Programme: BIT3 Module: INTRODUCTION TO RESEARCH

Lecturer: Anele Maseko

Name and Surname: Tshepiso Mathiane

Student Number: St10127879

Group: 2

Cell (Contact details): 079-127-1528

Tittle:
The importance of cybersecurity in a business and how it can be improved.

Background:
Cyber security is the condition or process of safeguarding and recovering networks, devices, and programs
from all types of cyberattacks (MaryvilleUniversity, 2022). Cyberattacks are a growing threat to businesses,
employees, and consumers (MaryvilleUniversity, 2022). They may be meant to gain access to or delete
sensitive data, as well as to extort money (MaryvilleUniversity, 2022). Cybersecurity is crucial because it
safeguards all types of data against theft and loss. Sensitive data, personally identifiable information (PII),
protected health information (PHI), personal information, intellectual property, data, and government and
business information systems are all included (MaryvilleUniversity, 2022). Without a cybersecurity
program, your firm would be unable to protect itself against data breach efforts, making it an easy target
for thieves (MaryvilleUniversity, 2022).
Security is concerned with the protection of data (MaryvilleUniversity, 2022). Security refers to the
prevention of unwanted data access. We implemented security safeguards to limit who has access to the
information. Privacy is more difficult to establish, in part because user-specific information might
potentially be secure data (MaryvilleUniversity, 2022).
Data in the business world is more fragile than ever before (Symquest, 2022). Cyber security is essential for
the smooth operation of your organization, but it is also crucial for the protection of your customers'
information (Symquest, 2022). Following IT best practices entails more than just using cutting-edge
technology; it also entails staying ahead of dangers and calamities that may bring your business to a
standstill (Symquest, 2022). It is beneficial to employ a layered security paradigm while developing cyber
security processes (Symquest, 2022). The internet is the starting point for this strategy, and your workers
are the finish line. Use this guide to assess how effectively your organization's existing IT security processes
are doing (Symquest, 2022).

Research Problem
Security is a difficult exercise between the aggressor and the protection. Sadly, that balance is rarely static.
Changes in innovation affect the two sides (MaryvilleUniversity, 2022). Society utilizes new innovation to
decrease what I allude to as the extent of surrender, for sure aggressors can pull off, while assailants utilize
new advances to raise it (MaryvilleUniversity, 2022). The difference in how the two gatherings incorporate
new innovation is charming.
With reason, cybersecurity is a major priority for today's company owners and IT leaders. According to
research issued by the business Risk Based Security, 36 billion records were exposed due to data breaches
in the first half of 2020 alone (MaryvilleUniversity, 2022). Hackers are aware of typical weaknesses that
afflict businesses and organizations, which keeps cybersecurity experts on their toes. As the capacity to
access cyberspace rises as a result of technological advancements, so will the number of cybersecurity
challenges that businesses may confront (MaryvilleUniversity, 2022).
Cybersecurity breaches can occur at any moment and in any company (MaryvilleUniversity, 2022). In 2020,
well-known companies including as Marriott, MGM Resorts, Twitter, and Magellan Health were all victims
of cyber assaults. However, hackers do not only target heavyweights (MaryvilleUniversity, 2022). According
to Verizon Business' 2020 Data Breach Investigations Report, small firms were engaged in more than one
out of every four data breaches (MaryvilleUniversity, 2022). These assaults can be costly. According to a
2019 Hiscox analysis, the average cost of a cyber assault is roughly $200,000. This economic impact has
caused widespread worry, particularly among small company owners (MaryvilleUniversity, 2022).
Preventing these assaults is crucial in terms of money. In today's company world, there are various distinct
cybersecurity risks to be aware of – ones that only a seasoned cybersecurity specialist may be able to assist
avert (MaryvilleUniversity, 2022).

Relevance/Motivation
Companies can benefit from threat intelligence research in security. It has the potential to inspire
enterprises to develop protective policies and systems that are anticipatory rather than reactive. Working
on early threat detection and establishing effective problem-solving techniques are two aims of threat
intelligence. Many areas of threat intelligence revolve around how researchers may obtain various forms
of information regarding potential threats–ideally before they occur. Typically, research efforts focus on
broad PII (personally identifiable information) categories derived from deep and dark web data. The data
comprises a wide range of information, from server traffic to exposed passwords. However, there is
frequently a tremendous overflow of data, and it is up to threat researchers to determine what is
important and how. Broad PII research strategies, in effect, lose out on what tailored inquiries in breach
exposure data and compromised credentials may give.

