Information is the key asset in most organizations. Companies gain a competitive advantage by knowing how to use that information. The threat comes from others who would like to acquire the information or limit business opportunities by interfering with normal business processes.
The object of security is to protect valuable or sensitive organizational information while making it readily available. Attackers trying to harm a system or disrupt normal business operations exploit vulnerabilities by using various techniques, methods, and tools. System administrators need to understand the various aspects of security to develop measures and policies to protect assets and limit their vulnerabilities.
Attackers generally have motives or goals—for example, to disrupt normal business operations or steal information. To achieve these motives or goals, they use various methods, tools, and techniques to exploit vulnerabilities in a computer system or security policy and controls.