{"id":1342,"date":"2020-08-20T13:03:00","date_gmt":"2020-08-20T13:03:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/blog\/?p=1342"},"modified":"2021-01-18T10:55:27","modified_gmt":"2021-01-18T10:55:27","slug":"10-different-types-of-cyber-attacks-how-they-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/blog\/10-different-types-of-cyber-attacks-how-they-work\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Different Types of Cyber Attacks &#038; How To Recognize Them"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u201c<em>There are two types of companies: those who have been hacked, and those who don&#8217;t yet know they have been hacked&#8221; <\/em>\u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.weforum.org\/agenda\/2015\/01\/companies-fighting-cyber-crime\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">John Chambers, former CEO and executive chairman at Cisco<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>No country, organization, government, or individual is immune to cyber-attacks. Cybercriminals sure know how to turn lemons into lemonade despite an ongoing global pandemic, political challenges, and natural calamities. For example, hackers are capitalizing on a bad situation by executing different types of <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thesslstore.com\/blog\/coronavirus-scams-phishing-websites-emails-target-unsuspecting-users\/\" target=\"_blank\">cyber attacks by using the COVID-19 pandemic<\/a> as a cover.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s crucial that you understand what the different types of cyber-attacks are and how to recognize them. In this article, we have explored these ten different types of cyberattacks in detail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li> Phishing Attacks<\/li><li>DDoS Attacks<\/li><li>Botnet Attacks<\/li><li>Brute Force Attacks<\/li><li>Man-in-the-Middle Attacks<\/li><li>Man-in-the-Browser Attacks<\/li><li>Drive-By Attacks<\/li><li>Malvertising Attacks<\/li><li>Ransomware Attacks<\/li><li>Spyware Attacks<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">10 Types of Cyber Attacks That Cybercriminals Use<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Phishing Attacks<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In <a href=\"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/blog\/common-types-of-phishing-attacks-how-to-recognize-avoid-them\/\">phishing attacks<\/a>, scammers pose as legitimate entities to trick users into taking actions that wind up victimizing them. Phishing can be done via email, text messages (<a href=\"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/blog\/what-is-sms-spoofing-how-can-you-prevent-it\/\">smishing<\/a>), or phone calls (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thesslstore.com\/blog\/what-is-vishing-how-to-recognize-voice-phishing-phone-calls\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">vishing<\/a>). Sometimes, scammers use deceptive domain names (for example, wel1sfargo.com, cha5e.com) and make fraudulent websites look legitimate to gain their victims\u2019 trust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are several purposes for these types of cyber attacks, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Tricking recipients into sharing their personal\/financial details,<\/li><li>Redirecting targets to spammy websites, or<\/li><li>Tricking them into downloading malware-infected attachments.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Below is an example of a <a href=\"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/blog\/what-is-a-phishing-email-5-examples-of-phishing-emails-and-how-to-avoid-them\/\">phishing email<\/a> that I received:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"617\" src=\"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/apple-phishing-email-example-1024x617.png\" alt=\"Different types of cyber attacks graphic: Example of an Apple phishing email\" class=\"wp-image-1343 addshadow\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/apple-phishing-email-example-1024x617.png 1024w, https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/apple-phishing-email-example-300x181.png 300w, https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/apple-phishing-email-example-560x338.png 560w, https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/apple-phishing-email-example-940x567.png 940w, https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/apple-phishing-email-example.png 1065w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>In this email, the attacker impersonates Apple\u2019s support team to try to trick me into clicking on a malicious link. The email is signed by Apple Support and even includes the company\u2019s logo, which may be enough to trick some email recipients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But there are two key details that scream \u201cDANGER\u201d in neon lights: the sender\u2019s email address and the poorly written message. If the email was legitimately sent by Apple, it would\u2019ve come from an email registered with the apple.com domain \u2014 not a fake account like the one highlighted above.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Furthermore, they wouldn\u2019t send an email to \u201cDear Customer\u201d \u2014 they would address you by name. And they certainly wouldn\u2019t send an email that\u2019s riddled with grammatical errors!