Cyber security encompasses human, physical and technical aspects. It is often important to look at the three sections of cyber security to address issues or devise security plans.
Technical cyber security as its own entity focuses on using a wide range of skills, expertise and knowledge to keep people, companies and their data safe. This aspect of cyber security involves using cutting-edge tools and techniques to assess security vulnerabilities and weaknesses, and to mitigate against them. This is done in various ways and with the work of a range of professionals.
One way in which technical cyber security is used to protect us is through the use of ethical hacking. This is also referred to as penetration testing. Ethical hacking involves a company or organisation hiring a penetration tester to essentially hack into their networks. Simulating a real cyber attack, the penetration testers can reveal flaws and gaps in security which a hacker could potentially exploit, allowing the necessary steps to be taken to prevent this from ever happening.
Technical cyber security roles are also responsible for the development of strategies and security tools to protect networks and systems. They can devise plans to prevent attack, and create responses to attacks should they occur.
It is essential for technical teams to be aware of, and to understand, the evolving threat landscape, for example new vulnerabilities and viruses. Technical cyber security researchers will undertake work such as grasping how the virus manifests, and developing software to protect against this virus or fight it should its attack prove successful. Understanding and fighting malware is a key role in technical cyber security.
Finally, some of those working in technical cyber security will design cryptography to protect important and confidential data. This means that in the event that systems are hacked and data is stolen, the sensitive information will not be revealed due to its encrypted nature. These teams will also assess encryptions to decipher them where necessary.
Overall, technical cyber security focuses on using technology to not only provide help in the case of cyber attacks, but also to defend against and prevent these attacks from occurring in the first place. Understanding physical and human cyber security too will emphasise the ways in which these entities are separate but often come together to solve issues.