The Cyber Security Handbook – Prepare for, respond to and recover from cyber attacks

CHAPTER 6: THE ANATOMY OF THREATS

As we have seen, for all the benefits of the cyber world, it also brings significant risk. Much like any other type of risk, cyber security risk derives from a combination of threats and vulnerabilities – vulnerabilities are exploited by threats to achieve certain goals, such as accessing a secure network or installing malware. This does not mean that cyber security risk is limited to deliberate actions by malicious actors, however – a leaky roof in a server room (vulnerability), for instance, can be ‘exploited’ by a rainstorm (threat) with potentially catastrophic results. Developing an understanding of what threats you may face and the sort of vulnerabilities you need to look out for are vital preparatory steps ...