and execution. Understanding how a hacker thinks is not an easy task. Times have changed and today we are against many advanced types of hackers who are brave and innovative. Understanding this complex mentality involves a deeper understanding of the psychological aspects of crime. Much like criminal psychology, it involves the study of hacker motivation, mentality, mentality. This is similar to playing chess, where you try to predict your opponent’s moves.
To think like a hacker, your students must first know what the weaknesses of the network are. They must understand the methods of a hacker, what kind of tactics the person can use against you.
Hackers can harm your system in a variety of ways, such as:
- They may send you phishing emails.
- Worms, Trojans, viruses, etc. contaminate your system by sending malware.
- They can slow down or crash a website through attacks like Service Denial (DoS).
- Performing crimes related to financial fraud and identity theft.
- Blackmail victims using ransomware and spyware to encrypt, lock, steal, modify and delete your data.
Students must be aware of the various methods employed by hackers and only then can they learn how to protect systems and networks from such attacks.
The Way Forward
Conventional methods of education are not enough to keep pace with the growing landscape of cyber security. We need to give our students the opportunity to learn through action, not just textbook lessons. Cybersecurity education is not just about learning, it is about being able to apply this knowledge in an evolving digital space.
With a huge number of young and bright students entering the digital world, India is probably the largest producer of skilled cyber security professionals in the world. To achieve this, however, universities must upgrade their curricula and provide the right environment for their students to learn about cyber security. One of the great ways to invest in the future is to build skilled and talented cybersecurity professionals for tomorrow, today. Don’t lag behind, teach students the skills needed to protect the network from attack. Teach cyber security at your institute; Invest in a brighter and safer tomorrow.