Research Questions
How can we know whether our security has been penetrated and our data has been compromised?
 How do we detect the breach?
 How do we get rid of the breach?
 How do we make sure that we never get breached again?

Hypotheses/goals of the research

My research is quantitative. So, the objective of this study is to help level the playing field between
attackers and their targets by increasing the tools and tactics at cybersecurity practitioners' disposal
(JavatpointServices, 2022). These advancements may be realized most effectively through ambitious
challenge-led research (JavatpointServices, 2022). This study should help us understand how technological
advancements might lead to increased security and privacy risks. It will also assist us in identifying the
involvement of the hackers in this (JavatpointServices, 2022).
The goal of this study is to keep data from being stolen, hacked, or attacked. At least one of three aims can
be used to evaluate the research:
 protect data confidentiality (JavatpointServices, 2022).
 Maintain the data's integrity (JavatpointServices, 2022).
 Encourage authorized people to have access to data (JavatpointServices, 2022).
The Theory's Foundation
General Deterrence Theory - General deterrence theory is a hypothesis derived mostly from the field of
criminology. General deterrence is a criminal justice philosophy that tries to reduce illicit behaviour
(Schuessler, 2009). To discourage is to deter. According to the hypothesis, the people will refrain from
committing crimes out of dread of the heavy penalties (Schuessler, 2009). Deterrence is described as "the
suppression of criminal activity by dread, particularly of punishment." The purpose of deterrent efforts, as
applied to ISS, is to establish disincentives for would-be computer abusers in order to dissuade them from
engaging in computer abuse activities (Schuessler, 2009).
Another theory can be Moving target Defence (MTD) theory. This approach actually represents a new
paradigm in protecting settings, and it brings the possibility of a change in advantage to the defensive side
of the cyber security sphere (Bardas, Zhuang, DeLoach & Ou). MTD can exist on a networking level and has
been exploited to deceive attackers into exposing themselves to date (Bardas, Zhuang, DeLoach & Ou). In
theory, this would provide threat knowledge to the defensive side, which might then be utilized to
implement preventive procedures (Bardas, Zhuang, DeLoach & Ou). However, this still places the
protective component of the equation on the reactive side of the equation (Bardas, Zhuang, DeLoach &
Ou). MTD techniques can operate at several tiers, ranging from dynamic application code (software) to
moving network components (IP addresses, for example), encryption keys, and finally data itself. Once a
defensive institution understands the benefits of MTD, threat detection and many other traditional cyber
security worries begin to fade (Bardas, Zhuang, DeLoach & Ou). When it comes to MTD and genuine
sensitive data, there is one major advantage to be aware of. By performing real physical change action,
MTD approaches reach a no-pattern state (Bardas, Zhuang, DeLoach & Ou). They increase the task factor at
hand based on the continual change of the real attack surfaces against which one is fighting - in effect, the
entire data assault surface becomes dynamic in nature (Bardas, Zhuang, DeLoach & Ou). This theory can be
applied to my research because it can help individuals protect themselves against cyberthreats. Solutions
that use MTD technology provide a hidden benefit to cyber security practitioners (Bardas, Zhuang, DeLoach