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Companies That Scammers Like to Impersonate<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>So, which companies are scammers\u2019 most favorite for impersonating? Check out <a href=\"https:\/\/www.checkpoint.com\/press\/2020\/apple-is-most-imitated-brand-for-phishing-attempts-check-point-researchs-q1-2020-brand-phishing-report\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Checkpoint\u2019s list<\/a> of top five brands that attackers liked to impersonate in phishing attacks overall in Q1 2020 (not for any specific platform):<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td><strong>Companies\/Brands<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>&nbsp;&nbsp; % of share in the total phishing attacks in Q1 2020<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Apple<\/strong><\/td><td>10%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Netflix<\/strong><\/td><td>9%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Yahoo<\/strong><\/td><td>6%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>WhatsApp<\/strong><\/td><td>6%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>PayPal<\/strong><\/td><td>5%<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a>2. DDoS Attacks<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>DDoS attacks are a serious threat that can affect everyone from small businesses to major enterprises. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.netscout.com\/threatreport\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">NetScout Threat Intelligence<\/a> saw 8.4 million DDoS attacks in 2019 alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In a <a href=\"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/blog\/what-is-ddos-breaking-down-a-distributed-denial-of-service-attack\/\">distributed denial of service attack<\/a> (DDoS attack), attackers bombard a target with numerous requests simultaneously. Targets can be a server, network, service, or website. During a website DDoS attack, for example, the unexpected heavy traffic (or an influx of packet forwarding) overwhelms the target\u2019s server, and the website becomes slow or stops responding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"827\" height=\"749\" src=\"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/simplified-ddos-attack.png\" alt=\"A graphic illustrating the breakdown of a DDoS attack using a botnet (one of the types of cyber attacks we discuss in this article)\" class=\"wp-image-1344 addshadow\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/simplified-ddos-attack.png 827w, https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/simplified-ddos-attack-300x272.png 300w, https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/simplified-ddos-attack-560x507.png 560w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 827px) 100vw, 827px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>What makes these types of cyber attacks so harmful is that they disrupt the target website&#8217;s services, making them unavailable to legitimate users. Attackers use <a href=\"https:\/\/www.imperva.com\/learn\/application-security\/ddos-attack-scripts\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">scripts or toolkits that create botnets<\/a> to generate traffic from numerous sources. That\u2019s why it\u2019s difficult to halt DDoS attacks by blocking any particular user\/IP address. In some cases, the attackers may demand a ransom from website owners to stop the attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some common reasons for DDoS attacks include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Harming the reputation of a company or website,<\/li><li>Causing financial losses to the website due to downtime, or<\/li><li>Taking personal revenge against the site owner.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Botnet Attacks<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The term \u201cbotnet\u201d refers to a network of robots or connected devices. Here, the attackers infect a large number of IoT devices and use their collective power to execute different types of cyber attacks. While a DDoS attack is also one type of botnet attack, it\u2019s not the only one. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.akamai.com\/us\/en\/resources\/what-is-a-botnet.jsp\">According to Akamai<\/a>, other types of botnet attacks include those that involve:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Validating lists of leaked credentials (credential-stuffing attacks) leading to account takeovers.<\/li><li>Web application attacks to steal data.<\/li><li>Providing an attacker with access to a device and its connection to a network.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>To create a botnet, attackers insert botnet malware (such as trojans, computer viruses, etc.) into users&#8217; devices via phishing emails and malicious websites. They can also use other corrupted hardware or IoT devices to infect other devices on the same networks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once infected with <a href=\"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/blog\/what-is-a-trojan-horse-in-computer-terms\/\">trojan malware<\/a>, for example, the device takes orders from a <strong>command-and-control (C&amp;C) server<\/strong> and executes the cyber attacks as per the botmaster\u2019s instructions. While all of this is happening, the device owners don\u2019t realize that their devices are being used to carry out cyber attacks. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.spamhaus.org\/news\/article\/793\/spamhaus-botnet-threat-report-2019\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Spamhaus Malware Labs<\/a> saw 71.5% increase of the Botnet C&amp;C in 2019 over the previous year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are a few key things to know about <a href=\"file:\/\/\/C:\/Users\/medha.mehta\/Downloads\/Study_of_Botnets_and_their_threats_to_Internet_Sec.pdf\">botnets<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>All the devices used in a botnet must be connected with the internet.