Just about everyone who uses the internet knows they need to be concerned about cyberattacks, but not everyone knows what that means. It takes far more effort than refusing to download random files and scanning your computer with an antivirus program to stay safe.
Worse, some types of cyberattacks don’t seem like attacks. For example, phishing schemes can be pretty convincing when the attackers use advanced social engineering tactics. Most people know better than to click on (and trust) links in unsolicited or unexpected emails, but it still happens frequently.
There are countless threat actors out there constantly looking for new targets. Over time, their tactics get better and they find new vulnerabilities to exploit, taking everyone by surprise. If you want to avoid getting hit by one of these malicious attacks, you need to protect yourself.
Types of Cyberattacks to Watch Out For
The following are several types of cyberattacks you may not realize you need to address.
1. Botnet attacks
A botnet attack can be a serious issue. It targets IoT devices like home security systems, connected lights and thermostats, and smart TVs, refrigerators, and speakers. Anything that connects to the internet is fair game.
To launch a botnet attack, hackers first find a vulnerability in the target device. Then they infect the target with botnet malware and take over the device remotely. From here, the botnet takes over hundreds or thousands of devices to perform brute force attacks, Distributed Denial-of-Service attacks (DDoS), and large-scale phishing schemes.
In 2016, hackers used the Mirai botnet to take over millions of devices and launched a massive DDoS attack against Dyn, one of the largest domain name server providers in the world.
Some hackers take over IoT devices just to “brick” them. Bricking refers to the act of damaging a device’s firmware to render it useless. Some hackers do it for fun because they want to teach people a lesson in cybersecurity.
One of the most destructive botnet attacks was caused by malware called BrickerBot. The hackers scanned the internet for unsecured devices by using default usernames and passwords. Any devices found still using factory passwords got bricked. There are at least four versions of BrickerBot. The first one attacked 1,895 devices in the first four days. The third attack managed to get 1,400 devices in the first 24 hours.
You can protect yourself against a botnet attack by changing the default factory username and/or password once you buy a device. While some hackers can and do go to great lengths to hack IoT devices, the chances of that happening once you change the password are slim. Most hackers use botnets to take over as many devices as possible quickly and automatically. They usually won’t try to hack into a secured device.
2. LLMjacking
What is LLMjacking? It’s a term you may not have heard of before, but it’s a serious threat with severe consequences. LLMjacking refers to an attack on large language models (LLMs), which are used in generative AI applications. It basically hijacks the server resources, which can end up costing the owner thousands of dollars in usage fees.
Companies who use cloud-hosted LLMs are susceptible to LLMjacking because they have the server resources to run generative AI programs. A hacker might hijack the LLM resources for personal reasons, like generating their own images, or they could use it to generate malicious code, poison the models, or steal sensitive data.
An individual who hijacks a cloud-based LLM for personal use probably won’t do much damage, but since fees are charged based on the use of resources, a serious attack could cost the owner anywhere from $50,000 to $100,000 per day.
Anyone using these or other LLMs should get a security audit and double down on securing their cloud environment as fast as possible.
3. Ransomware
Everyone has heard of ransomware, but not everyone is fully protected. Technically, there’s no way to guarantee you’ll never get hit by ransomware. It can happen when you least expect it, especially if you’re in the habit of downloading random files. However, there are ways to ransomware-proof your data.
Ransomware is a special kind of cyberattack that locks down your computer by encrypting the contents of your hard drive so that you can’t access any of your files. There’s no way to get your files back other than by the grace of the hacker who locked you out. Typically, hackers ask for a monetary ransom to return your files. If you pay the ransom, there’s still no guarantee the hacker will make good on their word and release your files. Paying a ransom also gives hackers the incentive to continue using ransomware.
The only way to protect against a ransomware attack is to have a clean backup of all your data that you can restore on a new machine. The goal is to be able to ignore the hacker’s demands and never feel like you need to pay the ransom. You want the ability to walk away and start over.
4. Insider threats
Although many cyberattacks are launched by unknown attackers, there’s always a chance that someone on the inside of a company might do harm. Sometimes people plot and plan how they’ll use their credentials to do damage or steal information while working for a company, but often, attacks are triggered by disputes or getting fired.
There are plenty of signs that someone working for a company may be planning an attack:
- Signing into company accounts at odd hours, like 3 a.m.
- Attempting to access resources outside of their permissions.
- Asking others to borrow their login credentials.
- Asking for, or accessing data that isn’t relevant to their job function.
- Copying company data to a USB drive.
- Sending emails with sensitive data outside the company.
These signs are particularly troubling when the individual also works off-hours, shows resentment toward others, violates company policy regularly, tries to get around security policies, or constantly talks about quitting.
Not everyone who gets fired or becomes resentful will do damage on their way out, but it’s a possibility. It only takes one moment for a disgruntled employee to delete entire files, databases, emails, and other important records. If you don’t regularly create a full backup of everyone’s work and your company’s server, an insider threat can do a lot of damage.
5. Man-in-the-Middle attack
A Man-in-the-Middle (MITM) attack is when a threat actor positions themselves in between two parties who are attempting to communicate with each other. The threat actor alters their communications, while both parties believe they are communicating directly with each other.
This type of attack can be used to get information from people or deliver messages designed to alter a person’s behavior or decisions. For example, if someone intercepts a conversation between coworkers who trust each other, they might send a message to one of them asking for login credentials or a physical key. This person will believe the request is coming from their coworker, when in fact, it’s coming from the hacker.
There are ways to defend against MITM attacks, but they require a cybersecurity expert to implement across a network. Protection requires strong authentication, tamper detection, and forensic analysis of any captured network traffic. All of these defenses can be easily implemented by a security pro.
6. Phishing schemes
Perhaps the oldest cyberattack trick in the book is phishing. Hackers send emails using psychology and social engineering to get sensitive data from unsuspecting people. Phishing hackers are typically after login credentials, personal information, and bank and credit card numbers.
A phishing email will look like it’s coming from a familiar, known sender. However, the email address is simply being spoofed by the hacker. For example, a common phishing scheme is to send an email stating that there’s a problem with their bank account. They need to log in to their account in order to resolve the issue. When the link is clicked in the email, the victim is taken to a web page that mimics the actual bank’s website and presents them with a login screen. Once the login credentials are entered, instead of being logged in, they’ll get an error or nothing will happen. On the back end, the hacker will receive the credentials typed into the form via email.
The only way to avoid getting caught in a phishing scheme is through awareness and diligence. It also helps to learn how to view email headers to verify the sender. Still, the best solution is to go directly to a website by typing the URL into your browser instead of clicking on a link.
Cybersecurity professionals can help
As the digital landscape evolves, companies need to stay vigilant in identifying and defending against sophisticated cyberattacks. This list contains only a fraction of attacks to protect against. Because these attacks get more sophisticated with time, it’s advised to invest in professional cybersecurity services to get protected and learn proactive strategies to safeguard your operations.
