The cybersecurity landscape is never still. According to Norton, a cyber attack takes place every 44 seconds. Worse yet, these attacks are getting increasingly sophisticated, making it much harder for individuals and businesses to protect their data. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This article will cover the most common and dangerous types of cyber attacks<\/strong> affecting millions of users daily. You\u2019ll have a chance to learn everything there is to know about these threats, how to recognize them, and how to protect yourself. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Any action aimed at compromising a computer network, software, or hardware is a cyber attack. The threat actors who carry out these attacks seek to steal data, disrupt systems, extort money, or harm crucial infrastructures of organizations<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While it\u2019s not uncommon for lone hackers to hack renowned businesses just to show off their skills and build their credibility within the black-hat community, most of these attacks are carefully planned and organized so that large sums of money can be collected from these criminal activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Over the years, many threats have been developed, resulting in various types and subtypes. The reason for this is simple. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Each time the attackers realized a vulnerability could no longer be penetrated the same way as before, they came up with a new or upgraded threat that could do the job successfully. So let\u2019s dive in and discover the most common and dangerous attack types. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The list we compiled covers the attacks that hackers frequently use to steal data, disable systems, or completely shut down networks. In what follows, you\u2019ll be able to find all the most common and dangerous cyber hazards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When hackers want to disrupt a particular system to the point where it\u2019s unable to take in and process requests, they flood the servers, systems, and networks with false traffic<\/strong>. We call this a denial-of-service (DoS) attack. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The goal of a DoS attack is to prevent network users from accessing the resources or services they usually visit. These users are mainly the account holders or employees of a business, and the attack stops them from doing anything on the network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n DoS attacks are typically used to target media companies, banking institutions, or government organizations. These attacks can result in financial damage that can measure in millions if the affected business doesn\u2019t successfully respond to the attack as soon as possible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The time and money invested in mitigating the damage is not the only reason for this – the longer an organization is prevented from running its operation, the more money it will lose<\/strong>. Statistics show that the average DDoS attack costs around $20,000-$40,000 per hour. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Other than denial-of-service (DoS) attacks, we also have distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks. While DoS attacks overflow a system’s resources from one location to prevent it from responding to service requests, the DDoS attack method is somewhat different<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The attacker uses many infected machines to launch the attack from multiple locations<\/strong>, eventually taking a system offline and making it easier for another threat to be launched on the same network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some of the most commonly used DDoS and DoS attacks are smurf attacks, TCP SYN attacks, ping-of-death attacks, teardrop attacks, and botnets. <\/p>\n\n\n\n While probably not everyone has heard of DoS attacks, the term \u201cmalware\u201d is pretty widespread among the general public, and people mainly refer to it when they\u2019re talking about viruses. However, this term encompasses many types of threats that can completely disrupt, disable and immobilize entire networks<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n These attacks are extremely prevalent – data shows that in the first half of 2022 alone, malware attacks amounted to 2.8 billion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Typically, a victim clicks on a malicious link sent to them via email or one they\u2019ve come across online. Once they click on it, the malicious software is installed on their devices. Sometimes it can take years before the threat is even discovered. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Various types of malware can affect individuals and businesses to the extent of leaving admins permanently locked out of the networks<\/strong>. It can read and remove the information from the hard drive or completely paralyze an entire business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The most common examples of malware are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s take a closer look at these threat types. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Viruses are particularly hazardous and hard to deal with because they replicate and attach to the executable code<\/strong>. They often create a virus file, naming it the same as one of the existing files but with the .exe extension. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This way, the user suspects nothing as they believe they\u2019re looking at the file they already installed themselves. During this time, the virus is replicating and causing further damage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Spyware<\/strong><\/a> is used to collect as much information as possible about a user<\/strong>. The information the attacker is getting is typically sold to third parties or used for blackmail or extortion<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ransomware is another severe threat that often requires involving authorities, as large sums of money are at stake<\/strong>. Specifically, the attacker infects the victim\u2019s machine and blocks them from using it until they pay the required ransom. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Businesses are at a greater risk of being exposed to this type of computer attack than individuals, as they\u2019re more likely to pay larger sums of money to get their data back. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Sometimes, hackers take things to a higher level and use a double extortion attack<\/a>, which is a type of ransomware even harder to shield from. With this attack, the data is exfiltrated and encrypted, which gives the criminals more leverage to collect money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With ransomware attacks, attackers instruct the victims on the payment method to transfer ransom or face losing their data for good<\/strong>. The victim is often told that their data will be deleted or published online if they fail to pay. <\/p>\n\n\n\n All relevant authorities advise against paying the money<\/strong>, as there\u2019s no guarantee that your data will be returned or that the attack won\u2019t happen again. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Data from 2021 shows that around 37% of organizations worldwide fell prey to some type of ransomware during that year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Trojans are different from viruses in that they don\u2019t replicate and are used as a method to create a backdoor to the system<\/strong> that the threat actors later further exploit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This type of attack is done when a third party intercepts an online conversation<\/strong> or a data transfer<\/strong>. Once the attacker manages the interception, they can change data, steal it, or interrupt operations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This attack is particularly dangerous because the legitimate parties usually have no idea that someone else is spying on their exchange, which is why it can take a long time to detect this breach. It\u2019s usually done via malware, phishing, or vulnerable points such as unsecured WiFi networks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to a network of objects<\/strong> (as well as humans and animals sometimes) that are interconnected<\/strong> and exchange information with other systems or devices online. <\/p>\n\n\n\n These objects, people, or animals are embedded with software or sensors<\/strong> as a means of communication. Such examples can include heart monitor implants in humans or biochips in animals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As this form of connectivity makes the lives of millions easier and more accessible, these entry points are often used as a vulnerability<\/strong> to launch a bigger-impact attack. <\/p>\n\n\n\n One such hack occurred in Las Vegas when a threat actor compromised a fish tank thermometer connected as an IoT device and managed to attack an entire casino\u2019s infrastructure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s imperative to keep all internet-connected devices up to date and regularly check their security status<\/strong> because one weakness that we may not take seriously might not only cause minor cybersecurity issues but wreak havoc for both us and our businesses – even if it\u2019s just an internet-connected fish tank thermometer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Phishing is one of the oldest and most common hacker attack types<\/strong>. The cyber attackers send fake emails<\/strong> to unsuspecting victims impersonating a business or an organization, tricking them into entering their login credentials, personal, or banking information<\/strong>. This sort of attack can be carried out via means of communication such as text, voice call, or social media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One such example is a hacker who sends a fraudulent PayPal email to a victim. In this scenario, the email states that the user\u2019s account has been compromised and that they must log in immediately to secure the account. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If the user doesn\u2019t check everything properly<\/strong> and enters their login information on this fake page, they will just hand out their information to the attacker<\/strong>. In other cases, simply clicking on the link can result in unknowingly downloading malicious software that can grant the attacker access to your device.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some of the most well-known variants of this attack type are: <\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat Is a Cyber Attack? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Top 10 Types of Cyber Attacks <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Denial-of-Service (DoS) Attacks<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Malware Attacks<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Viruses<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Spyware<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Ransomware<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Trojans<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) Attacks<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
IoT Attacks<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Phishing <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Password Attacks <\/h3>\n\n\n\n