Tag Archive for: common

Some of the Most Common Cyberattacks You Need to Know About

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We live in an age right now in which companies and individuals are frequently targeted for cyberattacks. These attacks can put your information at risk and your hardware and software in peril. Cybercriminals make up an entire enterprise that revolves around deceit, theft, and other illegal activities.

You can lose a lot of money and peace of mind when cybercriminals are able to have their way. Because of this, you need to learn about the most common forms of cyberattacks today, in addition to ways that you can prevent and avoid them.

Trojans and Other Malware

One of the main ways to avoid malware is by vetting the site that you’re visiting. For example, entertainment sites are prime targets for cyberattacks. They attract wide audiences regularly, sometimes from people who aren’t the most web savvy. This allows opportunistic cybercriminals to take advantage of people to steal their card numbers and other sensitive information.

If you’re regularly visiting a site, such as an entertainment provider like an online casino, you want reassurance that your information is safe. Sites like Paddy Power offer speedy slot games that transmit a lot of data between players all over the world. Games like Crazy Time move at a high pace and require a safe environment for everyone to enjoy. This is why they take extra security measures to protect your financial information.

Aside from vetting sites, make sure that you also invest in an anti-virus scanning platform that can detect, block, and prevent infections. Trojans and malware have been some of the most dispersed cyberattacks since the modern era of the internet. Trojans are deceitful in that the recipient disguises it as a legitimate program.

Once you download the application to your computer and install it, the Trojan unleashes on your system, infecting it and wreaking havoc. This type of malware got its name from the ancient Greek story, and it works much the same way.

Trojans aside, there are also other types of malware that are quite prevalent. Other types of malware include viruses, adware, and rootkits.

Image from PXHere

Ransomware Attacks

Keep ransomware attacks in mind when you’re trying to manage the safety and security of…

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Explained: Most common types of malware and how they can be dangerous

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While a virus may be the most commonly known form of malware, there are a few others that can be dangerous to your data and devices. Viruses, worms, and Trojans are three types of malicious software (malware) that can cause harm to computer systems and networks. Although they all fall under the category of malware, they have distinct characteristics and operate differently. Here, we explain the difference between viruses, worms, and Trojans and how they pose a danger to your devices.

What is a virus?

A computer virus is a type of malware that attaches itself to a legitimate program or file and replicates itself. When the infected program or file is executed, the virus is activated, and it can spread to other programs and files on the computer or network. The primary goal of a virus is to replicate and spread, causing damage to the infected computer or network.
Viruses can be spread through email attachments, infected websites, or file-sharing networks.
A virus can cause a range of problems, including slowing down the computer’s performance, corrupting files, and deleting important data. In some cases, a virus can also allow hackers to gain access to the infected computer, giving them access to sensitive data and personal information.

What is a worm?

A worm is a type of malware that is designed to spread quickly through a network by exploiting security vulnerabilities. Unlike a virus, a worm does not need to attach itself to a program or file to spread. Instead, it can replicate itself and spread from computer to computer, often without the user’s knowledge.
Worms can spread rapidly and cause widespread damage to computer networks, sometimes causing entire systems to crash. They can also be used to install other types of malware, such as spyware or keyloggers, on the infected computer. Worms can be spread through email, instant messaging, or through security vulnerabilities in software and operating systems.

What is a trojan?

A trojan, short for the trojan horse, is a type of malware that disguises itself as a legitimate program or file. Once the user installs or executes the trojan, it can perform a variety of malicious actions, such as stealing data, modifying files, or installing other…

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Why Are Ransomware Attacks on Retail So Common?

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We’ve all seen those suspicious emails that show up in our inboxes: “Is this picture of you?” they’ll ask, as we hover over that link for just a moment. Now more than ever, companies are aware and preparing for digital threats and data breaches. Despite that, or perhaps because of it, year after year both the amount and the sophistication of digital attacks increases. According to IBM’s 2022 report on the cost of a data breach, the global average cost for a data breach was a record-breaking $4.35 million, a figure that’s risen nearly 13% just in the last year. For ecommerce and big box retailer professionals who might be wondering, do these trends match up to the data behind ransomware attacks on retail?

When it comes to who bad actors are targeting, it seems more are turning to the retail industry as an industry ripe for exploitation. Research out of cybersecurity and device data privacy firm BlackFog, which catalogs the rate of retail sector cybersecurity breaches yearly, found that ransomware attacks on retail increased by 67% in 2022, year-over-year. Compared to 2020, the increase was even more substantial, growing by 233%.

Daniel Pigeon, the senior product marketing manager at Cyberint, explains why ransomware attacks on retail might be growing in prominence and where hackers are finding vulnerabilities to take advantage of.

Daniel’s Thoughts:

“In 2022, the retail industry was the third most targeted industry for ransomware attacks, and 14% of all ransomware attacks that the Cyberint team observed were on retail industry organizations. So, this raises an important question, which is why are threat actors in ransomware groups targeting the retail industry?

From our research at Cyberint, we believe that there’s two primary reasons. First of all, when threat actors target and attack retail industry organizations, they don’t receive nearly as much negative attention from the media or from law enforcement as when they attack other industries such as healthcare, education, government, and critical infrastructure.

The second reason is that retail industry companies tend to have a weaker cybersecurity posture compared to other industries like technology,…

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Hackers see common smart home devices as a way into homes

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Hackers are trying to access your information every day. One of the biggest vulnerabilities might be your smart home devices.

“Once people have broken into a single device, then typically what they will do is what we call pivot, so they own, if you will, a particular device,” said Steve Beaty, a computer security expert and professor of computer science at the Metropolitan State University of Denver.

“And now, all of a sudden, they’re inside and most of our devices then trust the networks that they’re on,” Beaty said.

He mentioned an example from 2017, where hackers were able to hack into a high-tech fish tank at a casino. From there, they were able to steal more important data from that casino.

This has been happening for years, but it’s getting more common especially as we add more smart devices to our homes, including doorbells, baby monitors, and thermostats.

Hackers can break in and steal passwords or important information, but they can also control anything you have on the network, like a garage door opener for example.

“Maybe they can disarm your security system,” Beaty said. “As the Internet of things has grown, and we have more and more and more devices out there, then we have more vulnerabilities.”

How can you prevent this from happening to you?

First, keep device software up to date.

“Change the default password on all of your devices,” Beaty said.

You can also install antivirus software or use multi-factor authentication on some devices. And in some cases, it might be time for a new upgrade all together.

“I would say specifically webcams, including things like baby monitors, newer is better,” Beaty said.

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