What are some common cyber threats that I should know about?

The internet is undoubtedly a breeding ground for many cybercriminals. In a study by the University of Maryland, they were able to quantify the near constant rate of hacker attacks of computers with Internet access. Every 39 seconds on average, one in three Americans suffer from a case of cyberattack every year.

Cybercrimes or cyberattacks can be defined as malicious and deliberate attempts of an individual or organization to breach the information system of another individual or organization.

Cybercrime commonly stems from many possible reasons, some may be to gain money, to destroy a company’s reputation, or even to build a reputation as a great hacker. Whatever the reason may be, they usually benefit from disrupting the victim’s network.

In this blog, we have listed down some common cyberthreats that you should know about.

Malware can be any malicious software that may potentially invade your system. It takes the form of spyware, ransomware, viruses, and worms. These programs and files are harmful or disruptive to your computers when left unaddressed.

Phishing attack is a form of data theft where an attacker sends out a fraudulent message with the attempt to steal or collect your sensitive information (e.g: bank accounts, social security number, etc.) A phishing attack may also be deployed through a ransomware that is sent to your account.

DNS Tunneling involves encoding data of other programs or protocols in DNS queries and responses. This gives cyber attackers the power to infiltrate your system as it bypasses the perimeter defenses like a firewall. In short, malware or stolen information is masked so that it is allowed to pass from one network to another.

Zero-day exploit is a newly-discovered type of bug commonly found in firmware, hardware, or software. Attackers may exploit any user’s ignorance of its existence. The name comes from the number of days a software developer has known about the problem. Since this is a new and hard-to-trace bug, this requires a user’s constant awareness.

Man-in-the-middle attack also known as MITM attack is a type of cyberattack wherein the attacker covertly relays or alters the communications between two parties. It is a form of eavesdropping where data is interrupted. This method may also give cybercriminals the power to obtain sensitive information such as login credentials or other personal information without being noticed by both parties.

The cyberattacks listed above are only a few of the many methods that are being used by cybercriminals nowadays. The best and only cost-effective way to counteract a breach is always prevention and awareness that it may possibly happen to you anytime. Start by consulting an expert or by installing software that may help you minimize the risks of a breach.

In need of a cybersecurity plan for your company or personal network? An assessment? Let us know how we can help by sending us an email at info@telligens.com.