Computer security: 5 most common types of cyber-attacks
Computer security: 5 most common types of cyber-attacks
IT security is continuously exposed to a range of cyber-attacks, such as phishing, ransomware, or DDoS attacks. And in order to protect yourself, you have to deal with the threats.
Today’s cybercriminals are not part-time amateurs, but professional criminals who steal information. While disruption and vandalism are still prevalent, espionage has replaced hacktivism as the second most important driver of cyber attacks. After financial gain.
Regardless of the attacker’s motive, all security teams struggle to keep their IT systems secure.
What are the most serious cyberattacks and how do they work?
Cybercrime is based on the efficient exploitation of vulnerabilities. And IT security teams are always at a disadvantage, because they have to defend all possible entry points. Whereas an attacker only needs to find and exploit one vulnerability or security risk. These are the most typical types of cyber-attacks:
Malware attacks: malicious files
Malware is a general term that refers to a malicious program or file. It is created to exploit devices to the detriment of the user and his or her computer security, and in 
benefit of the attacker. There are different types of malware, but they all use similar evasion and obfuscation techniques. Designed not only to deceive users, but also to circumvent security controls.
Some of the most common types of malware are ransomware, collection of rootkit tools, Trojan files, or spyware.
Password cracking attacks in computer security
Despite their many known vulnerabilities, passwords remain the most widely used authentication method for IT services. Not surprisingly, obtaining a target’s password to bypass IT security controls and gain access to important data and systems is a common attack vector.
There are several methods attackers can use to obtain a user’s password. Brute force attack, dictionary attack, social engineering, password crackers, keyloggers, and the theft or purchase of password databases.
DDoS attacks: denial of service
A distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack is an attack in which multiple compromised computer systems attack a target, such as a server, website or other network resource, resulting in a denial of service to users of the target resource.
The flood of incoming messages, connection requests or incorrectly formatted packets on the target system forces it to slow down or even crash and shut down, denying service to legitimate users or systems.
Identity theft: attack on personal computer security
A phishing attack is a form of computer security fraud in which an attacker impersonates a legitimate entity such as a bank, tax authority or individual in an email or other form of communication. In doing so, malicious links or attachments are distributed. The goal is to persuade victims to hand over valuable information such as passwords, access data or intellectual property.
Botnet: botnets at the service of criminals
A botnet is a collection of computers and devices connected to the Internet that cybercriminals infect and control remotely. Vulnerable IoT devices are also used to increase the size and performance of botnets.
They are commonly used to send spam, run click fraud campaigns and generate malicious traffic for DDoS attacks.
How to protect yourself from common cyber-attacks and ensure IT security?
By understanding how different types of cyber-attacks work, we can implement control mechanisms and mitigation strategies to minimize damage.
While security-conscious users can reduce the success rate of most cyber attacks, a defense-in-depth strategy is also essential. This should be checked regularly, through vulnerability assessments and penetration testing, to detect exploitable security gaps in operating systems and the applications running on them.
End-to-end encryption throughout the network prevents attacks from successfully extracting valuable data, even if they manage to breach perimeter defenses.
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