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7 Types of Cybersecurity Threats and How To Protect Against Them

The rise of cyber attacks in recent years will continue to haunt businesses that aren’t diligent about protecting their assets. This article will detail the common 7 types of cybersecurity threats and how to protect against them.

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April 12, 2023

Cybercrime is on the Rise

Cyber threats have become an increasingly pervasive and pressing issue for businesses in recent years. With the rise of digital technologies and the expanding Internet of Things (IoT), the potential for cyber attacks has grown exponentially, leaving businesses vulnerable to a range of malicious activities, including data breaches, ransomware attacks, and phishing scams. As such, it is critical for security teams to take a proactive approach to cybersecurity, implementing robust measures and protocols to safeguard against cyber threats and protect their valuable assets, including intellectual property, customer data, and financial information. In this article, we will explore the various types of cyber threats facing businesses today and provide guidance on how organizations can take a comprehensive approach to cybersecurity to mitigate the risks and safeguard against potential threat actors.

1. Malware

Malware is a type of software that is specifically designed to cause harm or damage to computer systems, networks, or devices. Malware can be used to steal sensitive information, disable systems, corrupt data, and even demand ransom payments. It can be spread through various channels, such as email attachments, infected websites, and malicious software downloads. Due to the increasing reliance on technology and the internet in our daily lives, malware has become a significant threat to businesses and individuals alike, with the potential to cause substantial financial and operational damage.

Common Types of Malware

  1. Viruses: A program that can replicate itself and infect other files on a computer, causing damage to files or the entire system
  2. Trojans: A type of malware that disguises itself as legitimate software, but once installed, it can perform harmful actions such as stealing sensitive data, downloading additional malware, or allowing unauthorized access to the target system
  3. Ransomware: A type of malware that encrypts a victim’s files and demands payment in exchange for the decryption key, often causing significant financial and operational damage to businesses and individuals
  4. Spyware: Designed to secretly collect information from a computer or device and send it to a third party without the user’s knowledge or consent
  5. Adware: A type of software that displays unwanted ads to the user, often causing system slowdowns and potentially exposing the user to further malware infections
  6. Rootkits: A type of malware that enables an attacker to gain privileged access to a computer or device and remain hidden from detection, allowing the attacker to carry out further malicious actions
  7. Fileless malware: A type of malware that exists entirely in memory and does not leave a trace on the hard drive, making it difficult to detect and remove

Protecting Against Malware

  1. Use anti-malware software: Install and regularly update anti-malware software on all devices, including desktops, laptops, and mobile devices.
  2. Keep software up to date: Keep all software and firmware up to date with the latest security patches and updates.
  3. Use strong passwords: Use strong passwords and enforce password policies to prevent unauthorized access to devices and accounts.
  4. Use firewalls: Use firewalls to prevent unauthorized access to devices and networks.
  5. Limit user privileges: Limit user privileges to prevent malware from accessing sensitive data and systems.
  6. Use email security tools: Use email security tools to filter out spam and phishing emails that can deliver malware.
  7. Educate users: Educate users on the risks and prevention of malware, such as avoiding suspicious email attachments or links and using caution when downloading software or files from the internet.
  8. Use sandboxing: Use sandboxing technology to isolate and analyze potentially malicious files and code.
  9. Conduct regular backups: Conduct regular backups of important data to ensure that it can be restored in the event of a malware attack.

2. Social Engineering

Social engineering attacks are a type of malicious activity that involve manipulating people into divulging sensitive information or performing certain actions that can compromise their network security or that of their organization. These attacks typically exploit human vulnerabilities such as trust, fear, greed, and ignorance, rather than technical vulnerabilities in software or hardware. Social engineering attacks can take various forms, including phishing, pretexting, baiting, quid pro quo, and tailgating, and can be carried out via multiple channels such as email, phone, social media, or in person. The goal of social engineering attacks is to trick the victim into providing access to confidential information, systems, or physical spaces, or to install malware or perform other malicious actions.

