Cybersecurity isn’t a singular solution but rather a convergence of multiple approaches. They work together in concert to protect users, systems, networks, and data from all angles, minimizing risk exposure.

By combining these layers of protection, businesses can create a more resilient defense against cyber threats of all shapes and sizes.

Network security safeguards communication infrastructure, including devices, hardware, software, and communication protocols. It protects data integrity, confidentiality, and availability as information travels over a network and between network-accessible assets, such as a computer and an application server.

Network security also encompasses a broad collection of technologies, policies, people, and procedures. These focus primarily on preventing known threats from infiltrating the communication infrastructure.

For example, firewalls filter incoming and outgoing traffic, acting as a first line of defense by identifying familiar attack types, suspicious activity, or unauthorized access attempts based on pre-defined rules. The idea is that firewalls already know what to expect and have the capability to block these threats before they can cause harm.

However, network security tools must also include an element of detection. Firewalls and other network security solutions must be able to identify unfamiliar or new threats and, through integration with other systems, respond appropriately to mitigate the risk. Within this context, understanding the distinction between network security vs cyber security provides clarity on where each discipline contributes to an organization’s broader security strategy. To strengthen this posture, organizations also need continuous visibility into emerging network security threats and vulnerabilities, ensuring protections evolve alongside new attack techniques.

Information security, or InfoSec, is the practice of protecting information. It refers to the tools and processes for preventing, detecting, and remediating threats to sensitive information, whether digitized or not.

InfoSec is closely related to data security — a subset that specifically protects digitized data stored in systems and databases or transmitted across networks. Both disciplines share three primary objectives:

1. Confidentiality: Ensuring confidential information remains a secret.
2. Integrity: Protecting information from being altered, manipulated, or deleted.
3. Availability: Making information readily accessible to those who need it.

Therefore, information and data security solutions safeguard against unauthorized access, modification, and disruption. A key aspect of both disciplines is the need to scrutinize information, allowing organizations to classify it by criticality and adjust policies accordingly.

For example, data loss prevention (DLP) tools automatically discover and classify data as it’s created. They also monitor, detect, and prevent unauthorized data sharing or extraction, ensuring valuable information remains secure within the organization.

Cloud security refers to the technologies, policies, and procedures that protect data, applications, and services hosted in private and public cloud environments. It ensures sensitive information is safe from data breaches and other vulnerabilities, whether stored in public, private, or hybrid clouds. Cloud security solutions are often versions of on-premises solutions that are specifically for the cloud. As such, cloud security can be a seamless extension of an organization’s network security.

One of cloud computing’s biggest security challenges is providing users with safe, frictionless access to their most essential applications. Cloud-based services are available off-premises, but the devices used to reach them are typically unprotected.

Organizations often mitigate security risks using identity and access management (IAM), a key strategy that ensures only authorized users can access specific resources. IAM solutions are not limited to cloud environments; they are integral to network security as well. These technologies include robust authentication methods, multi-factor authentication (MFA), and other access controls, all of which help protect sensitive data and systems across both on-premises and cloud-based infrastructures.

Endpoint security focuses on protecting the devices that serve as access points to an organization’s network, such as laptops, desktops, smartphones, and tablets. These devices, or endpoints, expand the attack surface, providing potential entry points for cybercriminals to exploit vulnerabilities and infiltrate the broader infrastructure.

To reduce risk, organizations must apply the right security solutions to each endpoint, ensuring protection is tailored to the specific device and its role in the network. For example, laptops used by remote workers may require antivirus software and multi-factor authentication to prevent malware attacks or unauthorized access.

A related subset of endpoint security is mobile security, which specifically addresses the vulnerabilities of mobile devices. As employees increasingly use smartphones and tablets for work, securing these endpoints becomes critical to protecting the entire network. Security solutions, such as mobile device management, help organizations manage and secure these devices, preventing them from becoming weak links in the cybersecurity chain.

Application security refers to the technologies, policies, and procedures at the application level that prevent cybercriminals from exploiting application vulnerabilities. It involves a combination of mitigation strategies during application development and after deployment.

