Cyber security threats include malicious attacks that are aimed at extorting information or money from a victim. It can be initiated by individuals, private organisations, terrorist groups, hackers, hacktivists, governments etc. for various purposes. Most commonly, the motive behind cybercrime is money and the attacker uses various tricks to extort money from the victim. Victims can be targeted for specific reasons or chosen at random.
In recent times, cybercrime has risen exponentially. It is more important than ever to be aware of the extent of cybercrime and take appropriate measures to prevent damage to oneself.
This Cyber Security Month, train yourself in the field of cyber crime and security to ensure your personal and organisational data is a little more secure. Here are 5 types of cyber security threats to watch out for.
- Malware: This is the most common form of cyber crime and usually shows up in the form of an email attachment or link posing to be something useful that one would be prone to click on. Malware is spyware, ransomware or a virus that attacks the machine of the victim and hijacks it. It can block access to parts of the machine, obtain data, install additional malware and more. Interested in knowing more about ransomware? Click here.
- Emotet: Emotet is a banking trojan that was designed as a banking malware to steal sensitive information from the victims devices. This shows up through email attachments and links, usually disguised with appropriate branding to look like financial communication including invoices, payment details, shipping details etc. This malware can hijack your account and send itself to your contacts, hence spreading exponentially through apparently reliable sources.
- Password Attacks: Through social engineering, password hackers have access to private information that they use to guess passwords along with common password design practices most users follow. Attackers also access password databases to try combinations and gain direct access to an account through the password. This gives them a wealth of information and access to use the account. One must be mindful about sharing personal details that can give way to passwords in public, and ensure that one’s passwords are strong enough to avoid such hacks.
- Man In The Middle: An instance wherein the attacker positions themselves in the middle of a transaction is called a Man In The Middle (MITM) attack. This is comparatively easy when people use unsecured WiFi networks, since they are simpler to break into by hackers. Attackers gain access by placing themselves between a two party transaction.
- Phishing: Most of us have already been victim to phishing attempts such as emails that ask for payment details in exchange for a reward, or seemingly attractive deals that demand a purchase. Phishing attackers can get creative and hence, it is increasingly important to beware of such emails or messages from unreliable sources.
The explosion of the internet has made it rather simple for attackers to cast their net wide. However, it is up to individuals to be aware and mindful about their online interactions in order to secure their data.
COVID-19 also has a large role to play in how attackers have adapted and how users must adapt as well. Read more here.
Globe Detective Agency is a pioneer in security services and focuses on cyber crime and security for individuals and organisations.
