The world has seen a drastic increase of cybercrime in recent years. While ransomware and phishing may have taken the main spotlight, they aren’t the only problems businesses are facing. There are many different types of cyberattacks that have proliferated during this time. To protect your business, it’s necessary to understand these threats and know how to avoid them.
The Most Common Cyberattacks To Look Out For
“Cyberthreat” is an umbrella term that refers to a wide range of threats. From spyware to Trojan horses, there’s no shortage of cyberthreats lurking in the darkest shadows of the web. The key to identifying cyberthreats and avoiding them is to build cybersecurity awareness. To help you build your awareness, we’ve put together a list of the most common cyberattacks affecting businesses today.
Denial of Service and Distributed Denial of Service
A denial of service (DoS) attack is a malicious attempt to overwhelm a system’s resources with traffic. By overwhelming your system’s resources, it renders the web property unresponsive. A distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack is a similar type of attack that also assaults a system’s resources. The difference, however, is that DDoS attacks are launched from host machines that have previously been infected by malware and are controlled by the hacker.
Unlike most other forms of cyberattacks, DoS and DDoS campaigns usually don’t provide tangible benefits for the hacker. They’re often carried out simply to disrupt an organization’s online operations. However, if the attack is done by a business competitor, they could benefit by disrupting the competition.
Man-in-the-Middle
True to its name, a man-in-the-middle attack (MITM) occurs when a hacker puts themselves in the middle of communications between a client and a server. Like a spy, the hacker secretly intercepts whatever is being sent to the server. Depending on what’s being discussed, the cybercriminal can steal anything from personal information to login credentials.
MITM attacks have been on the decline, since most email and chat systems now use end-to-end encryption. This prevents third parties from tampering with the data that’s being transmitted across the network. However, it is still a common type of attack.
Phishing
It should come as no surprise, but another of the most common cyberattacks is phishing. As a social engineering tactic, it is specifically designed to manipulate and deceive individuals. The goal of a phishing scam can range from trying to acquire your personal information to trying to infect your network with malware.
Phishing is usually done through fraudulent emails pretending to be authentic. They use calls to action to get you to click on a malicious link or download a corrupted file. Often, the sender claims to be from a well-known or trusted source, such as popular websites, banks, or even business partners.
Ransomware
Some of the most recent hacking incidents in the last year have involved ransomware. This common cyberattack is a type of malware that encrypts your files, applications, or even operating system (OS). As a result, you are locked out of the programs you need to do your job.
It’s called ransomware because the criminal demands a ransom before they agree to decrypt your system. While you may be tempted to pay the ransom, it’s recommended that you don’t. By paying the hacker, you only encourage them. Plus there’s no guarantee they’ll actually decrypt your device after they receive your payment.
Password Attack
One of the easiest ways to gain access to sensitive information is to use the legitimate route of logging in with a username and password. That’s why hackers often use password attacks to steal your credentials. A password attack can be done by eavesdropping on your connection to the network. A few other ways include social engineering, accessing your password database, grabbing a compromised password off of the dark web, or by guessing. When a hacker guesses your password, it’s considered a brute force password attack.
Protect Your Business From Common Cyberattacks
Want to know how to prevent cybersecurity attacks such as these? Just reach out to the cybersecurity experts at BL King. We offer a wide selection of cybersecurity solutions like intrusion prevention and risk assessments. With our help, you can better protect your business from even the worst cyberthreats.
Contact us today to learn more.
