Regarding cybersecurity, most people know that your account can be stolen, your device can get a virus, and some downloads are dangerous. While all three of these things are undoubtedly true, they’re just the tip of the iceberg.
The real question is how can you protect yourself from threats you don’t even know exist. Now, in order to fix this issue one step at a time, here are nine different cybersecurity threats you may or may not have heard about.
1. Phishing Attacks
The simplest way to explain phishing attacks is to describe them as fake emails or messages, usually claiming to be from reputable sources. Why do you think major platforms and institutions have to stress that their employees will never ask for your password?
They try to trick you into revealing personal information or steal your identity. In some cases, they send you malicious links, which, when you click, start a dangerous download or take you to a site that’s not as it seems.
There are two ways to protect yourself from this. First, virus protection tools usually have up-to-date databases that will warn you of phishing sites. Second, being a bit more careful and checking the source doesn’t hurt.
2. Malware
Malware is the term used for software that infiltrates and damages your system. Now, malware is a broad term, and it can be used for a number of malicious software, but it normally slows down your performance and corrupts your files.
It can also steal personal data but unlike cookies, these malicious software don’t have to comply with any regulation.
Malware usually comes through malicious websites or attachments. Now, if you have good software, it will do its best to protect you from it, but you could still ignore it, add exceptions, or pause the software.
The best way to prevent malware infestation is to install robust anti-malware software. A good tool should be enough to keep you safe.
3. Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) Attacks
Imagine the game of telephones where you can’t send a message from one end of the room to another without the information going through several parties. How secure would you feel sharing information this way? MitM attacks intercept communication between two parties, which is as bad as it sounds.
This type of attack can steal sensitive information and leave you quite exposed. The common conditions under which this happens is when you try to access the internet via unsecured Wi-Fi networks. These are usually hotspots disguised as genuine networks.
To help you out, you can use VPNs for extra encryption and insist on secure connections. Just try to be very suspicious when near networks you don’t recognize and turn auto-connect off.
4. Ransomware
Ransomware is malware that locks your files or system and prevents you from using them until you pay the ransom. That’s where the name comes from and why the concept is so simple to understand.
It can spread through infected downloads and is still one of the most common types of malware.
This, too, has two solutions for the problem. First, you should back up data regularly. You can just use backup instead of data they’ve locked, and even if you miss a bit of data, it won’t really be that much. You can (and should) use anti-ransomware tools. This is especially important for people who make money via their devices since you never know when they’ll lock crucial work-related data.
5. SQL Injection
This code injection technique targets vulnerabilities in web applications that use SQL databases. This allows attackers to insert malicious SQL code into web forms or URLs, which allows them to manipulate the database. This way, you can access and modify database content and exploit vulnerabilities in many web forms.
An SQL injection can access and modify database contents, exposing sensitive data, deleting it, or modifying it.
The best way to protect against it is to implement strong input validation and use parameterized queries.
6. DDoS Attacks
DDoS attacks (distributed denial of service) happen when someone sends a huge amount of traffic your way (far more than your site can take). Usually, this is not real traffic but bots that the server is just interpreting as real traffic. The server gets overloaded and it goes down.
These attacks disrupt the website or service availability. They can make the site completely unavailable or so slow that all its real (human) audience just gives up.
It can also cause significant downtime in an industry where the downtime is not tolerated.
The only way to stay safe is to use DDoS protection services and load balancers but even these are not 100% reliable.
7. Password Attacks
Someone could guess or steal passwords. How? You would be shocked at how many people use “123456” or “password” as their passwords. Then, some people use their birthday dates, the names of their pets, or the names of their favorite authors. All of these are easy to guess by anyone who has ever googled you or looked you up on social media.
A lot of people use the same password for all their platforms, which means that someone can access multiple accounts if the password is reused. Losing a password is bad but losing so many accounts would be disastrous.
To avoid this, you need to use strong, unique passwords and enable multi-factor authentication. If you need to, use password managers to make it easier.
8. Insider Threats
Attacks from within the organization are incredibly dangerous. They’re also near-impossible to recognize since they’re not conventional attacks. It’s a person logging in from their own device and using their own account. In other words, there’s no breach to detect.
This can involve theft or sabotage, and the consequences can be devastating for any business. You can lose data, trade secrets, and more if you’re not very careful.
Implementing strict access controls and monitoring is the only way to handle this. You also have to be more careful when vetting new employees and giving them access. Take some time and gradually increase the scope of the files they have access to.
9. Zero-Day Exploits
Zero-day exploits are exploits that use unknown vulnerabilities. This is something that still hasn’t been reported, and therefore, there are no measures to protect you from it.
Since no patches or fixes are available initially, this will be a huge problem. It can cause severe damage before detection, especially since you’ll be completely oblivious to the fact that you’re in danger. You’re never aware of zero-day exploits.
Now, zero-day isn’t always in a literal sense. It just means that it’s a new bug or exploit that has appeared between keeping software up-to-date and using advanced security solutions. The only thing that you can actually do is update the system as soon as there’s a patch or a new version available.
Understanding what you’re up against will prevent you from underestimating the threat
Ultimately, while you’re probably not going to experience all of these attacks at the same time, it’s likely that you’ll encounter more than one. Knowing where the threat is coming from and knowing what to do in that situation will significantly improve the matters in your favor. Your cybersecurity is something that you have to take care of, regardless if you’re an individual or an enterprise.
