It cannot be denied that cybersecurity is a very real problem that can trouble anyone. Whether it is an individual, business, or organization, it does not matter, it is harmful to everyone.
With the widespread use of the technology and its reliance on connectivity, it is a major market for malware. Since the inception of the Internet, there have been all kinds of security risks, many of which have come and gone.
Their severity ranges from minor nuisances to devastating, and you have to be sure that these kinds of threats to the Internet will continue to haunt everyone in the future.
However, life today has become much more comfortable due to various digital devices and the internet to support them.
As we all know, every good thing has a flip side too, and this applies to today’s digital world as well. The Internet has brought a positive change in our lives, but at the same time, protecting the data is also a big challenge.
This leads to cyber threats. In this article, we have shared information about different types of cyberattacks.
What is a Cyber Attack?
Before going to the different types of cyber attacks, we will first walk you through a cyber attack. When there is an illegal system/network access by a third party, we called it a cyber attack.
Cybersecurity is the technique of safeguarding networks, computer systems, & their components from illegal digital access.
So Let’s Start with the Types of Cybersecurity Threats
Phishing
Phishing is a popular hacking technique that forces users to download harmful messages. This plan looks like a regular email, using legitimate-looking links, attachments, business names, and logos.
Many gullible people fall into the trap of this and many people get themselves harmed. A phishing attack occurs when a malicious actor sends incoming emails from trusted, legitimate sources in an attempt to grab sensitive information from the target.
Phishing combines social engineering and technology and is so-called because the attacker is, in fact, “fishing” for access to a prohibited area using the “bait” of a trusted sender.
To carry out the attack, the hacker may send a link that will take you to a website that fools you into downloading malware such as a virus or allowing an attacker to steal your personal information.
In many cases, the target may not realize that they have been compromised, which allows the attacker to go after others in the same organization without suspecting them of malicious activity.
Phishing attacks can be prohibited by following steps:
- Scrutinize the emails you get. Most phishing emails have major errors like spelling mistakes & format changes from genuine sources.
- You can use of anti-phishing toolbar to get rid of all these kinds of emails and traps.
- You need to update your passwords regularly.
Malware
The second is in our list is Malware; Malware is a kind of application that can perform a range of malicious tasks.
A number of strains of malware are intended to create persistent access to a network; some are designed to spy on the user in order to get credentials or other precious data, while a number are simply designed to cause a disturbance.
Some kinds of malware are designed to extort the victim in some way. Perhaps the most noteworthy form of malware is Ransomware – a program made to encrypt the victim’s files & then ask them to pay a ransom in order to get the decryption key.
Let’s now look at how we can stop a malware attack:
- Always use antivirus software. It can defend your PC or Laptop against malware.
- Use firewalls. Firewalls filter the traffic that might enter your device. Windows & Mac OS X have their default built-in firewalls, named Windows Firewall & Mac Firewall.
- Be alert and avoid clicking on mistrustful links.
- Update your OS & browsers, frequently.
Ransomware
As mentioned above Ransomware is a particular form of malware that encrypts a user’s computer systems. Once a Ransomware attack has been applied, users can no longer access their systems or files.
In order for users to re-access their systems, they’re necessary to pay a ransom fee to the cybercriminals.
Ransom transactions are frequently made through Bitcoin. Cybercriminals might also request other methods of payment, like any kind of gift card.
The ransom costs can range from hundreds of dollars to thousands of dollars or more. But, many organizations that make the ransom payments still don’t retrieve access to their systems.
Data breach
A data breach is defined as the situation when sensitive data is stolen from the system without authorization from the system owner.
Confidential User Information can include but is not limited to, credit card numbers, social security numbers, names, home addresses, email addresses, and passwords. Apart from this, there is much more that these hackers can steal.
Such breaches can be implemented through point-of-sale (PoS) systems or a network attack. A network attack is likely to occur when a cybercriminal discovers an essential weakness or problem in a company’s online security system.
Social attacks are also very prevalent, where hackers fool employees into giving them access to an organization’s network.
For example, they can be tricked into downloading a damaging attachment or inadvertently providing login credentials.
Insider Threats
Sometimes, the most unsafe hacker comes from within an organization. People within a company’s own doors pose a particular threat because they usually have access to a range of systems.
In some cases, admin privileges allow them to make critical changes to the system or its safety policies.
In addition, people within the business frequently have an in-depth understanding of its cybersecurity architecture, in addition to how the business reacts to threats.
This familiarity can be used to gain access to restricted areas, make changes to safety settings, or deduce the most excellent possible time to conduct an attack.
One of the most excellent ways to stop insider threats in organizations is to limit employees’ access to sensitive systems to only those who require them to carry out their duties.
Also, for the chosen few who require access, use MFA, which will need them to use at least one thing they recognize in conjunction with a physical item they have to get access to a sensitive system.
For instance, the user might have to enter a password & insert a USB device. In other configurations, an access number is produced on a handheld device that the user has to log in to.
