What is a Cyber Attack? Definition, Types and Examples
A cyber attack is an attack that is mounted against us by means of cyberspace. Cyberspace, a virtual space that doesn’t exist, has become the metaphor to help us understand digital weaponry that intends to harm us. Best practices to help prevent an IoT attack include updating the OS and keeping a strong password for every IoT device on your network, and changing passwords often.
When a tech vendor discovers a security flaw in their product, they typically write code that fixes or “patches” the problem. Nation-states are the sources of many of the most serious attacks. There are several different versions of nation-state cyber threats. Some are basic espionage— trying to learn another country’s national secrets. Motives for data breaches include crime (i.e. identity theft), a desire to embarrass an institution (e.g. Edward Snowden or the DNC hack), and espionage.
A whale-phishing attack is so-named because it goes after the “big fish” or whales of an organization, which typically include those in the C-suite or others in charge of the organization. These individuals are likely to possess information that can be valuable to attackers, such as proprietary information about the business or its operations. Reducing the risk of a cyber attack relies on using a combination of skilled security professionals, processes and technology. Man-in-the-middle, or MitM, where attackers secretly insert themselves between two parties, such as individual computer users and their financial institution.
In the U.S. alone, the average daily volume of transactions hit $3 trillion and 99% of it is non-cash flow. To be able to disrupt that amount of money for one day or for a period of days can cause lasting damage making investors pull out of funding and erode public confidence. A cyberattack against the United Nations occurred in April 2021, targeting users within the UN network to further long-term intelligence gathering. The hacker was able to access their networks through stolen user credentials purchased on the dark web.
The majority of the customers targeted were U.S. based, working for IT companies or the government. The U.S. Department of Justice charged four Russian government employees involved in hacking campaigns that took place between 2012 and 2018. The hacks targeted critical infrastructure companies and organizations largely in the energy sector. The hackers sought to install backdoors and deploy malware in the operational technology of their targets.
Cyber attackers often use MFA a flood attack to disrupt the “handshake” process and carry out a DoS. Several other techniques may be used, and some cyber attackers use the time that a network is disabled to launch other attacks. A botnet is a type of DDoS in which millions of systems can be infected with malware and controlled by a hacker, according to Jeff Melnick of Netwrix, an information technology security software company.
The actor responsible is still unknown, but the cyberattack led to the government extending voting by two days. The Lithuanian Defense Ministry found hidden features in popular 5G smartphone models manufactured in China, according to its state-run cybersecurity body. The module embedded in the phones detects and censors 449 keywords or groups of keywords that are counter to the message of the Chinese government. Hackers leaked data and photos from the Israeli Defense Ministry after gaining access to 165 servers and 254 websites, overall compiling around 11 terabytes of data.