The practice of protecting digital systems, networks, and data from unauthorized access, attacks, and damage.
Combines 'cyber' from Greek 'kybernan' meaning 'to steer or govern' (popularized in cybernetics) with 'security' from Latin 'securus.' The term emerged in the 1990s as internet connectivity created new vulnerabilities, evolving from earlier concepts of computer security.
Cybersecurity is fundamentally a cat-and-mouse game where defenders must protect against all possible attacks while attackers only need to find one vulnerability. The human element remains the weakest link - most successful breaches involve social engineering or simple mistakes rather than sophisticated technical exploits.
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