What is Cyber Defense?

Cyber defense is the practice of protecting networks, devices and data from unauthorized access or criminal activities. It encompasses a range of technologies and practices, including:

• Vulnerability management: Identifying and remediating security vulnerabilities in software and hardware.
• Network security: Protecting networks from unauthorized access and malicious attacks.
• Endpoint security: Protecting individual devices, such as computers and mobile devices, from malware and other threats.
• Data security: Protecting data from unauthorized access, disclosure, modification or destruction.
• Identity and access management: Controlling who has access to which resources.

Cyber defense is important because it helps protect organizations and individuals from a range of cyber threats, including:

• Data breaches: Unauthorized access to and theft of sensitive data, such as customer information, financial data or intellectual property.
• Malware infections: Malicious software that can damage or disable systems and networks.
• Ransomware: Malware that encrypts data and demands a ransom payment to decrypt it.
• Denial-of-service: Attacks that overwhelm a system or network with traffic, making it unavailable to users.
• Phishing attacks: Emails or other communications that try to trick users into revealing sensitive information like credentials or clicking on malicious links.

The three principles of cyber defense are:

1. Prevent cyberattacks from happening.
2. Detect cyberattacks as early as possible.
3. Respond to attacks quickly and effectively to minimize damage.

Active cyber defense is the practice of taking steps to prevent, detect and respond to cyberattacks before they cause damage such as:

• Penetration testing: Simulating cyberattacks to identify vulnerabilities and improve security.
• Threat hunting: Actively searching for malicious activity on networks and systems.
• Incident response: Developing and practicing plans to respond to cyberattacks.

Passive cyber defense is the practice of implementing security measures to protect networks and systems from cyberattacks such as:

• Installing security software and configuring it properly, for example, firewalls and antivirus software.
• Applying security patches to software and hardware to fix known vulnerabilities.
• Implementing security policies and procedures to educate employees about cybersecurity and reduce the risk of human error.

Some common cyber defenses include:

• Firewalls: Monitor and control incoming and outgoing network traffic to block unauthorized access.
• Intrusion detection systems: Monitor network traffic for suspicious activity and alert administrators to potential threats.
• Antivirus software: Scans computers and networks for malware and removes if found.
• Data encryption scrambles data so unauthorized users can’t read it.
• Identity and access management: Controls who has access to which resources.

Cybersecurity and cyber defense are similar, but not exactly the same. Cybersecurity is a broader field of protecting systems, networks and data from cyber threats. Cyber defense is the specific set of technologies and practices to implement these measures. Cybersecurity is a more holistic approach with defensive and offensive measures. Cyber defense focuses on protecting systems, networks and data from attacks.

Cyber defense plays a critical role in cybersecurity. It is the first line of defense against cyberattacks. Cyber defense measures can prevent attacks from happening, detect attacks early and minimize damage attacks cause.

Some cyber defense best practices include:

• Keep software and hardware up to date. Apply security patches to software and hardware as soon as they are available.
• Use long and complex passwords for all of your accounts, and enable multi-factor authentication when possible.
• Be careful about which emails you open and which links you click on. Phishing is a common way for attackers to gain access to your systems and data.
• Educate your employees about cyber defense. They are one of the biggest security risks to your organization. Talk to your employees about:
  • How to identify and avoid phishing attacks
  • How to create strong passwords and use multi-factor authentication
  • How to keep devices secure
  • What to do if they think they have been compromised
• Have a cybersecurity plan that outlines how you will prevent, detect and respond to cyberattacks. The plan should include procedures for incident response, data backup and recovery and employee training.
• Monitor systems and networks for suspicious activity using a variety of tools and services, such as intrusion detection systems, security information and event management (SIEM) systems and managed security service providers (MSSPs).
• Test your security regularly to identify and fix vulnerabilities by conducting penetration tests, vulnerability assessments and red-teaming exercises.
• Stay up-to-date on the latest cyber threats. Follow cybersecurity news and blogs like Tenable Research, attend conferences and workshops, and work with cybersecurity professionals.

Yes, every organization needs cyber defense because no organization is immune to cyberattacks, which can cause significant financial damage, disrupt operations and damage your reputation.

Some examples of cyber defense careers include:

• Security analyst: Monitor systems and networks for suspicious activity, investigate security incidents and develop and implement security solutions.
• Network security engineer: Design, implement and maintain network security solutions.
• Information security engineer: Develop, implement and maintain security solutions for information systems.
• Security architect: Design and implement overall security strategies.
• Chief information security officer (CISO): Responsible for the overall security of information systems.

Cyber defense is harder than cyber offense because defenders have to protect against all potential attacks, while attackers only need to find one vulnerability to succeed. Additionally, cyber defenders are often limited in available resources, while cyberattackers often pool resources and target the weakest defenders.

There are several frameworks that can help with cyber defense:

• NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF): A voluntary framework that provides a set of standards and best practices for improving cybersecurity posture.
• ISO/IEC 27001: An international standard that provides a set of requirements for information security management systems.
• COBIT 5 for Information Security: A framework that provides organizations with a set of good practices for information security management.

Tenable automated cyber defense solutions can help your teams identify, assess and remediate vulnerabilities across your IT environment:

• Improve your security posture by identifying and remediating vulnerabilities before attackers can exploit them.
• Reduce the risk of data breaches and other cyberattacks by identifying and remediating vulnerabilities attackers might exploit.
• Comply with security regulations such as PCI DSS, HIPAA, and GDPR.