<\/strong> Attackers can infect PCs, laptops, mobile phones, WI-FI routers, tablets, internet-connected televisions, cable set-top boxes, DVRs, VoIP devices, and IP\/CCTV cameras to include them in a botnet.<\/li><li><strong>Some botnets use PKI to encrypt their internal communications.<\/strong> That means, no one can trace and detect their messages without a corresponding private key. It makes the detection and removal of the botnet quite difficult for security software.<\/li><li><strong>Botnets serve many <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pandasecurity.com\/mediacenter\/security\/what-is-a-botnet\/\"><strong>purposes<\/strong><\/a><strong> and objectives.<\/strong> In addition to the types of cyber attacks we mentioned earlier, botnets are also commonly used for crypto mining, data theft, generating fake web traffic, and spreading malware.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Brute Force Attacks<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/resource-center\/definitions\/brute-force-attack\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">brute force attacks<\/a>, attackers try to find the correct login credential to access a system\/site\/user account. Attackers have a pre-guessed database of login credentials. They insert a script on a target website&#8217;s login page that automatically applies usernames and passwords until it finds out the correct combination. The attackers try to break into accounts of users, webmasters, the company&#8217;s key employees, or the admin of the website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"899\" height=\"490\" src=\"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/github-10k-common-passwords.png\" alt=\"Graphic is a screenshot of part of a list of 10,000 commonly used passwords\" class=\"wp-image-1345 addshadow\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/github-10k-common-passwords.png 899w, https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/github-10k-common-passwords-300x164.png 300w, https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/github-10k-common-passwords-560x305.png 560w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 899px) 100vw, 899px\" \/><figcaption>This screenshot is from a list of 10,000 commonly used passwords that\u2019s available on <a href=\"https:\/\/github.com\/danielmiessler\/SecLists\/blob\/master\/Passwords\/Common-Credentials\/10k-most-common.txt?ref=hackernoon.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">GitHub<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>There are main two types of brute force attacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>1. <a href=\"https:\/\/owasp.org\/www-community\/attacks\/Credential_stuffing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Credential Stuffing<\/a>: The script automatically inserts the multiple combination of user IDs and passwords in the targeted login fields to find out the valid combination. The attacker generally gets such databases from the leaky databases or data-breach incidents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>2. <a href=\"https:\/\/doubleoctopus.com\/security-wiki\/threats-and-tools\/password-spraying\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Password Spraying<\/a>: Here, the attacker tries out a single password against multiple user accounts. In other words, the attackers \u201cspray\u201d the same password across many user accounts before trying another password.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sometimes attackers use a brute force attack to exploit <a href=\"https:\/\/www.veracode.com\/security\/failure-restrict-url-access\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">URL access vulnerabilities<\/a> to find the hidden webpages. Let\u2019s consider the following example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Suppose my hospital shares a personalized link to access my reports online that looks like this: <strong><em>www.myhospital.com\/patientreports\/July2020\/report0235683.<\/em><\/strong> I just need this link to see my reports without any credentials. But I realize that \u201c<strong><em>report0235683<\/em><\/strong><em>\u201d <\/em>is my report\/file number. So, if I write<strong><em> \u201creport0235684<\/em>\u201d <\/strong>on the same URL, I can access the next patient&#8217;s reports!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/owasp.org\/www-community\/attacks\/Forced_browsing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Forced browsing<\/a> is an example of a type of cyber attack that can lead to a data breach. Attackers use brute force attacks to exploit such security vulnerabilities. They use scripts to generate random URLs to find such hidden and unprotected pages.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Brute force attacks are useful for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Stealing the confidential data,<\/li><li>Putting unwanted advertisements on the website,<\/li><li>Transferring funds,<\/li><li>Doing transactions on behalf of victims, and<\/li><li>Locking down the targets\u2019 systems for ransomware attacks.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Sometimes attackers sell the correct pairs of user IDs and passwords in the dark web to other criminals. They may do this to make a profit or to cause general mischief.