A cyber attack is an unlawful attempt to obtain access to a computer or computer system to do intentional damage. Debilitating data breaches or financial loss might be the result of cybercrime, cyberwarfare, or cyberterrorism.
Anyone or anything connected to the internet may be the target of these attacks. Individual users, significant businesses, vital public services, governing bodies, or even entire nations.
- Malware
Malware is “malicious software” that aims to disrupt computer networks or servers or steal data from them.
You are tricked into downloading malware onto the devices you use by hackers. When a malicious script is installed, it bypasses security and runs in the background, giving hackers access to your critical data and an opportunity to even take over.
2. Denial-of-Service (DoS) Attacks
Many cyberattacks aim to overwhelm servers and shut down services.
A denial of service (DOS) attack occurs when hackers use fraudulent requests and traffic to overwhelm a system and bring it to a complete stop. The same kind of attack, known as a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack, is carried out simultaneously via multiple harmed devices.
These cyberattacks typically aim to disrupt or even entirely halt business operations rather than steal data. DDoS attacks have severely crippled Amazon’s AWS and brought down websites like Twitter, SoundCloud, and Spotify.
3. Phishing
When an attacker sends emails that appear to be from reliable, trustworthy sources in an attempt to trick the target into divulging critical information, this is known as a phishing attack. Phishing attacks, which mix social engineering and technology, get their name from the fact that the attacker is essential “fishing” for access to a restricted area using the “bait” of a seemingly trustworthy sender.
To execute the attack, a bad actor may send a link that directs you to a website where you are subsequently fooled into downloading malware like viruses or giving the attacker your private information. Often, the victim is unaware that they have been penetrated, which allows the attacker to target other members of the same organization without raising suspicion.
By carefully considering the emails you open and the links you click, you can stop phishing attacks from achieving in their objectives. Examine email headers carefully, and avoid clicking on anything that looks suspicious. Examine the “Reply-to” and “Return-path” settings. They must connect to the same domain that is listed in the email.
4. Spoofing
Spoofing is a method used by cybercriminals to pose as a trustworthy or well-known source. By doing this, the adversary can communicate with the target and get access to their systems or devices with the ultimate goal of stealing information, demanding money, or infecting the device with malware or other malicious software.
5. Identity-Based Attacks
According to CrowdStrike’s research, 80% of all breaches involve stolen identities and might take up to 250 days to discover.
Identity-driven attacks are extremely hard to recognize. It can often be quite difficult to differentiate between a valid user’s regular behavior and that of a hacker when a valid user’s credentials have been obtained and an adversary is posing as that user.
6. Code Injection Attacks
Attacks that inject code into an application are referred to as code injection. The application then interprets the injected code, altering how the program runs. Attacks using code injection often make use of an application vulnerability that allows the processing of incorrect data. This kind of attack exploits the advantage of careless handling of untrusted data, and it often succeeds because sufficient input/output data validation is absent. This kind of vulnerability allows hackers to insert (or inject) code into a computer program.
7. Supply Chain Attacks
A supply chain attack is a cyber-attack that seeks less secure elements of the supply chain to harm an organization. Any industry, including the financial sector, the oil industry, and the public sector, is vulnerable to a supply chain attack. Attacks on the supply chain can affect both hardware and software. Cybercriminals typically install malware or hardware-based spying components to tamper with the manufacturing or distribution of a product.
8. Insider Threats
A cyber security risk that comes from within the organization is referred to as an insider threat. It typically occurs when a current or former employee, contractor, vendor, or business partner who has access to the organization’s networks, systems, and data misuses their access. Insider threats might be carried out intentionally or unintentionally. Whatever the motivation, compromised enterprise systems and data integrity, confidentiality, and/or availability are the ultimate results.
Most data breaches are caused by insider threats. Traditional cyber security plans, policies, procedures, and systems often put a greater emphasis on external threats, leaving the organization open to inside attacks. It’s difficult for security professionals and apps to distinguish between normal and harmful activity because the insider already has access to data and systems with proper authorization.
9. DNS Tunneling
Hackers use DNS tunneling, a type of cyberattack, to get around traditional security measures like firewalls and access systems and networks. Hackers embed malicious program in DNS queries and responses, which usually get ignored by security software.
Once inside, the program latches onto the target server and grants the hackers remote access.
Attacks using DNS tunneling are especially dangerous since they often remain unnoticed for days, weeks, or months. Cybercriminals can install malware, modify code, add new access points, and steal critical data during that time.
In one instance, cybercriminals attacked Air India and other airlines using DNS tunneling to acquire passport details and credit card numbers. More than two months went by with the “backdoor” wide open.
10. IoT-Based Attacks
While almost every device can now connect to the internet, this convenience and accessibility also presents a growing—almost unlimited—number of access points for attackers to exploit and wreak havoc. Due to the interconnected nature of things, it is possible for attackers to breach a point of entry and use it as a point of entry to target other network devices.
Due to the rapid growth of IoT devices and the (often) poor attention given to embedded security in these devices and their operating systems, IoT attacks are becoming more common. In one IoT attack, a Vegas casino was attacked, and the hacker entered the building via a thermometer that was connected to the internet inside a fish tank.
How To Protect Against Cyber Attacks
Cyberattacks have become more complex and diverse, with different types of attack being used for each malicious purpose. Good security practices and basic IT hygiene are often effective in mitigating these types of attacks, even though cybersecurity preventative measures differ for each type of attack.
Your organization should practice secure coding practices, use firewalls and threat management tools and solutions, install antivirus software across systems, control access and user privileges, backup systems often, and keep a proactive eye out for compromised systems with a managed detection and response service in addition to implementing good cybersecurity practices.
