Cybersecurity: new methods of criminals

Reliable information protection is the key to maintaining reputation and budget. In the second quarter of 2022, every third cybercrime against private users resulted in financial losses. Legal entities suffer even more damage – due to hacker attacks on corporate systems, companies not only lose money, but also experience the leakage of confidential data.

What is cybersecurity

Cybersecurity (computer security) is a set of methods and practices for protecting personal computers, mobile devices, servers and other systems from malicious attacks and technical failures that can lead to data leakage. Cyber criminals are especially dangerous on those sites where people transfer money – shops, betting companies, casinos. Therefore, it is important to choose reliable casinos – for example, National Casino.

This section of information security is divided into the following categories:

  • Network security – protection of a computer network from possible threats.
  • Software security is the protection of applications that their creators provide already at the development stage and before the program is in the public domain.
  • Data security – protecting the privacy of information and maintaining the integrity of files.
  • OS security – protection of the operating system from malware.
  • Disaster recovery is the immediate response of a system or employees to a cyberattack or any other security incident.

A cyber attack is a hack and any attack on hidden user and corporate information. The security of the latter depends on the quality of technical data protection tools, the correct operation of systems and the vigilance of users. For example, if one of the employees ignored the security standards adopted by the company, or for some reason the antivirus program did not work, the consequences can be unpredictable.

 

Types of cyber threats

To gain access to a device, local network or file, hackers commit crimes of various levels:

  1. A single cybercrime is an action aimed at obtaining an immediate benefit. For example, a criminal hacks into a millionaire account on a social network and extorts money from the owner for resuming access to his profile.
  2. A cyber attack is a pre-planned crime with the aim of disrupting the operation of an organization. Attacks of this kind often take place in the political sphere.
  3. Cyberterror is the hacking of several electronic systems at the same time or one global one. Malefactors commit crimes of this level to draw attention to their political or ideological position.

 

Ransomware or ransomware

Ransomware is becoming an increasingly popular means of hacking. They help criminals encrypt files and remove them from access. For decryption, hackers demand money from the victims.

Hackers demanded the largest ransomware ransomware ever from Acer. It amounted to 50 million dollars. Other high-profile ransomware incidents:

  • Encryption of the data system of the American Colonial Pipeline. As a result, state and District of Columbia authorities have declared a state of emergency.
  • Hacking the database of the medical company Memorial Health System. Due to the attack, planned surgical operations failed and 1.5 TB of personal data were lost.

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DoS and DDoS attacks

A DoS attack completely stops the operation of an electronic resource. To achieve this, hackers overload the network, which reduces its bandwidth. For example, attackers send a critical number of requests to the system, and it does not have time to process them. As a result, the IT infrastructure of the affected company collapses.

A DDoS attack has the same principle as a DoS attack, but the attack on the target system in this case is carried out from several machines. It can last for half a day or more.

 

Supply chain attack

To confuse victims, hackers attack companies through third parties, such as suppliers or contractors. Cybercriminals first infect the partner’s network and gradually get to the main victim.

For example, SolarWinds, an IT company, became a link in the chain of cybercrime, since it was through it that hackers obtained data from the US Treasury and Defense Departments.

 

Phishing

Phishing is a disguised hacker mailing list. Users receive in private messages a link to a supposedly official source, such as the site of a well-known brand. Unaware of such cyber threats, people often trust the sender and enter the requested data in a special form. As a result, attackers have logins and passwords for hacking bank personal accounts, accounts in applications or accounts in social networks.

According to studies, a third of employees of different companies trust phishing links. This shows a critically low level of understanding of what cybersecurity is and how to comply with it. Even such a common and simple method of hacking as phishing, which hackers have been using for over 20 years, many do not know how to recognize.