What Are Different Cybersecurity Threats? | Cyberroot Risk Advisory

At its most basic level, cyber security is a set of procedures and tactics implemented to safeguard a company’s vital systems and confidential data against cyber-attacks and data breaches. Through the introduction of new attack methods that incorporate AI and social engineering, cyber attacks are becoming more complex as criminals find it easier to evade traditional security safeguards. Businesses must increase their efforts in cyber security as they adopt newer technology.

Threats to cybersecurity are actions taken by someone with malicious intent in order to steal data, harm computing systems, or disrupt them. Common categories of cyber threats include malware, social engineering, man-in-the-middle (MitM) attack and more.

Different cybersecurity threats are -

1. Malware Attacks

The most prevalent kind of cyberattack is known as malware, which is an acronym for “malicious software,” which includes viruses, worms, trojan horses, spyware, and ransomware. A system is typically infected by malware through a link on an unreliable website, an email, or an unwanted software download. It deploys on the target system, gathers private information, manipulates and denies access to network components, and has the potential to delete data or completely shut down the system.

Among the most common malware assaults are:

(i) Viruses: a program is infected by a piece of code. The harmful code is executed when the application is launched.

(ii) Worms are a type of malware that accesses an operating system through software flaws and backdoors. The worm can launch attacks such as distributed denial of service(DDoS) after it is installed in the network.

(iii) Trojans are harmful programs or code that hide in apps, games, or email attachments while posing as a legitimate program. The malware is downloaded by an unwary user, who then lets it take over their computer.

2. Social Engineering Attacks

Social engineering entails persuading people to act as a malware entry point. Because the attacker pretends to be a legitimate actor, the victim unknowingly gives the attacker access to important information or installs malware on their system.

The following are a some of the most common social engineering assaults:

(i) Baiting is when an attacker uses a tempting offer, such a free gift card, to entice a person into a social engineering trap. The victim gives the attacker private information like login credentials.

(ii) Pretexting is a tactic where the attacker uses a false pretense to compel the target into disclosing information, akin to baiting. This usually entails pretending to be someone in a position of authority, such as an IRS agent or police officer, whose position will require the victim to cooperate.

(iii) Phishing is when an attacker sends emails that appear to be from a reliable source. Phishing can be more targeted but frequently entails sending bogus emails to as many users as possible.

3. Supply Chain Attacks

For software sellers and developers, supply chain attacks represent a novel threat. Through source code, build procedures, or software update methods, it aims to infect trustworthy apps and spread malware.

In order to infiltrate the build and update processes, change the source code, and conceal malicious content, attackers search for insecure network protocols, server architecture, and coding methodologies.

Attacks on supply chains are particularly dangerous since the programs that are hacked by attackers are signed and approved by reputable vendors.

A few examples of supply chain attacks are:

(i) Compromise in development pipelines or build tools

(ii) Compromise of developer accounts or code signing processes

(iii) Automatic upgrades that send malicious code to hardware or firmware components

(iv) Pre-installed malicious software on physical devices

4. Attack by Man-in-the-Middle

Intercepting communication between two endpoints, such as a user and an application, is a Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) attack. The attacker has the ability to eavesdrop on the conversation, take confidential information, and imitate the identity of each party.

Examples of a MitM attack are:

(i) Wi-Fi eavesdropping occurs when an attacker sets up a Wi-Fi connection while impersonating a trustworthy party, like a company, so that consumers can connect to it. The fake Wi-Fi enables the attacker to track connected users’ activities and snoop on information like credit card numbers and login information.

(ii) Email hijacking is the practice of an attacker impersonating a reputable company, like a bank, in order to deceive consumers into sending sensitive information or money to the attacker. The user complies with the attacker’s instructions even if they appear to come from the bank.

(iii) DNS spoofing: When a Domain Name Server (DNS) is manipulated, it directs users to a malicious website that masquerades as a trustworthy website. The attacker might steal the user’s credentials or reroute traffic away from the legitimate website.

Conclusion

As we have mentioned above, there are certain types of cyberattacks possible with respect to the business one hold. Business needs to take care and implement proper safety measure in order to remove and avoid such cyber threats.