Types of Social Engineering

  1. Phishing: This is the most common type of social engineering. It involves sending fraudulent emails, messages, or websites that appear to be from a trustworthy source but are actually designed to trick the victim into providing sensitive information like passwords, credit card numbers, or other personal data that can be used for fraudulent activities. Here are a few common types of phishing:
  1. Phishing Emails: Fraudulent email messages that are designed to trick recipients into divulging sensitive information or performing an action that can compromise their security. These emails appear to be from a trustworthy source, such as a financial institution or a well-known company, but they are actually sent by cyber criminals. The messages typically contain a link or attachment that, when clicked, leads to a fake login page or downloads malware onto the recipient’s device.
  2. Vishing (Voice Phishing): Cyber criminals use voice calls to deceive victims into divulging sensitive information, such as personal and financial details or account login credentials. Vishing attacks can be conducted through automated phone calls or by impersonating a legitimate caller from a reputable organization. The attackers often use tactics such as urgency or fear to pressure victims into providing information. They may even use spoofing techniques to make the call appear to be coming from a trusted source. Vishing attacks are a serious threat to individuals and businesses and can lead to significant financial losses and other security risks.
  3. Smishing: Uses SMS (Short Message Service) or text messages to trick individuals into divulging sensitive information or clicking on malicious links. Similar to phishing, smishing attempts to deceive victims by impersonating a legitimate source such as a bank, government agency, or company. The goal is to steal personal information, install malware on the victim’s device, or initiate fraudulent transactions.
  4. Spear Phishing: Targets a specific individual or group through personalized messages, emails, or other means, to deceive the recipient into divulging sensitive information or performing an action that can compromise their security or the security of their organization. The attacker usually gathers information about the target through open source intelligence (OSINT) or other methods and uses this information to create a convincing message that appears to be from a trusted source, increasing the chances of success of the attack.
  1. Pretexting: This involves creating a false identity to gain access to sensitive information or persuade the victim to take a particular action. For example, a pretexter may impersonate a government official or company representative to extract the victim’s personal data or sensitive information.
  2. Baiting: Baiting is a technique that uses the promise of a reward or something desirable to lure victims into giving up confidential information. For example, a baiter may offer a free gift card or other incentive to encourage the victim to provide their personal information.
  3. Quid pro quo: This is a type of social engineering that involves offering something of value in exchange for confidential information. For example, a scammer may offer a victim a job opportunity in exchange for their social security number or other sensitive data.
  4. Tailgating: This involves following an authorized person into a restricted area by simply walking in behind them. For example, a person may hold the door open for a stranger without realizing that they are not authorized to enter the area.
  5. Watering Hole: This involves compromising a website that the victim is likely to visit and then infecting it with malware. When the victim visits the website, they unknowingly download the malware onto their computer or device, which can then be used to steal sensitive information.

Protecting Against Social Engineering 

  1. Employee education: Train employees to recognize and report potential social engineering attacks, such as phishing emails, phone scams, and pretexting attacks.
  2. Implement strict access controls: Limit access to sensitive information and systems to only those who need it, and ensure that access privileges are regularly reviewed and updated.
  3. Use multi-factor authentication: Require employees to use multi-factor authentication (MFA) when accessing sensitive information or systems, as this can help prevent unauthorized access even if credentials are compromised.
  4. Regularly update software and security tools: Ensure that all software, security tools, and operating systems are kept up to date with the latest security patches and updates.
  5. Monitor network activity: Monitor network activity for suspicious behavior or unusual network traffic patterns that may indicate a social engineering attack.
  6. Conduct social engineering tests: Conduct regular social engineering tests to identify weaknesses in the organization’s security and educate employees on how to recognize and respond to social engineering attacks.
  7. Develop an incident response plan: Develop and regularly test an incident response plan to ensure that the organization can quickly and effectively respond to social engineering attacks.

3. Denial-of-Service

A denial of service (DoS) attack is a type of cyberattack in which an attacker seeks to disrupt the normal functioning of a website, server, or network by overwhelming it with a flood of traffic or requests. The goal of a DoS attack is to make the targeted system unavailable to its intended users, either temporarily or permanently.

Types of DoS Attacks

  1. Network flood attacks: These attacks flood a network with a high volume of traffic or data packets, causing the network to slow down or crash.
  2. Application-level attacks: These attacks target a specific application or service, such as a web server, by overwhelming it with requests or exploiting vulnerabilities in the application’s code.
  3. DDoS attacks (Distributed denial of service attacks): These attacks use multiple computers or devices to flood the targeted system with traffic, making it even harder to defend against.

Protecting Against DoS Attacks

  1. Use DoS mitigation tools: Use specialized tools, such as DoS mitigation appliances or services, to detect and mitigate DoS attacks in real time.
  2. Monitor network traffic: Monitor network traffic for unusual patterns or spikes in traffic that may indicate a DoS attack.
  3. Implement bandwidth throttling: Use bandwidth throttling to limit the amount of traffic that can be sent to a single device or network segment.
  4. Harden network devices: Harden network devices, such as routers and switches, to prevent them from being exploited by attackers.
  5. Use load balancers: Use load balancers to distribute traffic across multiple servers or devices to prevent overload of any one device.
  6. Implement access control lists: Implement access control lists (ACLs) to restrict traffic to only authorized IP addresses and prevent traffic from known malicious sources.
  7. Use cloud-based services: Use cloud-based services that offer built-in protection against DoS attacks.
  8. Conduct regular security testing: Conduct regular security testing, including penetration testing and vulnerability assessments, to identify and address any weaknesses in the organization’s security posture.
  9. Develop an incident response plan: Develop and regularly test an incident response plan to ensure that the organization can quickly and effectively respond to DoS attacks.

