A cyber attack refers to an action designed to target a computer or any element of a computerized information system to change, destroy, or steal data and exploit or harm a network. Cyber attacks have been on the rise, in sync with the digitization of business that has become increasingly popular in recent years.
While there are dozens of different types of attacks, the list of cyber attacks includes the 20 most common examples.
Top 20 Most Common Types Of Cybersecurity Attacks
1. DoS and DDoS attacks
A denial-of-service (DoS) attack is designed to overwhelm the resources of a system to the point where it is unable to reply to legitimate service requests. A distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack is similar in that it also seeks to drain the resources of a system. A DDoS attack is initiated by a vast array of malware-infected host machines controlled by the attacker. These are referred to as “denial of service” attacks because the victim site is unable to provide service to those who want to access it.
With a DoS attack, the target site gets flooded with illegitimate requests. Because the site has to respond to each request, its resources get consumed by all the responses. This makes it impossible for the site to serve users as it normally does and often results in a complete shutdown of the site.
DoS and DDoS attacks are different from other types of cyber attacks that enable the hacker to either obtain access to a system or increase the access they currently have. With these types of attacks, the attacker directly benefits from their efforts. With DoS and DDoS network attacks, on the other hand, the objective is simply to interrupt the effectiveness of the target's service. If the attacker is hired by a business competitor, they may benefit financially from their efforts.
A DoS attack can also be used to create vulnerability for another type of attack. With a successful DoS or DDoS attack, the system often has to come offline, which can leave it vulnerable to other types of attacks. One common way to prevent DoS attacks is to use a firewall that detects whether requests sent to your site are legitimate. Imposter requests can then be discarded, allowing normal traffic to flow without interruption. An example of a major internet attack of this kind occurred in February 2020 to Amazon Web Services (AWS).
2. MITM attacks
Man-in-the-middle (MITM) types of cyber attacks refer to breaches in cybersecurity that make it possible for an attacker to eavesdrop on the data sent back and forth between two people, networks, or computers. It is called a “man in the middle” attack because the attacker positions themselves in the “middle” or between the two parties trying to communicate. In effect, the attacker is spying on the interaction between the two parties.
In a MITM attack, the two parties involved feel like they are communicating as they normally do. What they do not know is that the person actually sending the message illicitly modifies or accesses the message before it reaches its destination. Some ways to protect yourself and your organization from MITM attacks is by using strong encryption on access points or to use a virtual private network (VPN).
3. Phishing attacks
A phishing attack occurs when a malicious actor sends emails that seem to be coming from trusted, legitimate sources in an attempt to grab sensitive information from the target. Phishing attacks combine social engineering and technology and are so-called because the attacker is, in effect, “fishing” for access to a forbidden area by using the “bait” of a seemingly trustworthy sender.
To execute the attack, the bad actor may send a link that brings you to a website that then fools you into downloading malware, such as viruses, or giving the attacker your private information. In many cases, the target may not realize they have been compromised, which allows the attacker to go after others in the same organization without anyone suspecting malicious activity.
You can prevent phishing attacks from achieving their objectives by thinking carefully about the kinds of emails you open and the links you click on. Pay close attention to email headers, and do not click on anything that looks suspicious. Check the parameters for “Reply-to” and “Return-path.” They need to connect to the same domain presented in the email.
4. Whale-phishing attacks
A whale-phishing attack is so-named because it goes after the “big fish” or whales of an organization, which typically include those in the C-suite or others in charge of the organization. These individuals are likely to possess information that can be valuable to attackers, such as proprietary information about the business or its operations.
If a targeted “whale” downloads ransomware, they are more likely to pay the ransom to prevent news of the successful attack from getting out and damaging their reputation or that of the organization. Whale-phishing attacks can be prevented by taking the same kinds of precautions to avoid phishing attacks, such as carefully examining emails and the attachments and links that come with them, keeping an eye out for suspicious destinations or parameters.