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. Man-in-the-Middle Attacks<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>When an attacker eavesdrops, interprets and modifies the communication between two endpoints, it\u2019s known as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thesslstore.com\/blog\/man-in-the-middle-attack-2\/\">man-in-the-middle<\/a> (MitM) attack. Both parties think they\u2019re communicating directly with each other and are unaware that someone is infiltrating their connection. Hackers exploit security the vulnerabilities of WI-FI routers and\/or website\u2019s security mechanism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"691\" height=\"391\" src=\"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/man-in-the-middle-attack.png\" alt=\"Different tpes of cyber attacks graphic: This one is an illustration of how a man-in-the-middle attack works.\" class=\"wp-image-1346 addshadow\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/man-in-the-middle-attack.png 691w, https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/man-in-the-middle-attack-300x170.png 300w, https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/man-in-the-middle-attack-560x317.png 560w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 691px) 100vw, 691px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s consider the following MitM example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Suppose you want to buy a pair of shoes from an ecommerce site. You provide your credit card details, phone number, physical address, and email address to the website during the checkout process. But before your data reaches the intended website&#8217;s server, a hacker intercepts the data in transit. As a result, the hacker (i.e. the man in the middle) can read your information and use it to commit financial fraud and identity-theft related crimes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They can also use it to access any accounts that use the information as part of their security questionnaires. Meanwhile, you and the website you\u2019re connected to remain oblivious to what\u2019s happening until it\u2019s too late.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to Protect Your Data from a Man-in-the-Middle Attack<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>The best protection against MitM attacks is encryption technology. Encryption means the plain data is scrambled and converted in the incomprehensible text using a mathematical algorithm. It can\u2019t be read, interpreted, and modified by anyone without a corresponding mathematical key.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Role of SSL\/TLS certificates in MitM Protection<\/strong>: One of the best protections against MitM attacks are <a href=\"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/page\/do-i-need-an-ssl-certificate-for-my-website\/\">SSL\/TLS certificates<\/a>, that use <a href=\"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/blog\/what-is-a-pki-certificate\/\">public key infrastructure (PKI)<\/a> technology to encrypt and decrypt the data transferred between a browser and the server (or between two servers). If you\u2019re a website visitor, check the padlock sign in the address bar before the domain name to make sure the website is secured with an SSL\/TLS certificate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"484\" height=\"48\" src=\"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/ssl-validation-wells-fargo-padlock.png\" alt=\"Graphic: Screenshot of the SSL validation security padlock for the official Wells Fargo website\" class=\"wp-image-1127 addshadow\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/ssl-validation-wells-fargo-padlock.png 484w, https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/ssl-validation-wells-fargo-padlock-300x30.png 300w, https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/ssl-validation-wells-fargo-padlock-480x48.png 480w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 484px) 100vw, 484px\" \/><figcaption>A screenshot of the SSL certificate security padlock from the official Wells Fargo website<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">6. Man-in-the-Browser Attacks<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/blog\/a-man-in-the-browser-attack-what-it-is-how-to-prevent-it\/\">Man-in-the-browser<\/a> (MitB) attacks intercept communications between users and the websites they visit. To do this, <a href=\"https:\/\/owasp.org\/www-community\/attacks\/Man-in-the-browser_attack\">an attacker inserts a trojan horse<\/a> via a browser extension, script, or browser helper object (BHO) into the web browser to corrupt it.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Upon activating the trojan, the attacker can:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Modify\/add\/remove the fields on site forms,<\/li><li>Change the appearance of the website,<\/li><li>Read and steal any data entered by users on the website, and<\/li><li>Edit the transactions made by site users.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>MitB trojans are so powerful that they can also modify the replies, responses, and confirmation receipts coming from the website\u2019s end. They also can remove the entire transaction from the records before the victim revisits the website!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here, the users are visiting the <a href=\"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/blog\/how-to-tell-if-a-website-is-legit-in-10-easy-steps\/\">legit website<\/a>, and hence, they don\u2019t suspect anything. Users make the transaction using their original credentials. The website doesn\u2019t have anything to be cautious about, as no authentication step is bypassed. MitB attacks are commonly used against the financial industry, especially for banking websites. But it can take place on any other type of website such as eCommerce sites, utility companies, taxation and accounting firms, government websites, etc.