4. SQL Injection Attacks

SQL injection is a type of web application security vulnerability that allows an attacker to insert malicious SQL code into a web application‘s SQL query. The attack can be used to steal sensitive data or manipulate the data in the database.

In a SQL injection attack, an attacker can exploit a vulnerability in a web application by inputting specially crafted SQL statements into a form field or other input field. The malicious SQL statement is then executed by the web application‘s database, which can result in the attacker gaining unauthorized access to the database, modifying or deleting data, or even executing other attacks.

Types of SQL Injection Attacks

  1. Classic SQL Injection: This type of attack involves inserting malicious SQL statements into an application’s input fields, which are then executed by the database. The attacker can use this technique to steal data or modify the database.
  2. Error-Based SQL Injection: In this type of attack, the attacker sends invalid or unexpected data to the app, causing the database to generate an error message that reveals sensitive information about the database schema, server configuration, or application logic.
  3. Blind SQL Injection: In this type of attack, the attacker can’t see the results of their malicious SQL statement directly but can still infer information about the database by making educated guesses based on the application’s responses.
  4. Out-of-Band SQL Injection: This is an advanced form of blind SQL injection that uses the application’s network connection to send data to an external server controlled by the attacker, which can then be used to extract data from the database.
  5. Time-Based SQL Injection: This type of attack exploits delays in the application’s response time to infer information about the database. By sending a long-running SQL statement, the attacker can measure the time it takes for the application to respond, which can reveal information about the database schema and contents.

Protecting Against SQL Injection Attacks

  1. Use parameterized queries: Instead of dynamically building SQL queries using user input, use parameterized queries that allow user input to be passed as a parameter.
  2. Sanitize user input: Use input validation and data sanitization techniques to ensure that user input does not contain malicious code or characters.
  3. Limit database privileges: Restrict database privileges for application accounts to only the necessary permissions required to perform their specific functions.
  4. Implement least privilege access: Limit access to sensitive data and systems to only those employees who need it to perform their job functions.
  5. Monitor database activity: Monitor database activity for unusual or suspicious behavior, such as repeated failed login attempts or unusual query patterns.
  6. Use a web application firewall: Deploy a web application firewall (WAF) that can detect and block SQL injection attacks.
  7. Regularly test and audit applications: Conduct regular vulnerability assessments and penetration testing to identify and address any vulnerabilities in applications and systems that could be exploited in a SQL injection attack.

5. Man-in-the-Middle Attacks

A man-in-the-middle (MitM) attack is a type of cyber attack in which an attacker intercepts communication between two parties to secretly eavesdrop, modify, or steal information. The attacker positions themselves between the two communicating parties, impersonates both of them, and intercepts the messages being exchanged.

In a typical MitM attack, the attacker will intercept traffic on a network and then modify the messages in transit to inject malicious code or redirect the communication to a different destination. This can allow the attacker to steal sensitive information such as login credentials, banking information, or personal data.

Types of MitM Attacks

  1. WiFi network attacks: The attacker sets up a fake WiFi hotspot that appears to be legitimate and then intercepts traffic that passes through the network.
  2. DNS Spoofing: The attacker can modify the DNS server’s response to redirect traffic to a malicious server, which can intercept and modify the traffic.
  3. Email spoofing: The attacker sends emails that appear to be from a legitimate source but contain malicious links or attachments that can be used to steal information.

Protecting Against MitM Attacks

  1. Use encryption: Implement encryption technologies such as SSL/TLS to encrypt sensitive data transmitted over networks.
  2. Use secure protocols: Use secure protocols such as HTTPS for web traffic and SSH or VPNs for remote access.
  3. Verify SSL/TLS certificates: Verify the SSL/TLS certificates of websites to ensure that they are not expired or issued by a rogue Certificate Authority (CA).
  4. Implement strong authentication: Use strong authentication mechanisms such as two-factor authentication (2FA) or multi-factor authentication (MFA) to prevent unauthorized access.
  5. Keep software up to date: Keep software and firmware up to date with the latest security patches and updates.
  6. Use a virtual private network (VPN): Use a VPN to encrypt all network traffic, especially when accessing sensitive data remotely.
  7. Monitor network activity: Monitor network activity for unusual behavior, such as unexpected devices on the network or unusual data flows.
  8. Educate users: Educate users on the risks and prevention of MitM attacks, such as avoiding public WiFi networks and avoiding clicking on links in unsolicited emails or messages.

