The Pillars of Modern Cybersecurity

Cybercriminals attack on a massive scale and look for the easiest targets, which are often small businesses due to having fewer protections. A single attack can steal customer data, halt your operations, or empty your bank accounts. Cybersecurity is not just for large multinationals; it’s the foundation for the survival of any digital business.

IT support ensures that technology works correctly (computers, printers, networks). Cybersecurity focuses on protecting all that technology and the information it contains from attacks, theft, or damage. They are complementary disciplines: one makes the car run, the other installs the alarm and locks.

Phishing is a type of fraud where an attacker impersonates a trusted entity (your bank, the post office, Netflix) to trick you into giving them your passwords or financial data. Always be wary of emails or messages that demand urgent action, contain suspicious links, have grammatical errors, or a sender address that doesn’t exactly match the official one.

It’s a ‘digital kidnapping’. Malware that blocks access to all your files by encrypting them and then demands a ransom to release them. The best defense is prevention and, above all, having external and offline backups.

All are types of malware. A virus needs a host program to infect and spread (like a biological virus). A worm can self-propagate across a network without human help. A Trojan disguises itself as a legitimate program to trick you into installing it, thereby opening a backdoor to your system.

Yes, it can be very dangerous. On an open Wi-Fi network (at an airport, café, etc.), an attacker on the same network can intercept everything you send and receive, including passwords and personal data. To avoid this, never perform sensitive operations on public networks and always use a VPN (Virtual Private Network).

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA or 2FA). It’s a second layer of security that involves verifying your identity with something you have (like a code on your phone) in addition to something you know (your password). Enable it on every service that allows it (email, social media, banking…).

A VPN (Virtual Private Network) creates a private, encrypted tunnel for your internet connection. It hides your activity and protects your data from potential eavesdroppers. You should always use it when connecting to a Wi-Fi network you don’t trust, especially when working remotely.

Because they are a cornerstone of security. Many updates don’t add new features but instead patch security holes that cybercriminals have discovered. Keeping your operating system, browser, and applications updated is like sealing the cracks in your castle walls.

Absolutely. It’s impossible to remember a long, unique, and complex password for every service. A password manager does it for you: it creates and securely stores all your credentials. You only need to remember a single ‘master password’. It’s a radical improvement to your security.

Treat it like a computer. Use a secure lock (fingerprint, long PIN), only install apps from official stores, keep the OS and apps updated, don’t connect to open Wi-Fi networks without a VPN, and consider installing a security solution that includes antivirus and remote location services.

It’s a fundamental concept in business security. It means that each user should only have access to the information and tools strictly necessary to do their job, and nothing more. This greatly limits the potential damage if an employee’s account is compromised.

Follow the 3-2-1 rule: Have at least 3 copies of your important data, on 2 different types of media (e.g., an external hard drive and the cloud), with 1 of them stored in an off-site location. Critical data should be backed up daily.

No, it’s a continuous process. Threats are constantly evolving, so security must be a combination of updated technological tools, regular employee training, and periodic reviews of security policies. It’s a cycle of prevention, detection, and constant improvement.