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">7. Drive-By Attacks<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rsa.com\/content\/dam\/en\/case-study\/asoc-drive-by-download.pdf\">drive-by cyber attack<\/a> occurs when a user visits a malware infected website that downloads and installs malware in the user device. The malware-laden software can exploit the users in a variety of ways such as&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Recoding and monitoring user\u2019s actions<\/li><li>Corrupting other connected devices to create botnets<\/li><li>Stealing user\u2019s personal and confidential data<\/li><li>Sending phishing emails to user\u2019s email contacts<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Drive-by software infects devices in one of the following ways:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\" type=\"1\"><li><strong>Legit software<\/strong>: Attackers infect legitimate software, files, media, etc. with malware.<\/li><li><strong>Fake software<\/strong>: Attackers replace legitimate software with malicious fakes and use descriptive domain names to trick users into downloading them. For example, cybercriminals are known to do this with fake antivirus software.<\/li><li><strong>Fake warning messages and update prompts<\/strong>: Cybercriminals can display phony warning messages that make you believe that you need to update your current software or plugins (such as your web browser or Flash). But when you try to update your current software, fraudulent software downloads to your device instead.<\/li><li><strong>Links<\/strong>: When users visit a website and click on a compromised link, the site may auto-download malicious software onto their devices without their knowledge or consent. For example, this can occur when an attacker puts a malicious script on a video&#8217;s &#8220;play&#8221; button or a song\u2019s \u201cdownload\u201d button.<\/li><li><strong>Spammy websites<\/strong>: Some websites are so infectious that drive-by malware downloads automatically whenever a user visits them.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">8. Malvertising Attacks<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.forcepoint.com\/cyber-edu\/malvertising\">Malvertising<\/a> is the portmanteau of malware + advertising. Basically, as the name indicates, malvertising consists of online advertisements that distribute malware. In this type of cyber attack, the scammer inserts the malware-loaded advertisements on legitimate websites, often taking advantage of browser vulnerabilities and exploits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Malvertising comes in many forms, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Pop-up ads,<\/li><li>Banner and sidebar ads, and<\/li><li>Phony cancel or exit buttons.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Malvertising is one of the easiest ways for attackers to spread malware because people easily trust the advertisement published on well-reputed websites. Furthermore, website owners are unaware of such advertisements because malvertising doesn\u2019t harm or exploit the website or the server itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In these types of cyber attacks, there are two main <a href=\"https:\/\/www.makeuseof.com\/tag\/malvertising-can-protect\/\">m<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.makeuseof.com\/tag\/malvertising-can-protect\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">alvertising delivery method categories<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Post-click:<\/strong> When users click on a malicious advertisement, it inserts malware on their devices or it redirects them to a malicious website.<\/li><li><strong>Pre-click:<\/strong> This new and advanced type of malvertising affects users without them having to do anything. Users may find themselves being redirected to other malicious websites even if they haven\u2019t clicked on the advertisements. In other words, the malvertising attacks can take place even without the need for user interactions to trigger them.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The worst part of malvertising is that firewalls and anti-malware software have a difficult time sensing any dangers and alert users because the attackers choose highly reputed websites to insert malware-loaded advertisements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">9. Ransomware Attacks<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In these types of cyber attacks, cybercriminals use a type of malware known as <a href=\"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/blog\/5-best-ransomware-protection-tips-to-protect-your-organization\/\">ransomware<\/a> to encrypt their targets\u2019 data and hold it hostage. They demand extortion money from the victims in exchange for access to their encrypted data via a decryption key.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A ransomware attack is, essentially, the data equivalent of kidnapping. The cybercriminals use a trojan that\u2019s designed to eavesdrop, steal, encrypt, and lockdown the data on the victim&#8217;s devices. These trojans can lockdown the operating systems, software, databases, and even entire websites, too. Ransomware attacks target both individuals and website owners.