BONUS: At the end of this article, we provide an Infographic with 8 types of cyber attacks, for completely free download.
We live in the digital age and we all know that technology does not wait for adaptations. Along with it, cybersecurity does not provide waiting time. It is always good to emphasize that we must be very careful on the internet.
Information security has been disseminated as a contingency strategy, especially in the year in which this scenario has become very favorable for cyber criminals working from home .
If you, a manager, entrepreneur, or IT professional want to keep your company free from any hacker threat, the first step is to know how they act, and what are the main types of attacks that exist today.
In the next few lines, we mention some of the main attacks and some variations that have been improved in recent months.
1. DDoS Attack
The main objective of this attack, translated into “Service Assigned Navigation”, is to overload server activities, causing system slowdowns and making websites and accesses unavailable.
As many professionals are more connected due to social isolation, this type of attack, if well distributed, can go unnoticed by security. A DDoS attack is one of the biggest threats to the full functioning of a company's systems.
In February this year, the company Bitfinex suffered a DDoS attack, see the news for more information.
2. Port Scanning Attack
If there is a vulnerability in the company's system, this malware searches the server in an attempt to find this vulnerability. If he manages to find a security breach on the company's server, he steals information and data in order to damage the system or hijack the data.
The SemperUpdate portal provided a study on the 3 most vulnerable doors in companies.
3. Ransomware
Widely known as “data hijacking”, ransomware blocks access to all files on the attacked server, and they are released only after payment of a sum of money (usually bitcoins) and the value of the “ransom” is determined by the hijacker.
With a greater security vulnerability in companies, resulting from the rapid and necessary migration to home office, the increase in this type of attack is evident.
A good example of a ransomware attack was the attack on Honda Motor. The multinational car company has suspended its production until it resolves the safety issue.
4. Trojan Horse
Popular on the internet, this malware only works with the user's “authorization”. Simply put, the individual executes an email attachment from a suspicious or unknown sender, or executes a suspicious download, containing the camouflaged virus.
There are numerous objectives in the Trojan horse attack. These include stealing personal information and disrupting computer functions.
The Computerworld portal listed some of the biggest Trojan horse viruses in history.
5. Brute force attacks
Imagine that to open a padlock with a numeric code, you will have to try all possible combinations. Seems long, right? But in the digital world this can be done very quickly. A Brute Force Attack steals accounts through several attempts at username and password combinations in a very short time.
In possession of this information, the criminal may send several messages with a sender known to the user with content such as phishing and spam, requesting deposits, transfers, access passwords and many other sensitive information.
According to Kaspersky, a reference company in security software, the number of brute force attacks on companies grew 333% in two months.
6. Phishing
Generally carried out via email, Phishing is a virtual attack in which hackers trick users into revealing confidential information, including passwords, bank details and CPF.
The attack is usually well constructed and takes the user to a page identical to the real page, a bank branch, for example.
As the name suggests, hackers “fish” for user data, launching a “bait” to deceive them.
It is one of the most common and most successful attacks.
According to new research from German security firm HSB and published on our blog , nearly half of employees who received phishing emails (47%) responded by transferring company funds, causing losses in the range of $50,000 to $100,000. more than half a million reais at the current price .
7. Cryptojacking
This virtual crime uses a computer or any other device connected to the internet to mine cryptocurrencies.
In general, the attack involves the dissemination of a type of malware that installs itself on victims' machines, exploiting the computer's capacity and resources to generate coins.
Normally the lay victim doesn't even notice, except in cases where the slowness of browsing and computer performance is really notable.
Uol reported that in 2018 more than 4,000 websites around the world, including pages from the United States, United Kingdom and Australian governments, were affected by a malicious cryptocurrency mining program.
8. ZeroDay
Or “zero day”, is an attack looking for security flaws in recently released programs or applications, exploiting loopholes and bugs before they are fixed.
It is a slightly less common attack, as it is specific to new releases in the digital environment, but, for those who work in development, it is something very everyday.
A good example of this attack is Microsoft patching 113 security flaws this year in the latest operating system update, 14 of which were listed as critical and three of which were actively exploited in recent attacks.
10 tips to protect yourself from any type of attack
We can say that the main entry point for attacks is related to the attitudes of users themselves when using computers. basic security measures are valid , such as user education and adequate training, strengthening the weakest point of data security in companies.
To help companies, we have listed below some tips to protect themselves from most cyber attacks:
- E-mails with surprising and megalomaniac offers should attract attention, as they may be camouflaged with malware.
- Install a good, basic anti-virus , choosing preferably paid software that offers complete protection for your system, according to your needs.
- Keep operating systems and software always up to date. Remember that old versions are more vulnerable to cyberattacks.
- It is essential to keep a good firewall always active, avoiding being attacked by several of the attacks mentioned above.
- Keep passwords strong and secure . Periodically change your passwords and avoid saving them on computers where there is high user turnover.
- back up your files. Always keeping an up-to-date copy of all your data is essential and will make things much easier if you suffer an attack.
- For home office teams providing remote access, it is essential to use a VPN connection so that all access to the company's sensitive data is secure and controlled.
- Block access to websites and applications outside the scope of work, avoiding access to websites that normally carry a high chance of infection and cyber attacks.
- Perform a vulnerability test on your internet network. This way, it is possible to identify the weakest points in your protection against cyber attacks.
- Have solutions and tools for the IT sector that are always up to date and in line with the company's needs, facilitating processes and identifying problems in the most automated way possible, making the responsible professional's time more optimized, eliminating tasks of low importance and prioritizing those of great importance , such as data security.
Infographic: 8 types of cyber attacks
To help understand and identify the characteristics of each type of cyber attack, we created an infographic that brings together relevant information about the 8 types of attacks mentioned in the article. Download it for free by clicking on the image below. You can share with colleagues and friends and spread the importance of data protection.
Conclusion
Finally, it is worth highlighting that businesspeople and managers from all segments must be aware that the biggest trick used by hackers is the lack of knowledge and carelessness on the part of users, using security holes and identifying vulnerabilities to take data and resources from the company.
In this scenario, it is essential to invest in preventive measures that involve employees, technologies and the correct management of actions to create a culture of information security in companies and avoid cyber attacks.
I hope I have helped you and your company identify the dangers on the internet and how to avoid some of these attacks in the easiest way possible.
To the next!
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