5. Spear-phishing attacks
Spear phishing refers to a specific type of targeted phishing attack. The attacker takes the time to research their intended targets and then write messages the target is likely to find personally relevant. These types of attacks are aptly called “spear” phishing because of the way the attacker hones in on one specific target. The message will seem legitimate, which is why it can be difficult to spot a spear-phishing attack.
Often, a spear-phishing attack uses email spoofing, where the information inside the “From” portion of the email is faked, making it look like the email is coming from a different sender. This can be someone the target trusts, like an individual within their social network, a close friend, or a business partner. Attackers may also use website cloning to make the communication seem legitimate. With website cloning, the attacker copies a legitimate website to lull the victim into a sense of comfort. The target, thinking the website is real, then feels comfortable entering their private information.
Similar to regular phishing attacks, spear-phishing attacks can be prevented by carefully checking the details in all fields of an email and making sure users do not click on any link whose destination cannot be verified as legitimate.
6. Ransomware
With Ransomware, the victim’s system is held hostage until they agree to pay a ransom to the attacker. After the payment has been sent, the attacker then provides instructions regarding how the target can regain control of their computer. The name "ransomware” is appropriate because the malware demands a ransom from the victim.
In a ransomware attack, the target downloads ransomware, either from a website or from within an email attachment. The malware is written to exploit vulnerabilities that have not been addressed by either the system’s manufacturer or the IT team. The ransomware then encrypts the target's workstation. At times, ransomware can be used to attack multiple parties by denying access to either several computers or a central server essential to business operations.
Affecting multiple computers is often accomplished by not initiating systems captivation until days or even weeks after the malware's initial penetration. The malware can send AUTORUN files that go from one system to another via the internal network or Universal Serial Bus (USB) drives that connect to multiple computers. Then, when the attacker initiates the encryption, it works on all the infected systems simultaneously.
In some cases, ransomware authors design the code to evade traditional antivirus software. It is therefore important for users to remain vigilant regarding which sites they visit and which links they click. You can also prevent many ransomware attacks by using a next-generation firewall (NGFW) that can perform deep data packet inspections using artificial intelligence (AI) that looks for the characteristics of ransomware.
7. Password attacks
Passwords are the access verification tool of choice for most people, so figuring out a target’s password is an attractive proposition for a hacker. This can be done using a few different methods. Often, people keep copies of their passwords on pieces of paper or sticky notes around or on their desks. An attacker can either find the password themselves or pay someone on the inside to get it for them.
An attacker may also try to intercept network transmissions to grab passwords not encrypted by the network. They can also use social engineering, which convinces the target to input their password to solve a seemingly “important” problem. In other cases, the attacker can simply guess the user’s password, particularly if they use a default password or one that is easy to remember such as “1234567.”
Attackers also often use brute-force methods to guess passwords. A brute-force password hack uses basic information about the individual or their job title to try to guess their password. For example, their name, birthdate, anniversary, or other personal but easy-to-discover details can be used in different combinations to decipher their password. Information that users put on social media can also be leveraged in a brute-force password hack. What the individual does for fun, specific hobbies, names of pets, or names of children are sometimes used to form passwords, making them relatively easy to guess for brute-force attackers.
A hacker can also use a dictionary attack to ascertain a user’s password. A dictionary attack is a technique that uses common words and phrases, such as those listed in a dictionary, to try and guess the target's password.
One effective method of preventing brute-force and dictionary password attacks is to set up a lock-out policy. This locks out access to devices, websites, or applications automatically after a certain number of failed attempts. With a lock-out policy, the attacker only has a few tries before they get banned from access. If you have a lockout policy in place already and discover that your account has been locked out because of too many login attempts, it is wise to change your password.
If an attacker systematically uses a brute-force or dictionary attack to guess your password, they may take note of the passwords that did not work. For example, if your password is your last name followed by your year of birth and the hacker tries putting your birth year before your last name on the final attempt, they may get it right on the next try.
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