Cyber Attacks

A cyberattack is a malicious attempt by an individual or organization to breach the computer system, disable servers or steal data of another individual or organization. Usually, the goal of cyberattack is to get access to the target computer's data and perhaps gain admin privileges on it. Strong organizational-wide cybersecurity and network security controls are now more important than ever. Cybercriminals can use a variety of methods to launch a cyber attack including malware, phishing, ransomware, man-in-the-middle attack, and other methods. As more organizations bring their important data online, there is a growing need for information security professionals who understand how to use information risk management to reduce their cybersecurity risk.

Common types of cyber attacks:

Malware: Malware is a kind of software. Worms, viruses, and trojans are all varieties of malware, distinguished from one another by the means by which they reproduce and spread. Malware softwares are designed to cause damage to a single computer, server, or computer network. when a user clicks a dangerous link or email attachment then it installs risky software. Once inside the system, malware can do the following:

• The computer or network became inoperable 
• Grant the attacker root access so they can control the system remotely.

Ransomware: Ransomware is one kind of malware that access and encrypts a victim's files. The attacker then demands a ransom from the victim to restore access to the data upon payment. Users are shown instructions for how to pay a fee to get the decryption key. The costs can range from a few hundred dollars to thousands, and are typically payable to cybercriminals in cyptocurrency.

Denial of Service Attack: A denial of service attack floods systems, servers, or networks with traffic to exhaust resources and bandwidth. As a result, the system is unable to fulfill legitimate requests. Attackers can also use multiple compromised devices to launch this attack. This is known as a distributed-denial-of-service (DDoS) attack.

Man in the middle: A man in the middle attack (MITM) is a method by which attackers manage to interpose themselves secretly between the user and a web service they're trying to access. For instance, an attacker might set up a Wi-Fi network with a login screen designed to mimic a hotel network; once a user logs in, the attacker can harvest any information that user sends, including banking passwords.

SQL injection: A Structured Query Language (SQL) injection occurs when an attacker inserts malicious code into a server that uses SQL and forces the server to reveal information it normally would not. An attacker could carry out a SQL injection simply by submitting malicious code into a vulnerable website search box.

Phishing: Phishing is a technique by which cybercriminals sends emails to trick a target into taking some harmful action. The recipient might be tricked into downloading malware that's disguised as an important document, for instance, or urged to click on a link that takes them to a fake website where they'll be asked for sensitive information like bank usernames and passwords. Many phishing emails are relatively crude and emailed to thousands of potential victims, but some are specifically crafted for valuable target individuals to try to get them to part with useful information.