Technologycalendar_todayLast updated: Apr 2026
What is Cybersecurity?
/ˌsaɪbəˈsɪkjʊərɪti/
Cybersecurity is the practice of protecting computers, networks, programs, and data from digital attack, theft, or damage. It encompasses everything from passwords to national infrastructure defence.
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Everyday Example
When your bank asks for two-factor authentication before logging in, or blocks a suspicious login from another country, that is cybersecurity working as intended.
publicReal-World Application
“A single ransomware attack on the Irish Health Service in 2021 shut down hospital IT systems across the country for weeks, delaying cancer treatments and surgeries.”
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Did you know?
The term "computer virus" was coined in 1983, but cybercrime only became economically significant in the 1990s. Today it costs the global economy an estimated £8 trillion annually.
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Key Insight
The weakest link in cybersecurity is almost always human, not technical. Phishing, social engineering, and password reuse account for the majority of major breaches.
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