Cyber threats have put the information security industry on high alert, with attacks that range from stealing data to disrupting systems being the target. Attackers’ motivations could range from revenge, profit or espionage.
Nation states, terrorist groups or disgruntled employees all pose risks that can wreak havoc with businesses and their reputations, so understanding and managing risks are of utmost importance for companies.
Malware
Malware is one of the leading threats to business data. Malware refers to any software injected onto a computer without consent and installed without their owner’s knowledge, with malicious intentions such as damaging and violating privacy rights or exploiting vulnerabilities in hardware or software supply chains to gain entry and steal sensitive data. Malware’s potency can easily be seen when an account has been compromised; when receiving notification that your account has been compromised it indicates an unwanted third party guessed your password or stole your password before using your data to conduct harm or theft against another party – an unwanted third party has had access and could use your information without you even knowing about it! Malware should always be treated as the biggest cyber threats: when encountered, as soon as an account hack occurs it’s clear: an unwanted third party gained entry and ran amok with all your personal or business data!
Cybercriminals can easily purchase lists of valid usernames and passwords from dark web marketplaces, enabling them to gain entry to multiple accounts with little risk to themselves. Once inside they can use these credentials to gain access to sensitive data or impersonate you on social media accounts.
Adware, another type of malware, collects browsing activity to track users and their interests before using this data to deliver targeted advertisements. Though less harmful than spyware, adware still affects privacy and system performance negatively.
Other forms of malware include Trojans, which pose as legitimate software to lure unsuspecting users into installing them, and ransomware, which encrypts files on a computer and demands payment to unlock them. Other attacks against computer systems include SQL injections, cross-site scripting (XSS), fileless malware attacks and fileless malware – the latter two using native tools built into systems instead of installing software for cyber attack purposes.
Cyberattacks of increasing sophistication have the cybersecurity industry on edge, as their consequences include disruption of critical services and theft/loss of sensitive data. But with proper planning and training employees on how to detect suspicious links/files/websites a company can bolster their defenses against risks associated with these attacks. Contact us for an IT Services Review and Security Assessment now.
Phishing
Cyber attacks are on the rise worldwide, endangering data and systems belonging to organizations and individuals alike. Some attackers seek financial gain while others aim to disrupt or even destroy systems and devices connected to them – leaving many companies fearful about how best to secure their digital assets.
Malware, or malicious software, infiltrates computer systems to access or alter sensitive information and cause disruptions or compromise. Malware includes viruses, worms, Trojan horses, spyware, scareware and ransomware – these tools often gain entry via untrusted websites, email attachments or malicious applications downloaded onto mobile devices.
According to this cybersecurity firm, phishing involves an attacker impersonating a trusted source in order to gain user login credentials by way of email that appears legitimate and uses social engineering techniques and valid media such as logos. One form of this attack, spear phishing, targets individuals by personalizing each email based on research into them – similar attacks called whaling target executives and celebrities specifically.
Man-in-the-middle attacks, also known as spoofing or IP address manipulation, occur when an attacker uses tools to intercept communication between two parties – such as chats, emails or data between a website server and browser to steal passwords or sensitive information from them. A man-in-the-middle attack could use malware or an elaborate network appliance or proxy which eavesdrops on communications between multiple devices to carry out these attacks.
Other frequent cyberattacks include data breaches, DDoS (distributed denial-of-service) attacks, IoT hacking and application layer attacks. A data breach occurs when hackers obtain stolen login credentials from compromised sites or databases in order to gain entry to company systems; this may involve purchasing lists of valid usernames and passwords on dark web marketplaces or conducting brute force attacks which try various combinations until one of their attempts works successfully.
Man-in-the-Middle Attacks
Man-in-the-middle attacks involve an attacker interfering with user’s online activities to eavesdrop, alter, or corrupt information that’s exchanged between two parties – whether via chat, email, or data communications.
Hackers use tools to intercept this communication and manipulate or spy on it – such as login credentials, financial details, or any other private data that could contain sensitive login credentials or financial records. In many instances, victims remain unaware that third-party spies are watching them; attacks of this nature include Wi-Fi eavesdropping, website address spoofing, SSL stripping (changing HTTPS to plain HTML), email hijacking and even wireless eavesdropping.
Cybercriminals who engage in man-in-the-middle attacks typically aim to obtain customer data for other malicious uses such as identity theft and corporate espionage. MITM attacks pose particular danger to businesses that require login credentials such as banks or eCommerce platforms; however, such attacks can affect any user regardless of security level.
Cybercriminals use dark web marketplaces to purchase lists of usernames and passwords for popular software and services, then set up fake Wi-Fi networks or modify website addresses in order to intercept network connections and intercept network communications. They may even hijack email accounts in order to trick victims into giving passwords, financial details or other details they believe come from their bank or financial provider.
Cyberattacks are costly – both to large enterprises and to small- and medium-sized businesses alike. Cyber attacks often disrupt operations, raise legal liability issues, and result in brand damage that has lasting repercussions for the affected company.
For organizations to effectively counter these threats, the ideal cybersecurity solution should provide visibility and protection against all forms of cyberattacks – be they malware, phishing attacks, ransomware attacks or man-in-the-middle attacks – is by deploying a holistic solution which protects computer systems, networks and valuable information against such cyberthreats as malware, phishing attempts, ransomware attacks or man-in-the-middle attacks.
Malware refers to any malicious software that infiltrates computer systems and alters their operation, destroys data or monitors network traffic – viruses, worms, trojans, spyware or ransomware are examples of malware.
Supply Chain Attacks
Companies often rely on software and hardware they purchase from third-party developers and suppliers, trusting in their security posture to be as mature as that of their organization. When their security posture falls short of this standard, attackers can exploit any vulnerabilities found there to launch attacks against targets – as shown by IBM’s 2020 Cost of Data Breach report which found vulnerabilities in third-party products were responsible for 16% of breaches.
Software, hardware and other product suppliers make ideal targets for attack because of their access to numerous companies. A single breach at any developer, vendor or hardware distributor could expose hundreds or even thousands of unsuspecting customers to malware infections, ransomware attacks, data theft and man-in-the-middle attacks – with disastrous repercussions for them all.
These attacks typically involve hackers infiltrating third-party supplier systems and then exploiting weaknesses in software or hardware. For instance, infiltrators behind SolarWinds and Kaseya supply chain attacks infiltrated servers producing updates for network monitoring tools to inject backdoors containing backdoors that gave attackers full access to customer networks when downloaded and installed by customers.
Other types of supply chain attacks involve physical tampering or code injection. Attackers could introduce counterfeit components into the supply chain or physically alter devices and equipment with malicious code before shipping. Attackers could also insert malicious firmware control software that controls digital hardware like computers and servers, giving attackers remote access to these systems for spying or data theft purposes.
Supply chain attacks are extremely dangerous because they allow attackers to quickly scale up their attacks with little effort and complexity. A single malicious piece of code injected into a vendor’s software platform would infect all its customers who use that product; examples such as SolarWinds and Kaseya attacks both used this approach to infiltrate numerous businesses with malware designed to steal sensitive information or ransom them for money.
Integrating security assessments of suppliers into your cybersecurity strategy is an effective way to guard against these types of attacks, and ensure your organization’s networks are not vulnerable from third-party vulnerabilities or by adding malicious components or code into products purchased.