For instance, a web application firewall (WAF) monitors and filters traffic between applications and the outside world, blocking malicious activity like code injections or cross-site scripting attacks. With robust application security, organizations can ensure their software remains protected against threats that target the app and the sensitive data it processes and stores.

Zero trust is a modern cybersecurity model that assumes no user or system, whether inside or outside the network, is automatically trustworthy by default. Instead, organizations continuously verify access to data and resources through strict authentication protocols.

Unlike traditional security models, which take a “castle-and-moat” approach, zero trust monitors more than just the perimeter. It enforces granular security controls across all endpoints, applications, and users, preventing unauthorized lateral movement. In other words, users can’t freely roam inside the network without reconfirming their identity whenever they request access to a particular resource.

OT security, which uses the same solutions and techniques as IT environments, protects the safety and reliability of system technologies that control physical processes in a wide range of industries. This includes critical infrastructure like manufacturing systems, energy grids, and transportation networks, where a security breach could result in significant damage, but has come to include banking systems and others as well.

Traditionally, security in these environments wasn’t necessary. Most operational technologies weren’t connected to the outside world, so they didn’t require protection. Now, as IT and OT converge, they’re increasingly exposed to malicious activity.

IoT security also focuses on protecting connected devices — but on a broader scale. IoT devices range from sensors in industrial equipment to smart thermostats in homes. Because they’re web-enabled, these access points expand the attack surface. Plus, since they often have limited security capabilities, they’re vulnerable entryways for cybercriminals to exploit.

To address this, IoT security solutions focus on device authentication, encryption, and network segmentation, ensuring secure communication and preventing unauthorized access. Organizations must monitor these devices closely and implement strong access controls to minimize risks.

The inclusion of IoT security into the traditional industrial world of OT has introduced a new concept: cyber-physical systems and their security.

Because people are the most vulnerable part of the cybersecurity equation, organizations must take measures to mitigate their human factors. The best way to achieve this is through end-user education — teaching the people who use technology to defend computer systems, networks, and the information therein.

At a minimum, cybersecurity awareness training ensures users can recognize and respond to common threats, like phishing, malware, and social engineering. Comprehensive cybersecurity training programs for employees go beyond basic password hygiene, covering specific risks relevant to the organization’s industry.

Many companies are turning to online platforms to make education more accessible, offering flexible cybersecurity training courses that can be completed remotely. For those seeking to deepen their expertise, cybersecurity training certification programs offer more advanced skills and recognition of their knowledge, helping employees stay current with evolving threats and security practices.

All of these efforts are to change what traditionally has been the weakest link in the chain — the human element — into an effective front line of defense and early warning system.

Cybersecurity certifications provide a structured way for professionals, regardless of experience level. Most importantly, investing in certification programs helps organizations close internal skill gaps, reduce the risk of breaches, and future-proof their cybersecurity workforce.

In fact, organizations are recognizing the significance of certified talent. According to Fortinet’s 2024 Global Skills Gap Report:

• 91% of organizations prefer hiring candidates with certifications.
• 90% of business leaders are willing to fund employee certification training.
• 95% of those with certified teams report a positive impact on performance.

Managing cybersecurity can be complex and resource-intensive for many organizations. However, businesses have several options for addressing these challenges. They can choose to handle cybersecurity in-house, partner with a trusted managed security service provider (MSSP) to monitor and manage their security infrastructure, or adopt a hybrid approach that combines both internal resources and external expertise. Each option offers different benefits depending on the organization’s needs and resources, allowing them to tailor their security strategy effectively.

MSSPs offer scalable solutions that provide organizations with access to advanced cybersecurity technology, threat intelligence, and expertise without requiring them to build and maintain their own infrastructure. For example, managed services can range from basic services such as a managed firewall to more sophisticated services such as:

• MDR: Managed detection and response is a service that integrates a team of Security Operations Center (SOC) experts into your workforce. MDR provides these skilled professionals to continuously monitor user behavior and act when a threat is detected, focusing primarily on endpoint protection.
• XDR: Extended detection and response goes beyond MDR, taking a software-based approach to secure all layers — not just endpoints. It integrates MDR procedures across multiple environments to reduce the mean time to detect and protect the entire attack surface.