We all are learning to live in an era of drastic change in this modern times, and people have started to accept it as a new normal. One of the new normals in our life is Information Technology, as we spend the maximum time of our day in Cyberspace or interconnected networks over ecosystems. Anything connected to the internet is a part of cyber security. However, the high reliance on the virtual world, online classes, e-commerce trade, and other remote work can also be considered as a part of Cyberspace.
Cyberspace is an integral part of our life, and with all Covid19 situations and the lockdown, there is a sudden increase in cybercrime. People were forced to become digital in every aspect of their life to stay connected and keep going with their daily lives. It is important to secure a data environment to ensure the economy is safe and functioning smoothly before cybercrime damages us.
The occurrence of Cyber attacks
A cyber attack is an attempt to gain unauthorized access to another computer, system, or network to cause damage. The attacks aim at destroying or collecting confidential data to cause damage to the system or work. It can be launched from anywhere by any individual or group using multiple strategies. People generally use the term unethical hackers for such people as they mostly do this for financial fraud. These people are generally known as Cybercriminals and belong to a criminal syndicate. They often use their computer skills to gather information by misleading people and they sometimes also work as a third party.
There is also a certified government-sponsored group of computer experts that launch cyber attacks. They usually get accused of attacking the information technology (IT) infrastructure of other government and non-government entities. They often get termed nation-state attackers and play a massive role in a cyber war.
The reason behind the occurrence of Cyber attacks
Cyberattacks happen because they wish to cause damage, and the objective to cause harm can be anything. Some of the common reasons are listed below :
FINANCIAL GAIN
Today's most common attack aims at financial gain, especially with commercial entities. These attacks are designed in such a way that they can get access to the individual's credit card number or any other details to get access to their money and goods. They use the accessible assets for their benefit, using the victim's identity. These attacks are designed to disable the computer system itself so that the owner won't be able to get access to their application.
DISRUPTION AND REVENGE
Sometimes when the career doesn't go the way the people have planned, they launch these cyberattacks to cause confusion, chaos, discontent, mistrust, and frustration. They can also use it to take revenge for the action taken against them. It can occur for anything, like causing damage to the entity's reputation. These types of attacks usually aim at government entities. Nation-state attackers are also behind some of these attacks.
CYBER WARFARE
The government also plays a role in a cyberattack, and here we are referring to the government worldwide. Many governments design and execute attacks against other countries to damage their economy and cause social, political, and economic disruption. These attacks are often classified as Cyberwarfare.
The list of
most common Cyber attacks :
Some common and frequently faced Cyberattacks are listed here for you as follows.
● Malware- The attacks have been planned by using malicious software. Some examples of this software are Ransomware, spyware, and Trojans. This software can steal or copy sensitive data, block access to essential files, disrupt the operating system, or make it inoperable
● Phishing- In which the recipients are tracked to download malware software through an email message containing an attached folder or embedded link. As soon as the attached links file gets opened by the recipients, the hacker gets complete access to their system.
● Man-in-the-middle (MitM)- When attackers covertly place themselves between two parties, such as between a person's banking institution and their computer. This kind of assault may be more precisely categorized as a man-in-the-browser attack, monster-in-the-middle attack, or machine-in-the-middle attack, depending on the specifics of the actual attack. Another term denoted to this is an eavesdropping assault.
● Distributed Denial of Service attack (DDoS)- When hackers flood a company's servers with several simultaneous data requests, the servers are overwhelmed and cannot handle genuine queries.
How does Cybersecurity protect against Cyber attacks?
Protecting systems, programs and networks from cyberattacks is the practice of Cybersecurity. These cyberattacks often demand money from users; try to gain access to, alter, or delete sensitive data; or obstruct regular corporate operations. Nowadays, there are more gadgets than humans, and hackers are getting more creative, making it challenging to implement efficient cybersecurity measures. Cyber security is essential for our government, military, corporate financial, and medical organizations. These organizations transmit data across their network and to other devices to keep their business running. Cybersecurity is the field that focuses on safeguarding such data and the systems that process or store it. Organizations/businesses, especially those responsible for protecting data related to health, national security, or financial records, must take action to defend their sensitive business and data as the frequency and complexity of cyber assaults are increasing day by day. The top intelligence authorities in the country have warned that cyberattacks and digital espionage pose a greater danger to national security than terrorism.
What does it mean by good Cybersecurity?
Some everyday things that are surely going to
represent good cyber security.
● Secure your wifi- It comes under the most common
form to provide people with Cybersecurity.
● Wise GPS and Bluetooth usage- Ensure your Bluetooth and GPS are
secure, as it is the most common way to gain your connection from your device.
● Strong Passwords- Make sure you get all the
requirements right that shows the password strength while logging into a website
for better security.
● Use of antivirus- It is necessary to protect your
system in the best possible way using the most reliable antivirus solution.