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Accordingly <a href=\"https:\/\/cybersecurityventures.com\/global-ransomware-damage-costs-predicted-to-reach-20-billion-usd-by-2021\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Cybersecurity Ventures<\/a>,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Global ransomware damage costs are estimated to reach $20 billion by 2021.<\/li><li>There will be an approximately 57X increase in ransomware cost from 2015 to 2021.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Apart from the cyber attack prevention tips we\u2019ll cover shortly, the best way to protect your organization against ransomware attacks is to regularly update your backups and them via a secure third-party cloud platform. A backup tool like <a href=\"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/page\/is-codeguard-worth-it\/\">CodeGuard<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Creates automatic backups of your data,<\/li><li>Scans it for malware, and<\/li><li>Stores the clean copy on the cloud platform.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This makes it so that you don\u2019t have to choose between paying a ransom and losing your data. Instead, you can wipe your systems and replace your data with the most current backup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">10. Spyware Attacks<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>A spyware attack is a type of cyber attack that involves the use of malware to monitor a target&#8217;s actions and activities. In spyware attacks, a cybercriminal inserts <a href=\"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/blog\/different-types-of-malware\/\">different types of malware<\/a> (such as computer viruses, trojan horses, computer worms, etc.) inside the user\u2019s devices. These nasty little tools allow criminals to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Monitor users\u2019 activities and browsing behaviors,<\/li><li>Record data typed on keyboards (this process is also known as keylogging),<\/li><li>Take screenshots of devices&#8217; screens,<\/li><li>Steal and transfer files, contact lists, media files, etc. to the attackers.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The attackers use the data they steal to execute financial fraud or crimes associated with identity theft. They can also use the data to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Create political unrest,<\/li><li>Access confidential professional information,<\/li><li>Steal research or proprietary data, and<\/li><li>Carry out other agendas.&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Sometimes, spyware and ransomware attacks are executed together. First, the attacker steals the victim\u2019s personal data through spyware. Next, they threaten to publish the victim\u2019s private or sensitive if they don\u2019t pay the ransom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Final Thoughts on the Different Types of Cyber Attacks We\u2019ve Discussed<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It seems like every year is another record-breaking year when it comes to the number of cyber attacks that take place. Now that you\u2019ve read how different types of <a href=\"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/blog\/42-cyber-attack-statistics-by-year-a-look-at-the-last-decade\/\">cyber attacks<\/a> are prevailing in the industry, you\u2019re likely wondering what can you do to prevent cyber attacks in the first place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In general, follow these basic tips to prevent different types of cyber attacks:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Be vigilant while engaging with links and attachments in questionable emails and websites. Be sure to read the email header information and hover over link text to verify the real links.<\/li><li>Never download anything from the internet before scanning it with a reliable antivirus tool.<\/li><li>Keep your software current and operating systems patched and up to date.<\/li><li>Never share anything on websites that use the insecure HTTP protocol (i.e., websites that aren\u2019t protected by SSL\/TLS certificates).<\/li><li>Manually check your download folder, C:\/Program File, C:\/Program Files (x86), and C:\/Windows\/Temp folders to identify any unwanted\/unknown programs, files, and software.<\/li><li>Use&nbsp;robust antivirus and anti-malware&nbsp;solutions. Network monitoring and endpoint security solutions are important, too.<\/li><li>Always maintain multiple copies of your current data backups.<\/li><li>If you\u2019re a small business owner, follow the tips provided <a href=\"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/blog\/smbs-10-cyber-security-tips-that-make-you-a-tougher-target\/\">in this article<\/a> to protect your business from different types of cyber attacks.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>We hope this article has helped you to understand different types of cyber attacks and how to recognize and mitigate them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cThere are two types of companies: those who have been hacked, and those who don&#8217;t yet know they have been hacked&#8221; \u2014 John Chambers, former CEO and executive chairman at&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":1347,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[40],"class_list":["post-1342","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cyber-security","tag-cyber-attacks","post-with-tags"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>10 Different Types of Cyber Attacks &amp; How To Recognize Them - InfoSec Insights<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"There&#039;s a lot to know about the different types of cyber attacks that cybercriminals use daily. 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