The user can simply access the protected area if both the password and the number are right.
Denial-of-Service Attack
A Denial-of-Service attack is a major threat to big businesses and companies. Here, attackers will target systems, servers, or networks & flood them with traffic to tire out their resources & bandwidth.
When this happens, it obviously becomes very difficult for the servers to handle the incoming requests, resulting in the website either shutting down or becoming very slow.
And yes, there is an impact it leaves legitimate service requests unattended. Also known by many as a DDoS (Distributed Denial-of-Service) attack, attackers use multiple compromised systems to launch this attack.
Let us now know how DDoS attacks can be prevented or avoided:
- Perform traffic analysis to identify malicious traffic and identify good and bad traffic.
- Always pay attention to the warning signs like network slowdown, intermittent website shutdown, etc. In such times, the organization should take necessary steps without delay.
- Create a comprehensive incident response plan, maintain a checklist, and ensure that your team and data center can handle a DDoS attack.
- Outsource DDoS prevention to cloud-based service providers.
Zero-day exploit
A zero-day exploit is where cyber-criminals know more about a vulnerability that has been found in specific widely-used software applications & operating systems, & then targets companies who are using that software in order to abuse the vulnerability before a fix becomes accessible.
DNS Tunnelling
DNS tunneling is a complicated attack vector that is made to give attackers unrelenting access to a given target.
Since several organizations fail to monitor DNS traffic for spiteful activity, attackers are able to insert or “tunnel” malware into DNS queries (DNS requests sent from the client to the server).
This malware threat is used to generate an unrelenting communication channel that most firewalls are unable to spot.
Business Email Compromise (BEC)
A BEC attack is where the attacker targets particular individuals, generally an employee who has the capability to authorize financial transactions, in order to trick them into transferring funds into an account controlled by the attacker.
BEC attacks generally involve planning & research in order to be effective. For instance, any information about the target organization’s executives, workers, customers, business partners, and possible business partners, will assist the attacker to convince the worker into handing over the funds.
BEC attacks are one of the most monetarily damaging forms of cyber-attack.
Cryptojacking
Cryptojacking is where cybercriminals connect with a user’s computer or device and use it to mine cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin. Cryptojacking is not as renowned as other attack vectors; but, it shouldn’t be underestimated.
Many companies don’t have the best visibility when it comes to this kind of attack, which means that a hacker could be using precious network resources to mine a cryptocurrency without the organization having any familiarity with it.
Of course, leaching resources from a corporate network is far less difficult than stealing valuable data.
SQL Injection Attack
Structured Query Language (SQL) injection is an ordinary method of taking benefit of websites that depend on databases to serve their users.
Clients are computers that get data from servers, & an SQL attack uses an SQL inquiry sent from the client to a database on the server. The server that holds the record then runs the command & the system is broken through.
If an SQL injection is performed successfully, numerous things can occur, including the release of sensitive data or the modification or deletion of significant data.
Also, an attacker can carry out administrator operations like a shutdown command, which can disrupt the function of the database.
URL Interpretation
With URL interpretation, attackers alter and manufacture certain URL addresses & use them to gain access to the target’s private & specialized data. This type of cyber threat is also referred to as URL poisoning.
The name “URL interpretation” comes from the information that the attacker recognizes in the order in which a web page’s URL information is required to be entered.
The attacker then “interprets” this syntax, using it to find out how to get into areas they do not have entry to.
To perform a URL interpretation attack, a hacker might guess URLs they can use to get administrator privileges to a site or to entrée the site’s back end to get into a user’s account.
Once they get to the page they desire, they can control the site itself or get access to sensitive information about the people who utilize it.
Trojan virus
This is one of the very common threats, Trojan malware tries to distribute its payload by disguising itself as legitimate software.
One technique used is an “alert” that sends a message to the user that the system has been compromised by malware. , it then recommended a scan, whereby the scan actually delivered the malware.
keep away from downloading programs or executables from unrecognized dealers or that try to alarm the user of serious trouble.
Brute force attack
A brute-force attack gets its name from the “brute” or simple method employed by the attack. In this attack, the attacker simply tries to guess the login credentials of anyone with access to the target system.
After many attempts, if they succeed in this task, then they come in.
While this can be a time-consuming and difficult process, attackers often use bots to steal or obtain credentials.
The attacker provides the bot with a list of credentials that they think can give them access to the secure area.
The bot then tries to check each piece of information while the attacker sits back and waits. Once the correct information is entered, the perpetrator gets access.
To avoid preventing brute force attacks, your authorization should have lock-out policies as part of the security framework.
After a certain number of attempts, the user trying to enter credentials is locked out. Well, this usually involves “freezing” the account, so even if somebody else tries from a special device with a different IP address, they can’t bypass the lockout.
Conclusion
These kinds of cyber threats continue to grow in difficulty, but understanding them is the most excellent way to better defend yourself and your company.
