Internet security experts constantly defend computers from different kinds of cyber-attacks. Cyberattacks affect private and commercial systems each day, and the number of threats has grown rapidly. According to the former Cisco chief John Chambers, “There are two types of companies: those that have been hacked, and those who don’t yet know they have been hacked.”
The reasons behind Internet security threats are numerous. One of them is money. Cybercriminals can shut down a system and ask for payment to bring it back to normal. Ransomware, an attack which demands payment in order for restoration of services is more advanced than ever.
Companies are at risk of cyberattacks, but people are as well, mainly due to the fact that they keep personal data on their phones and utilize insecure public networks. The ability to monitor the development of cyber-attacks and their increasing frequency is crucial to better cyber security. In this blog, I will tell you about the various Internet security threats. So, lets get started!
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What Is an Internet Security Threat?
Internet security threats refer to any malicious attempt that aims to illegally access information, disrupt digital operations or destroy data. Cyber-attacks can come from a variety of actors, such as hackers, corporate spies and hacktivists terrorist organizations, hostile nation-states as well as criminal organizations, isolated hackers, and unhappy employees.
In recent times, a number of prominent cyber attacks have led to sensitive data being exposed. For instance, in 2017, the Equifax breach exposed the personal information of approximately 140 million people, including birth dates addresses, names as well as Social Security numbers. In the year 2018, Marriott International disclosed that hackers gained access to their servers, and deleted data of more than 500 million of its customers. In both cases the cyber security risk was made possible by the firm’s inability to establish testing and retesting of technological security measures such as security measures, encryption, and authentication.
Cybercriminals can exploit private or corporate information to steal data or gain access to financial accounts, in addition to other possible harmful actions. This is the reason security experts are vital to protect private information.
Different Types of Internet Security Threats
Security professionals in cyberspace must have a thorough knowledge of the different types of cybersecurity threats.
Malware
Malware is malicious software , such as ransomware, spyware viruses as well as worms. The malware is activated when a person clicks on an attachment or link that is malicious and is then prompted to install harmful software. Cisco has reported that malware when activated, may:
- Block access to critical components of the network (ransomware)
- Install other harmful software
- You can steal information by sending information from the hard drive (spyware)
- Individual components can be damaged, rendering the system unusable
Denial of Service
The term “denial of service” (DoS) is one kind of cyberattack which floods computers network with enough to prevent it from responding to requests. DoS distributed DoS (DDoS) is similar thing, except that it originates from the computer network. Cybercriminals often employ flooding attacks to interfere with the “handshake” process and carry out the DoS. Other techniques can be employed as well, and some cyber criminals utilize the time the network is shut down to launch attacks of their own. A botnet is a kind of DDoS where millions of computers can be infected by malware, and managed by hackers as per Jeff Melnick of Netwrix, an software provider for security and information technology. Botnets, also known as zombie systems, aim to take over a system’s processing capabilities. Botnets can be found in a variety of geographical locations and are difficult to track.
Emotet
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) defines Emotet as “an advanced modular banking Trojan, which primarily acts as a downloader or dropper of various banking Trojans. Emotet is still one of the most expensive damaging malware.”
Man in the Middle
A man-in the-middle (MITM) attack is when hackers are inserted in a transaction with two parties. Once they have disrupted the flow of traffic they are able to block and take data as per Cisco. MITM attacks typically occur when a user connects to an unsecure public Wi-Fi network. The attackers insert themselves between the user and the network, and utilize malware to install programs and then use the data in a malicious manner.
SQL Injection
The Structured Query Language (SQL) injection is a form of cyber attack that comes by inserting malicious code onto servers that use SQL. Once the server is infected, it releases data. In order to submit the malicious code, it can be as easy as typing it into a website that is vulnerable search box.
Phishing
Phishing attacks employ fake communications such as emails to trick the recipient to open the email and carry the information contained within like providing a credit card’s number. “The goal is to steal sensitive data like credit card and login information or to install malware on the victim’s machine,” Cisco says.
Password Attacks
With the correct password, a cyber-attacker is able to access a vast amount of data. Social engineering is a form of password-based attack which Data Insider defines as “a strategy cyber attackers use that relies heavily on human interaction and often involves tricking people into breaking standard security practices.” Other forms of attacks involving passwords include the use of password databases or simply being able to guess.
