What is a cyber attack?
A cyber attack is a set of actions performed by a person or a group of people who try to gain unauthorized access to computer systems and networks to steal data or cause damage. The individuals or groups of people who launch cyber attacks are commonly referred to as cyber criminals, threat actors, or hackers.
To steal data, hackers use various methods like malware, phishing, ransomware, or denial of service. Many organizations use intrusion prevention and detection systems (IDPS) to protect their companies against cyber attacks.
The direct effects of cyber attacks include financial loss, identity theft, and reputational damage. Malicious hackers attempt cyber attacks to steal money and access crucial data.
Types of cyber attacks
Attackers adapt to changing circumstances. A few of the top threats organizations should be aware of are:
- Machine-in-the-middle attacks: Also known as an eavesdropping attack, a machine-in-the-middle attack happens when attackers insert themselves into a two-party transaction. Once they interrupt the traffic, they filter and steal data. Unsecure public WI-FI and malware-breached devices are two common entry points of a machine-in-the-middle attack.
- Denial of Service (DoS) attacks: This attack is designed to prohibit access to critical services by exploiting a vulnerability in an application, causing it to crash. Hackers also cause a DoS by flooding a system with more data or requests than it can manage. Sometimes the hackers demand ransoms to either stop an ongoing attack or to prevent a threatened one.
- Zero-day exploits: This type of cyber attack occurs the same day the software or hardware flaw is detected. The hacker spots a software vulnerability before its vendors find it, creates an exploit and then uses it to attack.
- DNS tunneling: Domain Name System (DNS) is one of the most used and trusted protocols. It is used to translate URLs to machine-friendly IP addresses. Hackers use DNS protocol to tunnel malware and other data through a client-server model.
- SQL injection: An attack like this is a code injection technique wherein malicious structured query language (SQL) statements are inserted to attack data-driven applications. An attacker can perform an SQL injection by submitting malicious code into a vulnerable website search box.
- Phishing: A common attack, phishing is a cyber threat that makes untrustworthy communications look reliable. Phishing is meant to either steal sensitive data or install malware onto the user’s device.
- Malware: Short for malicious software, malware attacks a network through a vulnerability. For example, clicking unknown links or opening unreliable email attachments can lead to installing risky malware.
- Ransomware: This cyberattack holds a victim’s system hostage until a ransom is paid. Victims unknowingly download ransomware from websites or email attachments, which lets the ransomware encrypt the target's device. Once the payment is made, the hacker instructs the target to retain control over their device.
Cyber attack examples
Cyber attacks are a growing concern for professionals everywhere. A few cyber attacks have made headlines in recent years.
- In 2014, cybersecurity companies in South Korea discovered that the credit card and banking information of over 20 million people had been hacked. The data was sold to marketing firms.
- Also in 2014, cybercriminals gained access to over 3 billion Yahoo user accounts.
- Amazon Web Services was a target of denial-of-service in February 2020.
- Microsoft Exchange faced a large-scale cyber attack in March 2021. They found four zero-day vulnerabilities in Microsoft Exchange servers.
- A group of attackers breached popular Twitter accounts in July 2020. They gained access to the accounts through phone phishing.
How to detect a cyber attack
Prompt detection of a cyber incident is essential for damage control. Understanding and noticing these clues help detect cyber incidents.
- Suspicious network activities like storage file transfers or login attempts
- Indication of error signs or warnings in browsers or anti-malware tools indicating alerts to infections
- Sudden changes to system passwords and accounts
- Sudden loss of access to the network or social media accounts
- Unusually slow network
- Unexplained changes in data volume
- Performance issues that affect the accessibility of a website
Network monitoring software can send alerts if they discover suspicious behavior, vulnerabilities, or threats in applications and programs.
How to deal with a cyber attack
Below are ways to deal with a cyber attack and methods for staying well-informed during an incident.
- Cyber attacks happen mainly through communication via the internet, so individuals and organizations need to know what these attacks look like.
- An incident response team should be used to implement a plan to handle cyber attacks before they occur.
- It’s prudent to run routine application and system tests, limit staff’s access to data and information, set up email and web filters, conduct staff training regularly, and encrypt sensitive business information.
- The details of a cyber attack must be identified as quickly as possible. These details might include source, scope, and impact.
- IT systems need to be secured to maintain business continuity in a cyber attack to prevent further damage.
- Filing a report with the local police helps with legal proceedings in the future. It’s also smart to make a public announcement to manage PR efficiently.
- Clients are likely to get concerned even if most of the data is safe. Keeping them updated is essential in situations like this.
Remember that hackers are constantly evolving to adapt to enhanced data security. They’re always trying to break through and come up with more and more sophisticated techniques. It’s important to keep updating cyber skills from time to time and take the proper measures in case of a data threat.
How to prevent cyber attacks
These tips help prevent cyber attacks.
- Train staff about cybersecurity. Employees need to check links and email addresses before clicking them.
- Keep all software and IT systems up to date. Investing in a patch management system that handles all system updates is advisable.
- Equip a firewall. A firewall protects systems by filtering network traffic according to predetermined standards.
- Back up all data. In the event of a data threat, this cuts down on downtime, data loss, and financial loss.
- Adopt a perimeter security system. It’s necessary to control access to the systems.
- Secure WiFi networks. Employees must have a unique login for every application. Supervisors have to educate their teams about the importance of different passwords.
Cyber attack vs. data breach
A cyber attack is a security incident caused by hackers who illegally gain access to a system to deliberately cause harm to an organization.
A data breach occurs when data is stolen or disclosed, whether intentionally or unintentionally. Data breaches can also be internal; cases in which employees sell confidential information to competitors have been documented.
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A cyber attack is always intentional, while a data breach can be unintentional. A cyber attack can affect an organization to a large extent, whereas a data breach might not always have serious repercussions. Unlike a cyber attack, a breach is often only known to people long after it’s happened.
Learn more about malware removal to protect your assets against cyber attacks.
Sagar Joshi
Sagar Joshi is a former content marketing specialist at G2 in India. He is an engineer with a keen interest in data analytics and cybersecurity. He writes about topics related to them. You can find him reading books, learning a new language, or playing pool in his free time.