& Ou). This hidden benefit allows them to focus less on the industry's usual key points (Bardas, Zhuang,
DeLoach & Ou). When work factors on hostile entities are significantly elevated, past security procedures
become less necessary since total danger is reduced (Bardas, Zhuang, DeLoach & Ou). Because MTD
solutions alter the physical appearance of an assault surface, there is a power shift in favour of the
defensive side. This, in turn, reduces the total workload that usually underfunded security teams face on a
daily basis (Bardas, Zhuang, DeLoach & Ou).
MTD solutions must also result in a beneficial improvement in a particular environment's security posture
(Bardas, Zhuang, DeLoach & Ou). One of the most difficult difficulties (and common weak spot) is
managing, protecting, and preserving the essential meta-data that makes the whole MTD solution usable
(Bardas, Zhuang, DeLoach & Ou). In a data sharing use case, for example, the order of the shards (each a
subset of the original data set) must be preserved someplace (Bardas, Zhuang, DeLoach & Ou). This is done
so that when an authorized entity requests it, the original superset of the protected data may be
appropriately recreated (Bardas, Zhuang, DeLoach & Ou).
Examining past research
Source 1: Big Data Research Book
This collection aims to provide some of the most recent research results on large data security concerns
and mechanisms (Bhattacharyya, 2017). The book has seven well-written chapters on the subject
(Bhattacharyya, 2017). The first chapter presents a quick and comprehensive review of the issue, focusing
on the features of big data, the associated security challenges, and procedures for assuring data integrity
(Bhattacharyya, 2017). The second chapter discusses the motivation for this research, which stemmed
from a lack of practical applications of block chain technology, its history, and the principle of how it
functions within the digital identity, as well as the importance of EDU certificate transparency and the
challenges associated with their sharing (Bhattacharyya, 2017).
With the palpable and exponential expansion of big data in multiple industries, every day-to-day actions
such as websites viewed, locations visited, movie times, and soon were stowed by various firms such as
Google via Android mobile phone (Bhattacharyya, 2017). Google has access to even financial data. In such
a circumstance, when a person's identity can be described nearly entirely by a few datasets, the security of
such datasets is critical, especially when human manipulations are involved (Bhattacharyya, 2017). Using
social engineering to get a little amount of sensitive information might result in the full destruction of a
person's identity and personal life (Bhattacharyya, 2017).
Source 2: Demystifying Internet of Things Security Book
The threat pyramid, secure boot, chain of trust, and the SW stack leading up to defence-in-depth are all
covered in this free access book (Cheruvu, Kumar, Smith & Wheeler., 2020). The Internet of Things poses
unique problems in terms of security implementation, and Intel has both CPU and Isolated Security Engine
capabilities to help (Cheruvu, Kumar, Smith & Wheeler., 2020). This book delves into the issues of securing
these devices in order to make them impervious to various attacks emanating both within and outside the
network (Cheruvu, Kumar, Smith & Wheeler., 2020). The criteria and robustness guidelines for protecting
assets vary widely, and there is no one-size-fits-all strategy to implementing security (Cheruvu, Kumar,
Smith & Wheeler., 2020).

