We’ve all been there… Receiving some semi-suspicious email with a headline telling us, that we’ve won something, or that there’s an “Issue with our online order” -and we almost open it, but then we remember that we did in fact not take part in any contests recently or have any online orders coming in -and instead we mark it as SPAM and let the system deal with it instead. This is ‘phishing’ for you! Some fraudulent attempt to obtain information from you or worse, to gain access to your device.
In today’s world, cyber threats are basically everywhere -and some can be harder to spot than others. Let’s dive into the world of cyber security and have a closer look at some examples of cyber threats including Denial of Service (DoS) attacks, phishing attacks, man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks, Trojans and many more. Keep in mind, that cyber threats can also be initiated from within an organization. This means that all cyber threats don’t necessarily come from outside parties with malicious intentions. Time and time again, they can be the result of an “inside job”, that’s why it’s important for an organization to only allow a few trusted employees to handle the company’s intellectual property and sensitive data.
Below is a list of the 3 most notable cyber threats that any organization should be weary of:
Malware
Malware is software that has been spontaneously installed on a device in a non-consensual manner. The alarming part about malware is its ability to multiply within the device itself and attach itself to other accessible programs. It can also lay hidden in applications for long periods of time and continue replicating itself quietly in the background. This way, the user only realizes their device is infected when it’s too late. There are different kinds of malware that lurk throughout the internet. Some types of malware to watch out for include:
Ransomware - This type of malware denies the user from accessing their sensitive data and threatens to destroy or make the said data public, against the user’s best wishes. The only way the threat can be lifted is if the user pays a hefty sum of ransom money to the infiltrator. A classic case of a ransomware attack simply locks the user out from accessing the data completely. This type of attack can usually be reversed by a skilled professional and the user can avoid paying the ransom all together. However, an advanced form of ransomware called cryptoviral extortion encrypts the infected computer’s files and the only way to decrypt the files would be to use the decryption key that only the attacker has.
Droppers - Droppers are sneaky programs that are usually not infected with malicious code, thus it’s very easy for them to slip past most standard firewalls or antivirus software. Once past all the computer security checkpoints, droppers do end up installing other viruses onto the device, which slows down and impairs the device over time.
Trojans - A Trojan horse program has earned this name for its ability to hide behind the guise of a useful program and therefore mask its malicious functions and bypass the device’s cyber security protocols. Additionally, when in the system, Trojans can create an alternative route for an attacker to easily enter and wreak havoc on the device or computer network with other cyber threats.
Denial of Service (DoS) Attacks
A ‘denial of service’ attack is a threat that is actually instigated from multiple sources at once. The attacks from these sources simply flood the victim’s device with commands so that the system cannot respond to a single request from the user. These sources are usually controlled by one parent source, who is simultaneously monitoring multiple machines to instigate the attack on the victim and is also the hacker behind all these threats.
DoS attacks don’t necessarily allow the hacker to access the victim’s sensitive data and computer network, however it can used as an initiator for an upcoming cyber threat that the hacker has in store for later use. For instance, when the system is overwhelmed by the DoS attack, many safeguards such as the device firewall or antivirus software will also be equally overwhelmed. This allows the infiltrator to lob numerous other cyber threats at the victim without anything to stop the assault.
Furthermore, a very petty business rival can also use this sly strategy to shut down its competitor’s organizational network to gain a competitive edge.
Man in the Middle (MitM) attack
A MitM attack is a cyber threat that happens when a malicious third party places themselves in the middle of a client and server communication. Hackers do this to either impersonate the client or the server to steal data from the other. There are 2 ways a hacker can launch a MitM attack:
Session hijacking – Session hijacking has earned its name due to the fact that it essentially ‘hijacks’ a client and network server communication session. Usually, session hijacking attempts to replace the IP address of the client with the hacker’s IP address. This fools the network server into communicating with the hacker thinking that it’s still communicating with the client. This way, the cyber threat can now access any of the client’s data stored on server network, or if the client themselves has the correct authorizations, the hacker will also have access to the rest of data.
Replay – A replay attack happens when a hacker is able to grab a hold of old messages between clients and servers. The hacker simply sends the same messages again, and the server instantly thinks they’re from a trusted source as they’re exact replicas of previous messages from the client. They can mimic previous client transactions and steal data or resources where possible.
Just like the internet is a vast bank of knowledge, news, entertainment and resources, it’s important to always stay vigilant for these cyber threats. Hackers are unfortunately always on the lookout for networks and devices with exposed vulnerabilities that they can exploit for their own personal gain. That’s why it’s always better to be safe than sorry and invest in a formidable cyber threat security and detection system to save you, your network, devices and clients from any future cyber attacks.
