Nearly 350 million internet users were affected by cyber attacks in 2023, according to Forbes. Given the digital transformation of businesses, new technologies, and the ever-increasing number of "smart" devices connected to the network, it is expected that the number of cybercrimes and affected parties of personal or financial data breaches will continue to grow. 

As a business or regular user, you should be aware of current online threats and risks, as well as know how to protect yourself and your business from cyber fraud committed due to carelessness or insufficient security level. 

In our series of articles dedicated to network attacks, we present to you the most common cybercrimes, which frequently cause huge financial (and other) losses and numerous negative consequences for organizations, their clients, partners, and users. In Part I, we looked at cyberattacks such as phishing, DDoS, and XSS, while in Part II we focus on several other types of attacks that may pose a threat to you online.

The Most Common Network Attacks (Part II)

Malicious Software (Malware)

Malware refers to any software specifically developed to harm a computer system, steal data, or gain unauthorized access. This type of attack is among the most common, as users can easily be tricked into downloading and launching such a program on their device. Examples of malware include:

• Viruses that self-propagate through already “infected” files containing malicious code. 
• Programs known as “Trojan horses”, which often resemble legitimate and well-known software.
• Spyware—programs that operate “in the background”, monitoring your activity and collecting sensitive personal data. 
• Ransomware—programs that block your normal access to files and data until you pay a ransom to hackers to restore them. 

AbsCloud advises: As a user, you are most often vulnerable when using untrusted devices, programs, or websites. Avoid clicking on suspicious links sent to you by email or downloading and running attachments. Also, be careful about which external hardware (e.g., USB devices) you connect to your device. It is mandatory to use an up-to-date antivirus program and to have a backup copy of your data.Learn how AbsCloud clients have reliable backup copies of their business data. 

Social Engineering

Unlike phishing attacks, social engineering involves a more complex process of manipulating the “victim,” with the attack often targeted at specific individuals or legal entities. The process includes a longer series of activities that sequentially guide the target toward the hacker’s desired action. Most often, this is achieved by pretending to be someone else (for example, a well-known person or organization, your bank, a potential client or partner, or someone claiming to know you). 

AbsCloud advises: Be extremely critical of messages received unexpectedly from unknown individuals. In many cases, the sender may know your business or activity well, seemingly send legitimate requests and comments, and still carry out a targeted attack against you as a user or online business. If you suspect such an attack, all best practices for checking the legitimacy of the other party will help you stay protected (verifying the domain's legitimacy, gathering more information about the sender, contacting the other party via their official website or email address, etc.). 

Traffic Eavesdropping 

This type of attack is also known as Packet Sniffing, where network traffic is intercepted and analyzed to extract sensitive information. Note that this principle is sometimes used for non-malicious purposes such as work analysis, error troubleshooting, bugs, and application optimization. Also, modern best-practices for protection using data and connection encryption largely eliminate the danger of traffic eavesdropping with harmful intent toward internet users or businesses. Nevertheless:

AbsCloud advises: If you are a business, use data encryption via SSL on your website or online store. If you are a user, check for such encryption before sharing personal data on a website. A good practice when working with large amounts of sensitive data is also to use a VPN and monitor the network for potential eavesdropping attempts. 

Password Cracking

This attack initiates a process with repeated attempts to crack a password for accessing a directory, database, mailbox, etc. Hackers may use approaches such as brute force, precomputed hash tables, dictionary attacks, etc., to discover user passwords. 

AbsCloud advises: Use secure passwords that are difficult to guess, with special characters and combinations. You may also use password managers for generating and storing unique, long passwords, as well as multi-factor authentication when entering a password into an application, directory, etc. Regularly update your used passwords and stay alert to other types of attacks that might inadvertently provide them to third parties (phishing, social engineering, etc.).

DNS Spoofing

This attack is also known as DNS spoofing and is characterized by modified responses to DNS queries, which can redirect the user to illegitimate websites, for example. Often, when a user tries to access the actual website of a business or organization, such an attack can redirect them to a copy of it, making them a victim of other types of cyberattacks. 

AbsCloud advises: Make sure your online business uses secure and encrypted protocols that encrypt DNS traffic. Additionally, a firewall can help against unauthorized access to DNS servers. 
 

If you have questions about types of network attacks or whether your website is fully protected, you can contact our team at support@abscloud.eu. 

Stay tuned for Part III of our series, in which we share more about some of the most common cyberattacks, including social engineering, traffic eavesdropping, malware, and more.