Along with the development of the digital world, cybersecurity has also evolved and it has put the online world on high alert. The previous cybersecurity threats have evolved into more sophisticated cyber attacks to threaten individuals, governments and corporations.
With the world going online at a greater pace, the stakes of the damage have also increased. It is therefore important to know the popular or the top cybersecurity threats to take preventive measures against them. Here is a list of the top five cyber security threats that are keeping top UK penetration testing companies busy. Penetration testing or security testing is carried out to identify risks affecting systems storing sensitive data.
1. Phishing
Phishing attacks are not new threats but the way phishing attacks are carried out have become more sophisticated. Phishing attacks generally are digital messages that trick the receivers into clicking a link. Once the link is clicked, malware is installed in the devices that are designed to expose the sensitive data stored in the devices. The phishing attacks have become more sophisticated in a manner that the fake messages sound more genuine. It is recommended to ensure digital hygiene to stay safe from such attacks. One way of doing this is to buy block trackers and hide the IP address when surfing online. You can check your IP address at What Is My IP before hiding it. The damage caused by phishing attacks can include user logins theft along with other financial information damage. It can also compromise the databases too.
2. Ransomware
From time to time, ransomware attacks have cost big companies billions of dollars. In carrying out a ransomware attack, the hackers use technology to steal information of an individual or sometimes the entire database of an organization. Once the hackers have their hold on the sensitive information, the information is preserved by them for ransom. The emergence of crypto companies has proliferated ransomware attacks as it allows the hackers to receive the ransom in a very anonymous manner.
3. IoT Attacks
The Internet of Things is a trending digital tool and it is still growing. According to the data revealed by Statista, the number of devices that are connected to IoT will reach 75 billion by 2025. The proliferation of IoT has given birth to IoT attacks. IoT ensures that the devices are connected to allow seamless working and this creates a greater risk for its users. IoT networks are most vulnerable to cyber infections and invasions. It is easier for the attackers to make financial gain via IoT attacks by locking down essential equipment and overloading the networks.
4. Malware Attack
Malware refers to malicious software and usually comprises worms, viruses, spyware and ransomware. Malware attack is generally carried out by sending out malicious attachments and links which when clicked once results in the installation of dangerous software. Malware attacks can block access to important network components. Malware attacks can also disrupt the individual parts which make the system inoperational.
5. DoS and DDoS Attack
DoS refers to denial of service and DDoS refers to distributed DoS. In Dos and DDoS attacks, the computer or network is flooded in a manner that it becomes unable to respond to requests. As a result of such an attack, the content becomes inaccessible to the intended users. Most DoS are carried out by blogging the target with huge traffic. As a result of the massic traffic, the target often crashes. The targets of DoS and DDoS attacks are usually media and commerce companies, government websites and banking websites. Even though DoS attacks do not result in theft of any sensitive data generally, it creates a hefty loss in terms of time and money that is required to get back to an operational network.
Cybersecurity attacks can create disruption, distortion and deterioration of the functioning of the victim. According to a report by Cybersecurity Ventures, the loss incurred due to cybercrime in 2021 was $6 trillion. In recent years, the cases of cybersecurity attacks have increased by multiple folds. As a result, the job of cybersecurity professionals has become lucrative. Many companies and organizations are looking forward to skilled cybersecurity professionals to manage the cybersecurity of the organizations.
In addition to that, there is a need to create general awareness about these threats to ensure that the common people do not fall victim to such attacks and suffer the wrath of cybersecurity attacks. Cyber security training should now be provided not only to the employees but also to students to ensure maximum safety.