Source 3: Cybersecurity of Robotics and Autonomous Systems

Robots and autonomous systems in general are poised to face the same cybersecurity challenges that
computers have faced for decades (Lera, Llamas, Guerrero and Olivera., 2017:75-77). This is not just
concerning for vital functions done by medical or military robots, but also for domestic robots such as
vacuum cleaners or teleconference robots that risk their owners' privacy and safety. What if these robots
are compromised? This paper includes a survey on the cybersecurity assaults related with service robots,
and as a consequence, a taxonomy that identifies the risks posed by consumers while using service robots
is offered, distinguishing between security and safety threads (Lera, Llamas, Guerrero and Olivera.,
2017:75-77). We also highlight the robot software development phase as one of the most important for
robot security (Lera, Llamas, Guerrero and Olivera., 2017:75-77).
Software security concerns might be provided in the robot's software components either purposefully or
accidentally (Lera, Llamas, Guerrero and Olivera., 2017:75-77). They are classified into three types:
software faults, security configuration concerns, and software feature misuse (Lera, Llamas, Guerrero and
Olivera., 2017:75-77). These concerns might be introduced in the analysis, design, implementation,
deployment, or maintenance phases, according to current software vulnerability taxonomies (Lera, Llamas,
Guerrero and Olivera., 2017:75-77). The last one comprises misconfigured robots as a result of final user
changes, allowing attackers to gain control of the robot (Lera, Llamas, Guerrero and Olivera., 2017:75-77).
Source 4: Cloud Cyber Security
Obtaining cloud security is a difficult challenge to solve (Duncan, Happe & Bratterud, 2017). If this is to be a
success, robust cloud security policies must be developed and enforced (Duncan, Happe & Bratterud,
2017). Because of the nature of cloud computing, more issue layers for cloud security might be added to an
already complicated problem area (Duncan, Happe & Bratterud, 2017). We examine why this is such a
problem, consider what desired traits should be sought for, and present a unique method for successfully
and efficiently attaining these objectives through the use of well-designed unikernel-based systems
(Duncan, Happe & Bratterud, 2017). We have discovered a number of concerns that must be addressed
effectively in order to attain a high degree of security and privacy (Duncan, Happe & Bratterud, 2017).
Cloud computing has been around for over a decade, but we have yet to see an effective, all-encompassing
security standard in place (Duncan, Happe & Bratterud, 2017). Those that do exist tend to be focused on a
specific region rather than the problem as a whole, and, as previously indicated, they are frequently out of
date (Duncan, Happe & Bratterud, 2017).
To some part, this is intentional—if they identify the principles to be followed in order to achieve their
intended goal rather than the specifics, they will not have to continually amending the
legislation/regulations as circumstances change (Duncan, Happe & Bratterud, 2017). Because security
breaches have a negative monetary and public relations impact on businesses, they are rarely publicly
acknowledged (Duncan, Happe & Bratterud, 2017). This reduces the availability of empirical research data
on actively exploited vulnerabilities.
Many solutions to these challenges have been proposed, developed, and implemented in recent years
(Duncan, Happe & Bratterud, 2017). The early developments were primarily aimed at traditional corporate
dispersed IT systems (Duncan, Happe & Bratterud, 2017). In comparison to the cloud, they are often well
known and relatively straightforward to address, and many businesses have benefited from strong levels of
protection as a consequence of these efforts (Duncan, Happe & Bratterud, 2017). However, cloud
significantly changes the rules of the game; because there is frequently a poor understanding of the
technical complexities of cloud, and often a complete lack of understanding that the cloud runs on
someone else's hardware and often software as well, resulting in a huge issue of lack of proper control
(Duncan, Happe & Bratterud, 2017).
Source 5: Machine Learning in Application Security
The security threat landscape has changed dramatically over time (Zarger and Sangani 2017). There is no
pause, from viruses, trojans, and Denial of Service (DoS) to the new harmful family of ransomware,
phishing, distributed DoS, and so on (Zarger and Sangani 2017). Because of the spectacular development,
attackers have developed a new approach in their attack vector technique that is more targeted—a direct
aim at the weakest link in the security chain, or people. When it comes to humans, the first thing that
comes to mind for an attacker is apps (Zarger and Sangani 2017). Traditional signature-based solutions are
insufficient for emerging assaults and threats in the application layer.
They are effective in protecting organizations from perimeter and endpoint threats, but what has to be
focused on and analysed is at the application layer, where such defences fail (Zarger and Sangani 2017).
Protecting online applications has unique issues in detecting harmful user behaviour patterns that have
been transformed into a compromise (Zarger and Sangani 2017). As a result, there is a need to investigate
a dynamic and signature independent methodology for detecting fraudulent usage patterns within apps
(Zarger and Sangani 2017). The authors have covered the technical components of incorporating machine
learning into apps to detect dangerous user behavioural patterns in this chapter (Zarger and Sangani 2017).
Conceptualization
Concept Definition
Data Data is information that has been converted into an efficient form for transit
or processing (Vaughan, 2019).
Company A company is a legal entity formed by a group of people to engage in and run a
commercial or industrial enterprise (Kenton, 2021).
Cybersecurity refers to safeguards put in place to keep internet-connected devices,
networks, and data safe from unauthorized access and illegal usage
(Frankenfield, 2022).
Security refers to any fungible, negotiable financial instrument with monetary value
(Kenton, 2021).
Threat is a remark made by someone indicating that they will do something
unpleasant if you do not do what they want (Collins’teams, 2022).
Technology is the application of scientific knowledge to the practical goals of human
existence, or, as it is sometimes referred to, to the modification and
manipulation of the human environment (Collins’teams, 2022).
Attackers is a person, group, or entity that seeks to gain unauthorized access to, extract,
insert, divulge, influence, delete, or disclose another party's data
(Collins’teams, 2022).
IoT (Internet of Things) a network of linked devices that interact with one another using network
protocols (Collins’teams, 2022).
Information knowledge given or obtained about a certain fact or scenario (Collins’teams,
2022).
Big Data is data with greater diversity, arriving in bigger volumes and at higher pace.
This is sometimes referred to as the three Vs (Collins’teams, 2022).
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