Why cybersecurity matters

Explains what cybersecurity is and why it has become indispensable in an increasingly digital society. Frames it around the CIA triad (confidentiality, integrity, availability) and stresses that protection requires technology, policy and human behaviour together. Lays out why it matters with three lenses: protection of sensitive personal and corporate data (and GDPR-style consequences when it fails), continuity of critical infrastructure such as energy, water, transport and healthcare, and economic/social stability. Uses three case studies — WannaCry (2017), SolarWinds (2020) and Colonial Pipeline (2021) — to show how single incidents ripple through hospitals, supply chains and fuel networks. Looks forward to a 'secure by design' approach, zero-trust architectures, AI-assisted detection and practical user habits (strong passwords, MFA, updates, phishing awareness, backups), and closes with the EU policy stack: NIS2, the Cyber Resilience Act, the 2025 Cyber Solidarity Act and the Joint Cyber Unit.