Cyberattacks are attempts by cybercriminals, hackers, or other digital adversaries to access a company’s networks and systems to steal or damage information. These attackers may be individuals acting alone or part of organized criminal groups.
Examples of cyber attacks include denial-of-service (DoS) attacks that flood a site with illegitimate service requests, forcing the servers to deny service to legitimate users. Other episodes include silver ticketing, credential stuffing, and man-in-the-middle techniques.
Malware
Malware refers to various malicious software programs that seek to steal or damage personal information, systems, and networks. It can be used for profit, political reasons, or merely to make a statement.
Cybercriminals, also known as threat actors or bad actors, use tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) to exploit vulnerabilities in computer systems and gain unauthorized access to critical business or personal information. They may also use malware and phishing to attack companies or individuals.
As a result, companies should be aware of the different varieties of cyberattacks and what measures they can take to defend themselves against these attacks. To start, they should have employees take EC-Council’s Certified Secure Computer User training to understand better how to avoid common cyberattacks like phishing and social engineering. This will help them better recognize and stop cybercriminals from stealing their information or compromising their devices. They can also learn about other attacks, such as denial-of-service attacks, distributed denial-of-service attacks, and cross-site scripting. These attacks target a website, causing it to be overwhelmed with illegitimate service requests so legitimate users can’t access the site or service.
Viruses
Viruses are malware programs that spread through computer files and can do damage like corrupting system files, stealing information, and more. They replicate themselves by inserting copies of themselves into other computer programs and systems without the user’s knowledge. They can also disrupt a computer network.
Hackers often use malware to steal sensitive data and commit other cyberattacks. They may also use it to perform a denial of service (DoS) attack, which floods servers with illegitimate requests to overload them and deny service to legitimate users. They can also create botnets, in which multiple hacked systems attack sites or networks.
Another typical cyberattack is phishing, which involves cybercriminals sending emails that appear to be from a trustworthy source and trick victims into providing sensitive information or clicking on malicious links. They can also exploit software and hardware supply chain vulnerabilities to access private data. EC-Council’s Certified Secure Computer User (C|SCU) training can help you develop the skills to protect against cyberattacks.
Ransomware
Cyber attacks can destroy, disrupt, and steal data from computer systems. Hackers typically perform them.
Often, these attackers exploit vulnerabilities in network protocols. This can result in unauthorized access to a system and reveal private or sensitive information. A common type of attack is denial-of-service (DoS), in which multiple hacked systems flood a site or network with illegitimate requests.
Ransomware is a dangerous type of malware that locks the victim’s files and demands payment to unlock them. This attack usually spreads through phishing emails, and it is difficult to stop once it gains entry into a system.
Paying the ransom to the attackers doesn’t guarantee they will unlock a victim’s files, and it can even encourage malicious actors to continue these attacks. To prevent this, companies must have regular backups of essential data. Additionally, they should never click on a link in a phishing email. Also, employees should be educated on the different types of cyberattacks and what they look like to identify suspicious activity on their computers.
Hackers
A cyber attack is a malicious penetration into computer information systems, infrastructures, and networks. It involves a variety of tactics, techniques, and procedures that may result in data theft, modification, or destruction. Individuals behind attacks are called hackers, cybercriminals, or threat actors. They can work alone or in groups. Hackers can be motivated by many reasons: financial gain, hacking for fun, or political motives.
Some hackers create malware to extort money, such as ransomware that locks down your system and demands a ransom to unlock it. Other criminals use their hacking skills for espionage, such as accessing trade secrets from competitor companies. Others might be inspired by anger, seeking revenge on individuals or organizations they feel somehow wronged them.
Then there are white hat hackers, or ethical hackers, who use their hacking skills to test the security of company information systems and other infrastructures. Companies usually hire them to carry out these tests. However, they can also be recruited by black hat hackers for their expertise and skills.
Insider Threats
Malicious insiders are employees, contractors, vendors, executives, or other people with a relationship to your organization who misuse data for their gain. This can include stealing confidential information and accessing critical systems to steal, harm or sell.
Unlike malware, this type of cyberattack is typically intentional and can be motivated by various factors, such as espionage, revenge, or even profit. For example, an employee planning to leave their company could use their access to steal intellectual property to give their new employer a competitive advantage.
Another common reason for malicious insider threats is to cause sabotage, such as modifying system software or using tools to destroy company systems or physical assets. Often, this happens through phishing attacks or compromised employee machines that serve as home bases for attackers to scan file shares, escalate privileges and infect other computers with malware. The most damaging insider attacks are often found in manufacturing, aerospace, and defense companies that contain proprietary knowledge that is difficult to replicate. This is especially true if the malicious insider has an extensive network of contacts with whom they can trade sensitive information and access critical systems.