What are the four types of cyber-attacks that exist?

In just the first quarter of 2020, the number of cyber-attacks against UK firms increased by a whopping 30 percent, with banks and healthcare organisations accounting for 27 percent of all attacks. As a result, cybersecurity has emerged as a critical concern for businesses at all stages of development. It is even more concerning to consider the fact that cyber-attacks might take a variety of various forms, requiring a variety of different combat strategies. So, what exactly should you be on the lookout for, and how can you safeguard your company?

Here’s what you need to know about four of the most dangerous and destructive types of cyber attack.

1. Malware infection
Malware is the term used to describe hostile or hazardous entities that infiltrate a network by exploiting a flaw or vulnerability. Worms, polymorphic and stealth viruses, file infectors, spyware, trojans, and ransomware are examples of malicious software that can infect a computer. Their primary method of gaining access to a network is through the user clicking on an email attachment or link, which then instals them and causes damage to your information in a variety of ways. Ransomware, for example, might prevent you from accessing crucial sections of your network until you pay a ransom. Because it interferes with specific operations, this malicious software has the ability to install other destructive components and leave your system useless as a result. Malware, such as spyware, is also responsible for stealing data from the hard drive invisibly and secretly.

One of the most effective ways to lower your chance of malware infection is to keep your anti-virus, operating system, browser, and plugins all up to date. Also, go through your programme collection and get rid of anything you don’t use. Attempting to restrict the amount of online operations that are not relevant to the business is a good idea for organisations.

2. Phishing (also known as spear phishing)
This type of assault is most commonly carried out via email and targets personal information of the victim. It entails sending emails that appear to come from a reputable source but, upon closer scrutiny, turn out to be false. Some types of phishing involve the installation of malware on your computer through the use of a link or file, while others involve the use of links that take you to websites that attempt to deceive you into providing personal data.

When it comes to phishing, spear-phishing is a highly targeted form of the activity in which the attacker conducts more research into their target and generates messages that are relevant and personal to them. It becomes easier to bait people in this manner, which makes it even more difficult to detect such attacks. Attackers can do this through the use of email spoofing, in which they misrepresent information in the ‘From’ part of an email to make it appear authentic. Another method of appearing more real is to copy legitimate websites and use them to deceive you into providing personal information.

You may lessen the likelihood of being targeted by phishing attacks by thoroughly reviewing all emails before opening them. Also, give yourself some extra time before clicking on links and hovering over them to see where they will take you before proceeding.

3. Targeted rapid fire attack
In this form of attack, a hacker searches for weak or vulnerable websites and inserts harmful scripts into the PHP or HTTP code of the target website. When a visitor visits the page, the script either sends them to a site controlled by the attackers or instals malware on their computer, depending on the situation. Additionally, you can become a victim just by opening a pop-up window or receiving an email, without taking any action to authorise the assault, which increases the danger even further.

Because obsolete operating systems and security holes are the most significant risk factors in this attack, it is essential to ensure that all of them are thoroughly examined and corrected. Additionally, make every effort to keep the amount of plug-ins used in your business procedures to a minimum, as this may expose you to even greater risk.

4. Password security
When a cybersecurity breach occurs, the attacker attempts to figure out your passwords in order to gain access to your information. They accomplish this by guessing passwords, employing social engineering techniques, or poking around the network connection in search of unencrypted passwords. There are two ways to make educated guesses. The first method is brute-force attack, which is a random way of trying out multiple passwords, most of which are related to the victim’s name, work title, or other personal information. The second way, known as the dictionary method, involves trying a variety of popular passwords in the hopes of finding one that matches.

Implementing a lockout mechanism, in which your accounts are locked after a certain number of failed login attempts, can help you avoid password attacks. It is also recommended that if you are offered multiple-step verification procedures when creating an account, you select that option because it is more secure than the alternative.

The consequences of failing to take cybersecurity seriously are severe, particularly for enterprises, to the point where it could lead to the company’s demise entirely. To be more specific, the average cost of dealing with cyber-attacks is approximately $1.1 million, which is money that could be utilised to improve other elements of a company’s operations in order to generate some profit. Even if the organisation does not suffer a financial loss, it can have a devastating impact on its reputation, as clients will come to believe that they cannot trust you with their private information. Making the initial expenditure in order to protect your company’s internet presence is vitally necessary.

What JVR Consultancy Can Do to Assist You
All of the issues listed above may appear to be hard, but they are fundamental security issues that are simple to resolve. With the help of JVR Consultancy, you can equip yourself to take your company’s security to the next level by being assessed and certified as a Cyber Essentials qualified professional.

Cyber Essentials is sponsored by the government, which is why it’s critical to get in touch with us as soon as possible for a free audit of your present systems and a road map for how to proceed in the most effective way for you. As one of just a handful of consultancies in the United Kingdom to be recognised by the IASME Consortium in cooperation with the National Cyber Security Centre, we can evaluate and certify your application.

Please get in touch with us right away to arrange your free Cyber check.

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