6. Advanced Persistent Threats

Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs) are sophisticated, long-term cyber attacks that are designed to gain unauthorized access to sensitive information and remain undetected for an extended period of time. APTs are typically conducted by well-resourced and highly-skilled attackers, such as state-sponsored hackers or organized cybercriminal groups.

APTs are different from typical cyber attacks in that they are persistent and stealthy, and involve multiple stages of infiltration, reconnaissance, and data exfiltration. The attackers may spend months or even years carefully planning and executing their attack, using a variety of advanced techniques to evade detection and maintain persistence.

Common Techniques Used in APTs

  1. Spear Phishing: The attackers will send targeted emails to specific individuals within an organization to trick them into clicking on a malicious link or attachment that will infect their computer with malware.
  2. Watering Hole Attacks: The attackers will infect a website that is frequently visited by employees of the target organization and then wait for employees to visit the site and become infected with malware.
  3. Supply Chain Attacks: The attackers will target a supplier or vendor that has access to the target organization’s network and infect their systems with malware, which can then be used to gain access to the target organization.
  4. Zero-Day Exploits: The attackers will use previously unknown vulnerabilities in software to gain unauthorized access to the target organization’s network and systems.

Protecting Against APTs

  1. Implement defense-in-depth security: Use multiple layers of security controls such as firewalls, intrusion prevention systems, and anti-virus software to protect against known threats.
  2. Use threat intelligence: Regularly update threat intelligence feeds to stay aware of new threats and vulnerabilities.
  3. Regularly update software and security tools: Ensure that all software, security tools, and operating systems are kept up to date with the latest security patches and updates.
  4. Limit access and use strong authentication: Limit access to sensitive information and systems to only those who need it, and ensure that strong authentication measures are in place.
  5. Monitor network activity: Monitor network activity for suspicious behavior or unusual network traffic patterns that may indicate an APT attack.
  6. Conduct regular security assessments: Conduct regular security assessments, including penetration testing and vulnerability assessments, to identify and address any weaknesses in the organization’s security posture.
  7. Develop an incident response plan: Develop and regularly test an incident response plan to ensure that the organization can quickly and effectively respond to APT attacks.
  8. Educate employees: Educate employees on the risks and prevention of APT attacks, including the importance of strong passwords, identifying and reporting suspicious activity, and avoiding phishing and other social engineering attacks.

7. Insider Threats

An insider threat is a cybersecurity risk posed by individuals within an organization, such as employees, contractors, or business partners, who intentionally or unintentionally misuse their access privileges to compromise the security of the organization’s network, systems, or data.

Types of Insider Threats

  1. Malicious insiders: These are employees or contractors who intentionally steal data, sabotage systems, or commit other malicious acts.
  2. Accidental insiders: These individuals unintentionally cause a security breach by making a mistake, such as clicking on a malicious link or attaching a malware-infected device to the network.
  3. Careless or negligent insiders: These are employees who violate security policies or best practices, such as using weak passwords, sharing login credentials, or failing to secure their devices.
  4. Compromised insiders: These are individuals whose credentials have been stolen or who have been coerced or tricked into providing access to the organization’s systems or data.

Protecting Against Insider Threats

  1. Implement role-based access control: Limit access to sensitive data and systems to only those employees who require it to perform their job functions.
  2. Implement least privilege access: Limit the access of each employee to only the necessary data and systems they require to perform their job functions.
  3. Conduct regular security awareness training: Educate employees on the risks and prevention of insider threats, including identifying and reporting suspicious activity and avoiding social engineering attacks.
  4. Implement employee monitoring: Monitor employee behavior for unusual activity, such as attempts to access unauthorized data or systems, changes in work patterns, or excessive data downloads.
  5. Develop an insider threat program: Develop and implement a comprehensive insider threat program that includes policies and procedures for identifying and mitigating insider threats.
  6. Regularly review and audit access: Regularly review and audit employee access to sensitive data and systems to ensure that access rights are up to date and that there are no unauthorized accounts.
  7. Implement data loss prevention (DLP): Use DLP tools to prevent employees from accidentally or intentionally leaking sensitive data.
  8. Establish a reporting system: Establish a reporting system that allows employees to report suspicious activity without fear of retaliation.

Do Nothing and Get Attacked

Cybersecurity risks are a constantly evolving and multifaceted challenge for organizations of all sizes and sectors. From malware and phishing attacks to insider threats and physical breaches, the range of potential risks is vast and ever-expanding. As such, organizations must take a comprehensive and proactive approach to cybersecurity, encompassing a wide range of measures such as employee training, regular software updates, access controls, and incident response planning. By implementing a holistic approach to cybersecurity, organizations can better safeguard their assets, reputation, and customers from the potentially devastating effects of cyber threats.

If you are interested in how providers like Meriplex can deploy comprehensive security solutions to help your business from falling victim to cybercrime, please contact us today!

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