In this new article on our blog, we will analyze the most common computer attacks and share a set of essential recommendations to ensure safe Internet browsing.
And for this, we must know the everyday meaning of what is understood by a computer attack.
A computer attack is an attempt to exploit a computer system to gain unauthorized access to damage, destroy, alter, interfere with, or steal data stored on the system under attack. Computer attacks can be carried out in many ways, and it is only sometimes necessary for an attack to occur in the first instance on an information system. Let’s see in this article the most common computer attacks:
SPAM
Spam is a term used to refer to unwanted electronic messages, such as emails, advertisements, sales announcements, chain messages, and other online content. These messages are often sent en masse to promote a product, service, or website or to distribute malware.
Spam messages usually contain links or attachments, which can be harmful if opened or downloaded. These links often lead to fraudulent or malicious websites that may collect users’ personal information, such as usernames, passwords, and credit card numbers. Attachments may contain viruses and malicious software to steal information and destroy data.
Spam messages can also distribute illegal content, such as drugs, weapons, and child pornography. Some spam messages also contain misleading information, such as fake job offers, fake loans, fake awards, and other falsehoods.
Spammers often hide their identity to avoid identification and blocking of their messages. This means that users need help seeing the sender’s name or number, making avoiding or reporting spam difficult.
Spammers usually obtain a person’s email address from a spam database. These email addresses are often bought or stolen from users and then used to send spam messages.
Users should be careful when providing their email addresses online to avoid spam. A wide variety of tools and services are available to help users block and filter spam messages. These tools can automatically block spam, giving users better control over the messages they receive.
Spam is generally a nuisance to Internet users as it can contain misleading, malicious, or illegal content. Internet users should also be careful when opening suspicious emails or attachments to avoid malware infection. Using the right tools and services to block spam and filter unwanted messages, users can help reduce the amount of spam they receive.
Also Read: 15 Computer Security Tips For Everyday Life
Phishing
Phishing is a form of online deception that seeks to obtain sensitive information, such as usernames, passwords, and bank details, through fraudulent email messages, fake web pages, and text messages. The attacker intends to use this information for financial purposes or to gain access to the victim’s computer systems.
Phishing attackers use a variety of tactics to trick victims. These tactics include creating fake web pages that pretend to be from legitimate companies or financial institutions, sending legitimate email messages that contain links to legitimate-looking websites, or even making phone calls or sending text messages with links to fraudulent websites.
Phishing attacks can be distinguished from other cyber attacks because the attackers aim to obtain sensitive information from the victim. Therefore, phishing attacks target specific people and not computer systems.
To prevent phishing attacks from occurring, users must take steps to protect themselves. These measures include checking the sender’s address before opening any email or clicking a link, looking for spelling or grammar errors in email messages, and checking the URL of a website before providing personal information.
Also, to help protect yourself from phishing attacks, it’s important to keep your computer programs and systems updated to ensure the latest security updates are installed. Some security programs offer alerts and notifications to warn users of phishing attempts.
Phishing attacks are a real threat to information and personal data security. Therefore, all users must take appropriate precautions to protect themselves from these threats. By implementing appropriate security measures, such as keeping programs up to date and verifying the sender address and URL address before providing personal information, users can limit the risk of falling victim to a phishing attack.
Pharming
Pharming is a type of cyber attack that tries to trick users into connecting to a fake website that looks legitimate. The goal of cybercriminals is to steal sensitive information such as usernames, passwords, banking information, credit cards, and debit cards. These cybercriminals can use various techniques to trick users into visiting a fake website.
Pharming attacks typically start with a malicious email or text message that contains a link to a fake website. These links may appear valid, but they lead to a malicious website. Cybercriminals can also use social engineering to persuade users to click on malicious links.
Pharming attacks can also begin with viruses, Trojans, and Trojan horses. These malicious programs can be installed on users’ computers to steal information such as passwords, usernames, and bank details. Once these malicious programs are installed, cybercriminals will be better positioned to steal information and redirect users to a fake website.
Pharming attacks can also take place when cybercriminals exploit vulnerabilities in DNS servers. Once cybercriminals have accessed a DNS server, they can modify the settings to redirect users to a fake website. This technique is known as DNS spoofing.
In the case of pharming attacks, users can be victims without knowing it. If a user visits a fake website, the cybercriminal can steal sensitive information such as usernames, passwords, banking information, credit cards, and debit cards.
Users can protect themselves from pharming attacks using quality security software such as a firewall, antivirus program, and intrusion detection system. It is also important that users keep up with software updates, as these can help improve security. Users should also be cautious when clicking on unknown links and avoid disreputable web pages. Lastly, users should be careful when providing personal information, as cybercriminals could steal this.
Spoofing
Spoofing is a cyber attack in which a malicious person or entity attempts to deceive a user or system by pretending to be someone or something they are not. Spoofing is often used to steal sensitive information such as usernames, passwords, email addresses, and other private data. The attackers aim to take advantage of the stolen information to gain access to banks or other accounts.
Numerous spoofing techniques can be employed, from sending fraudulent emails to using fake IP addresses. Attackers sometimes use malicious programs like worms or Trojans to carry out spoofing attacks. These programs run on the targeted machine without the user’s knowledge and can allow the attacker to access user information.
In addition to spoofing attacks, attackers can perform phishing attacks, in which the attacker sends a fraudulent email to a user to trick them into revealing personal information. The attacker can use email to entice the user to visit a fraudulent website or download a malicious file. Once the user has downloaded the file or visited the fraudulent website, the attacker can use the information to access the user’s accounts.
It is also important to note that attackers can perform network spoofing attacks. These attacks involve sending data packets with a fake IP address to fool the receiving server. This means that the server believes that the data packet is from a legitimate source when it is from an attacker. This is often used to bypass the security mechanisms of computer systems.
