The number of crimes on the Internet and cyberattacks on users' computers is growing every new year, but in most cases, criminals use methods that are already known to everyone, from which they can be protected. How to protect yourself from cyberattacks?
Cyberattack: definition and types
A cyberattack is a deliberate way to steal, compromise or disrupt the operating system in order to both disable the PC and steal data. Cyber attacks can be divided into three types:
- Harmless (relatively). These are attacks that do no harm to the computer. This can be the introduction of spyware to collect information or other programs. The bottom line is that the person will not know that the computer is infected.
- Malicious. These are those cyberattacks, the actions of which are aimed at disrupting the operation of both computers and computer systems. In the overwhelming majority of cases, virus software tries to sabotage the PC by all means, that is, destroy data, encrypt it, break the OS, restart computers, etc. The end result is extortion and loss of both income and time.
- Cyber terrorism. The most dangerous type of cyberattack in which utilities and government services become victims. Such attacks are aimed at certain structures, whose malfunctions can weaken or destroy the infrastructure of the state.
The most popular hacker attacks and methods of protection
Viruses and ransomware
In most cases, any software is called a PC virus if it is brought to the computer and its owner. In most cases, a person can get a virus after opening a file sent by mail, following a link to an unprotected site, or doing other similar actions.
Ransomware viruses are special viruses capable of encrypting, blocking or modifying important system and user sites in the event of an infection. In this case, you can unblock the virus and reset its actions after entering the password or after installing the medicine. But, since the virus is ransomware, the user will be able to deal with it (if there is no other way) only after the money transfer.
It is very simple to protect yourself from such viruses - you need to have an antivirus on your computer, do not follow unfamiliar links and do not download suspicious files.
PUP or Potentially Unwanted Program
PUP software, or Potentially Unwanted Software, includes spyware, trojans, and adware viruses. In most cases, all this in one form or another is installed along with a useful program downloaded by the user.
PUP software has a lot of possibilities, from recording keystrokes and scanning files, to scanning data and reading cookies.
To protect against such threats, the user is not recommended to install or download applications and browser extensions, especially if the software is located on an unreliable web resource. Also, when installing any program, it is important to check hidden checkboxes and use advanced installation options.
Phishing
Phishing is one of the hacking methods that uses emails. A fairly old way, within which the user is trying to deceive and, through deception or requests, get from him login and password data from sites or services. Phishing emails can be either simple or presented as an official request from a bank or from a friend.
The protection is also simple - it is enough not to give anybody login and password data from anything and install an e-mail protection program to check emails for spam. It is also possible, where possible, to establish multi-factor authentication (in which, after entering the login / password, you need to enter a code, a secret word or a number received via SMS).
Hacking accounts
Hackers can gain full access to any person's account, especially when using a "frontal attack", in which special software simply goes over all kinds of login / password pairs.
Since the program is engaged in such work, it is necessary to set up account blocking after a certain amount of incorrectly entered password. And you can also use protection against robots, that is, the reCAPTCHA system.
Outdated or not updated software
And this is already an eternal problem - many hackers use any existing vulnerabilities both in web applications and in system programs to obtain data or enter viruses into someone else's computer. As an example, we can recall the company Equifax, which had the Apache Struts web framework. It was not updated in time, which led to the theft of 143 million social security numbers (and this, for a minute, a taxpayer identification number, like our TIN). Also, the data of addresses, credit cards and driver's licenses were stolen. And all due to the fact that the protection was not updated in time.
In order not to become a victim of hackers, you should update your security software or download a program focused on finding vulnerabilities in other programs and in the operating system as a whole.
SQL injection
SQL is a programming language used to communicate with databases. Many servers that host important content for websites use SQL to manage the data in their databases. SQL injection is a cyberattack specifically aimed at such a server. Using malicious code, hackers try to interact with the data stored on it. This is especially problematic if the server stores information about private clients from the website, such as credit card numbers, usernames and passwords (credentials), or other personal information.
XSS or cross-site scripting
This type of attack is based on placing a virus code on a website. This code will run immediately after the user is on the site, and the hacker will be able, thanks to his action, to receive the data entered by the user on this site.
Blocking extensions and browser updates will help here, in which the browser itself will scan the site and warn the user about the dangers of the Internet resource.
DdoS attack
DdoS is a common type of cyberattack today, in which a huge number of requests are sent to a certain resource (resource server) in a short period of time. As a result, the server cannot cope with so many incoming requests, which is why it starts to slow down and shut down. For a good DdoS attack, hackers use special zombie computers that are combined to maximize the number of botnet requests.
Cyber defense strategy
Here are some important tips to minimize the likelihood of a cyberattack:
- Antivirus and firewall software must always be running on the computer.
- The software and operating system must be updated as official updates become available.
- If you received a letter from a stranger and this letter contains attachments, you should not open them.
- If the Internet source is unknown, it is not recommended to download or copy the program from it, and you certainly should not run this program.
- When setting passwords on any Internet resources, it is worth making them at least 8 characters, and these must be uppercase and lowercase letters, as well as punctuation marks and numbers.
- There is no need to use one, even complex, password for all sites.
- Reliable companies and websites differ from fraudulent ones by the presence of encrypted pages with an address like
- If your computer or phone was connected to Wi-Fi without a password, you should not enter any Internet resources.
- All important files and documents should be copied to a safe and inaccessible place where there is no Internet connection.
All these are banal and simple, but very effective tips that should be applied today.
Instead of a conclusion
Almost all vulnerabilities in a computer are created by users themselves, so the only thing to do is to adhere to simple data security rules on the Internet and update your antivirus software.
Of course, ordinary users' computers are not subject to hacker prosecution (which cannot be said about banking and government Internet resources with the data of several million users), but this does not mean that some cybercriminal will not want to hack them.
