Stop cyber attacks before they cripple your business. Educating your employees about the different types of cyber attacks is one of the best forms of defense against these threats. If your employees know what to watch out for, they are less likely to be tricked by these tactics. For professional advice and to help keep your system fully protected from cyber attacks, contact Digital Service Consultants today.

 

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7 Types of Cyber Attacks

There are many different types of cyber attacks. The following 7 types are some of the most common to look out for. Continue reading to learn more about each of these attacks.

1. Phishing Attacks
2. Malware Attacks
3. SQL Injection Attacks
4. Denial-of-Service Attacks
5. Man-in-the-Middle Attacks
6. Password Attacks
7. Eavesdropping Attacks

 

7 Types of Cyber Attacks to Educate Your Employees About

 

1. Phishing Attacks

Phishing is used to get confidential or sensitive information from its victims. Using email filters and augmented password logins can help against phishing attacks. The type of information that is targeted includes:

  • Usernames
  • Passwords
  • Credit card information
  • Network credentials, etc.

Phishing usually begins with an email designed to get you to click on a malicious link or download an infected attachment. Other techniques used in phishing include phone calls, text messages, and social media tools that try to trick you into giving out sensitive information.

Examples of Phishing

Clone Phishing: An attacker will access a legitimate email message you have already received and make an almost identical copy, but will change a link of attachment to a malicious one.

Spear Phishing: An attacker will get information about you and to customize their email to make it look real.

Whaling: An attacker will target an executive in your organization and their communication as something legal or high-level.

 

cyber attacks

Phishing usually begins with an email designed to get you to click on a malicious
link or infected attachment

2. Malware Attacks

Malware refers to malicious software that is designed to invade your computer or computer system and damage or even destroy it. Often, malware gets into your network when one of your users clicks on a dangerous link or email attachment. Once they have clicked, the software is then installed on your system.

Examples of Malware:

Spyware: Spyware acquires information by transmitting data from your hard drive.

Ransomware: Ransomware blocks key parts of your network so you can’t access them unless you pay a ransom.

Viruses: Viruses disrupt some of your components and stop your system operating.

Worms: Replicate themselves to spread to other computers and cause harm.

Trojan Viruses: Trojan viruses look like helpful software programs but once installed, they can gain access to your sensitive data which they will then modify, block or even delete.

3. SQL Injection Attacks

An SQL injection can give an attacker full control over your web-based database. It does this by inserting random SQL code into your database query.

Examples of SQL Injection Attacks:

User Input: An attacker can “inject” the SQL by entering it into a form that allows user input.

Modifying Cookies: An attacker can modify cookies that when processed by the database will insert SQL into the back-end of your system.

HTTP Headers: Attackers may forge HTTP headers with random SQL which will then be injected into your database.

malware attack

Denial-of-service attacks prevent you from accessing a service

4. Denial-of-Service Attacks

Denial-of-service is a form of attack that prevents legitimate users from accessing a service. It works by sending multiple messages to your server asking for authentication. However invalid return addresses are given so the server is tied up trying to locate these addresses. This process is repeated again and again, thus keeping your server busy and not accessible to legitimate users.

Examples of Denial-of-Service-Attacks:

A denial-of-service attack can be carried out in several different manners including:

  • Flooding your network to prevent network traffic
  • Disrupting connections between two computers
  • Disrupting a service or stopping a user from accessing a service

5. Man-in-the-Middle Attacks

Three people are involved in a man-in-the-middle attack: the victim, the device that the victim is trying to communicate with and the attacker (the man-in-the-middle). In this scenario, the attacker intercepts the victim’s communications without the victim knowing that it is happening.

Example of a Man-in-the-Middle Attack:

Here is a typical way in which a man-in-the-middle attack might play out. You might receive an email that looks like it is coming from your bank. The email asks you to log into your account to confirm your contact information. When you click on the site, you are actually going to a fake site that looks like your banking site but has been created by your attacker. Once you enter your personal information, your attacker now has it.

 

computer attacks

Instead of guessing your password, attackers sometimes reset it

6. Password Attacks

A password attack is when an attacker discovers your password and uses it to log into your resources.

Examples of Password Attacks:

Password Guessing: An attacker uses either a manual or automated password cracking tool (which types passwords automatically for you) to guess your passwords. Most networks do not require long or complex passwords so this process is actually easier than you think.

Password Resetting: Instead of guessing your password an attacker resets it with a special program.

Password Cracking: An attacker takes a captured password hash and converts it to is plaintext original. They use extractor tools in this process.

7. Eavesdropping Attacks

An eavesdropping attack takes advantage of an unsecured network to obtain information that is transmitted by computers, smartphones and other devices on that network. They are hard to detect because they do not cause anything to appear out of the ordinary.

Example of Eavesdropping Attack:

An eavesdropping attack called Wireshark happened in May of 2011 when most Android smartphones were susceptible to an attack where authentication tokens were sent over unsecured Wi-Fi networks. Victims had their personal data stolen, modified, deleted, or viewed. The attackers changed their victims’ contact information so that their contacts unknowingly sent sensitive data to the attacker.

 

You Can Trust DSC for Secure Colocation, Cloud and Internet Services

Digital Services Consultants is a premier data center located just outside of Atlanta, Georgia in Buford, that offers you the safest IT solutions possible. Along with our top-notch server colocation, we provide a full range of internet- related and cloud services including cloud backup, system monitoring, software hosting, dedicated email, website development and implementation, web hosting, e-commerce, security, and a variety of related products and services.

We also provide network support for Linus, Microsoft server and workstation platforms, Fortinet firewalls, and Cisco Systems. DSC has been a trusted name in the IT industry in Atlanta for more than 30 years. Contact us today for all of your internet-related requirements.

 

Learn how the “Super Heroes of IT” can help you maintain a reliable connection and computing infrastructure

 

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DSC has been a trusted name in the IT industry in Atlanta for more than 33 years

 

DSC Gives Back to the Georgia Community

DSC is proud to be part of a thriving Georgia community and we care enough about our community to want to give something back. That is why we started the “Next Generation” training days. During the training, our students learned about the history of CPUs and GPUs. The training focused on the performance and success of different models and brands and which ones excelled during their various time periods. You can access an audio recording of the training on the DSC website for free. Click here to listen!