Cyber security is the study of how to protect devices and services from malicious actors such as hackers, spammers, and cybercriminals. While some cyber security components are designed to strike first, most professionals today are more concerned with determining the best way to defend all assets from computers and smartphones to networks and databases from attacks.

In the media, cyber security has been used as a catch-all term to describe the process of protecting against all types of cybercrime, from identity theft to international digital weapons. These labels are correct, but they do not capture the true nature of cyber security for those who do not have a computer science degree or experience in the digital industry.

Cisco Systems, a technology conglomerate that specialises in networking, cloud computing, and security, defines cyber security as "...the practise of protecting systems, networks, and programmes from digital attacks." These cyberattacks are typically designed to gain access to, change, or destroy sensitive information, extort money from users, or disrupt normal business processes."