In short, Spoofing is a form of cyber attack in which attackers attempt to trick users and systems into stealing confidential information. This can be accomplished by sending fraudulent emails, using fake IP addresses, and sending data packets with fake IP addresses. Attackers can use this information to access banks or other accounts, so users must take the appropriate precautions to protect themselves from these attacks.
Also Read: What Is Conti Ransomware?
Other known types of attacks, some of them already been discussed before
Phishing attack
It is an attempt to usurp another person’s identity to commit a crime. This is usually done to take advantage of someone else’s confidential or personal information or to impersonate them to obtain a benefit on their behalf. Phishing attacks can take many forms, from sending fraudulent emails to forging documents, credit cards, and other important documents. Criminals can use stolen information to make online purchases, obtain loans, and perform other fraudulent acts that could cause serious financial damage to the victim.
Social engineering attack
Social engineering attack is a type of security attack that exploits people’s weaknesses to obtain sensitive information. These attacks are carried out by manipulating individuals, generally using persuasion techniques so that they reveal confidential information, gain unauthorized access to computer systems, or perform actions that may put an organization’s security at risk. These attacks are usually carried out via email, telephone, or person. Common examples include:
- Tricking to obtain passwords.
- Using persuasion techniques to gain unauthorized access to a computer system.
- Manipulating someone into carrying out unauthorized banking transactions.
Brute force attack
It is a computer security attack that involves using a massive number of login attempts to crack a password. This technique is based on the idea that a hacker will eventually crack the password by using a sufficiently large number of attempts. This is because computer security systems are imperfect and tend to have vulnerabilities that hackers can exploit to crack the password. Brute force attacks can also involve using a computer program that can generate many possible passwords in a relatively short time. This means that a hacker can crack a password in a matter of minutes or even seconds, depending on the complexity of the password.
Denial of service (DoS) attack
It is a cyber attack that attempts to stop a computer system or network from functioning properly. This is accomplished by saturating the system with excessive network traffic, service requests, or messaging requests. This attack is often used to disrupt an organization’s service or to block access to a specific computing resource. A DoS attack aims to make a system or network inaccessible to legitimate users. The attack can cause interruption of network services, denial of access to a specific resource, or interruption of network service. DoS attacks are often difficult to detect because excessive network traffic is often very similar to normal traffic. Therefore, organizations must take the necessary measures to protect themselves from DoS attacks. This may include implementing a security solution, monitoring the network, and configuring security policies.
Ransomware attack
Ransomware is malware that encrypts a user’s files and demands payment to get them back. Ransomware is installed on a device when the user clicks on a malicious file downloaded from the Internet, opens a malicious email file, or visits a malicious website. Once installed, the ransomware encrypts the user’s files to lock them down. The user can only access their files once the ransom is paid. If the ransom is paid, the user receives a key to decrypt the files. If the ransom is not paid, the files will remain locked. Ransomware can also lock down access to the entire system, preventing users from accessing other resources, such as the network. Ransomware can also block access to cloud information and cloud services.
Trojan attack
It is a computer attack in which a hacker installs a malicious program on a computer without the user’s knowledge. These programs can have a variety of purposes, from stealing information, installing unwanted software, or crashing a system. The Trojans got their name from the story of the Trojan War, where the Greeks used a wooden horse to enter the inner city of Troy. Similarly, hackers use these attacks to break into a computer and perform various activities.
Broadcast attack
It is a cyber attack in which an attacker uses a computer network to disseminate or spread malware or malicious information to multiple users to compromise the network’s security. Malware can include viruses, Trojan horses, worms, ransomware, or other types of malicious software. The attacker may also attempt to send malicious information, such as spam or phishing, to trick users into downloading malware or revealing sensitive or financial information. The broadcast attack is an effective way to spread malware over a network since malware spreads rapidly over this medium.
Reverse engineering attack
They are used to crack software code to obtain confidential information. It is a form of cyberattack in which an attacker tries to crack the secrets of technology, such as the source code of a program, the design of a device, or the content of an encrypted communication, while working backward from the application of the product until you get to the source information. This technique is used to discover security flaws and vulnerabilities in the design of a product, such as a software program or a hardware device. The ultimate goal is to obtain sensitive information or discover vulnerabilities that allow the attacker to exploit them.
Recommendations to avoid security breaches and achieve safe browsing on the Internet
- Use a security tool: Use software to protect your device, including an antivirus, firewall, and antispyware tool. These tools will help you protect your computer against viruses, malware, and other attacks.
- Install updates: Make sure you are always up to date with the latest software updates, as these contain important security patches to keep your device safe.
- Set strong passwords: Use strong passwords to protect your accounts. Use a combination of uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. Please change your password periodically to prevent someone from discovering it.
- Do not open suspicious files: If you receive an attachment in an email or text message from an unknown or suspicious sender, avoid opening or downloading it. These files may contain viruses or malware.
- Do not share personal information: Avoid sharing personal information when you browse the web. This includes your name, address, telephone number, credit card information, etc.
- Use secure connections: Whenever possible, use secure connections when making financial transactions or purchases. These connections encrypt the information so that it cannot be stolen.
- Review the terms and conditions: If you are going to download something or subscribe to a website, read the terms and conditions before accepting them. This will help you understand your risks and rights as a user.
- Use a VPN: A virtual private network (VPN) helps keep your online activity safe and secure. This technology encrypted internet traffic to prevent third parties from accessing your information.
- Use a secure browser: Use a secure browser to browse the web. This means that you only use web browsers with security and privacy features.
- Avoid public Wi-Fi networks: Avoid connecting to unknown public Wi-Fi networks, which are often insecure. Hackers can use these networks to steal your information.
Also Read: How To Avoid Robotic Cyberattacks In The Industrial Sector