How to protect yourself from online attacks with an easy tips in this article that is what will we talk about. So pay me all your attention here to learn how to protect yourself from online attacks as possible as we can do it together.
Definition of online attacks
Online Attacks is defined as a risk that which can potentially harm computer systems and organization, another definition of it (cyber-attack). It is one of the most common types of attacks on the scene due to the expansion of the use of the Internet in all areas.
A cyber-attack is where an attacker tries to gain unauthorized access to an IT system for the purpose of theft, extortion, disruption or other nefarious reasons.
Of course, a large number of security incidents are caused by insiders – whether through negligence or malice.
Types of online attacks and threats
Online Attacks increases exponentially every year, as attackers improve in terms of efficiency and sophistication.
Cyber attacks happen for a number of different reasons and in various ways.
The common denominator, however, is that cyber-criminals will look to exploit vulnerabilities in an organization's security policies, practices, or technologies.
There are many, many forms of Online attacks, and it is very dangerous as the following .
1. Viruses attack
Certainly, we all suffer from this common type, which is known to be files designed to bypass protection programs, target system files, and cause severe damage and damage that most often leads to the downfall of some completely weak systems.
2. Malware attack
Malware is a type of application that can perform a variety of malicious tasks. Some strains of malware are designed to create persistent access to a network, some are designed to spy on the user in order to obtain credentials or other valuable data, while some are simply designed to cause disruption.
3. Phishing attack
A Phishing attack is where the attacker tries to trick an unsuspecting victim into handing over valuable information, such as passwords, credit card details, intellectual property, and so on.
Phishing attacks often arrive in the form of an email pretending to be from a legitimate organization, such as your bank, the tax department, or some other trusted entity.
Phishing scams are one of the most common methods of attack you’re likely to come across. They are a hugely profitable attack method for cyber-criminals, as thousands fall victim to them every year.
4. (MITM) attack
A man-in-the-middle attack (MITM) is where an attacker intercepts the communication between two parties in an attempt to spy on the victims, steal personal information or credentials, or perhaps alter the conversation in some way.
MITM attacks are less common these days as most email and chat systems use end-to-end encryption which prevents third parties from tampering with the data that is transmitted across the network, regardless of whether the network is secure or not.
5. DDoS attack
A Distributed Denial-of-Service attack is where an attacker essentially floods a target server with traffic in an attempt to disrupt, and perhaps even bring down the target.
However, unlike traditional denial-of-service attacks, which most sophisticated firewalls can detect and respond to, a DDoS attack is able to leverage multiple compromised devices to bombard the target with traffic.
6. SQL injection
SQL injection is a type of attack which is specific to SQL databases. SQL databases uses SQL statements to query the data, and these statements are typically executed via a HTML form on a webpage.
If the database permissions have not been set properly, the attacker may be able to exploit the HTML form to execute queries that will create, read, modify or delete the data stored in the database.
7. A Zero-Day exploit
A zero-day exploit is where cyber-criminals learn of a vulnerability that has been discovered in certain widely-used software applications and operating systems, and then target organizations who are using that software in order to exploit the vulnerability before a fix becomes available.
8. DNS tunnel
A DNS tunnel is a sophisticated attack vector designed to provide attackers with continuous access to a specific target.
Because many organizations fail to monitor DNS traffic for malicious activity, attackers can insert or "tunnel" malware into DNS queries (DNS requests sent from client to server).
Malware is used to create a persistent communication channel that most firewalls cannot detect.
9. A ‘Drive-by-Download’
A drive-by-download attack is where an unsuspecting victim visits a website which in turn infects their device with malware.
The website in question could be under the direct control of the attacker, or a website that has been hacked.
In some cases, malware is presented in content such as banners and ads.
Exploit kits are available nowadays that allow novice hackers to easily set up malicious websites or distribute malicious content through other means.
10. (XSS) attacks.
Cross-site scripting attacks are quite similar to SQL injection attacks, although instead of extracting data from a database, they are usually used to infect other users visiting a site.
A simple example is the Comments section on a web page.
If user input is not filtered before the comment is posted, an attacker can spread a malicious script hidden in the page.
When a user visits this page, the script will be executed and either infect their device, use it to steal cookies or possibly even use it to extract user credentials.
Alternatively, they may just redirect the user to a malicious website.
11. Password attack
A password attack, as you have already guessed, is a type of cyber attack in which the attacker tries to guess or "hack" the user's password.
There are many different methods of hacking a user password, although explaining these different methods is beyond the scope of this article.
However, some examples include brute force attack, dictionary attack, rainbow table attack, credential stuffing, password sprinkle, and Keylogger attack.
Of course, attackers will often try to use phishing techniques to obtain a user's password.
12. Eavesdropping attack
Sometimes referred to as "snooping" or "sniffing", it is an eavesdropping attack in which an attacker searches for unsecured network connections to intercept and access data that is being sent over the network.
This is one of the reasons why employees are required to use a VPN when accessing the company network from an unsecured public Wi-Fi hotspot.
13. AI-Powered attacks
Using AI to launch sophisticated cyber attacks is frightening, because we don't yet know what such attacks will be able to do.
The most notable AI-powered attack we've seen so far involved the use of AI botnets that use satellite machines to perform a massive DDoS attack.
However, we will likely see more sophisticated attack vectors in the future.
AI-powered programs can figure out what types of methods work best and adapt attack methods accordingly.
They can use information feeds to quickly identify software vulnerabilities, as well as scan the systems themselves for potential vulnerabilities.
Text, audio and video generated by artificial intelligence will be used to impersonate company executives, which can be used to launch highly disguised phishing attacks.
Unlike humans, AI-powered attacks can operate around the clock. They are fast, efficient, affordable and adaptable.
14. IoT-Based attacks
As is currently the case, IoT devices are generally less secure than most modern operating systems, and hackers are keen to exploit their weaknesses.
As with AI, the Internet of Things is still a relatively new concept, and so we still need to see what methods cybercriminals will use to exploit IoT devices, and for what ends.
Hackers may target medical devices, security systems, and smart thermometers, or they may seek to penetrate IoT devices in order to launch large-scale DDoS attacks.
I think we'll find out in the coming years.
15. Risks of other online attacks
There are also many types of attacks such as Cryptojacking, Business Email Compromise , Spying And Hacking.
How to protect yourself from online attacks?
1. Knowing how to identify computer security threats is the first step in protecting computer systems.
2. Establish a security awareness training program. An on-going security awareness training program is the first line of defense.
You must be well informed about phishing attacks, and be able to identify emails with malicious links/attachments.
3. To protect against viruses, Trojans, worms, etc. You can use anti-virus software.
In additional to the anti-virus software, also have control measures on the usage of external storage devices and visiting the website that is most likely to download unauthorized programs onto your computer.
Here are list of the best types of anti-virus and Malware removal software:
4. Unauthorized access to computer system resources can be prevented by the use of authentication methods.
The authentication methods can be, in the form of user ids and strong passwords, smart cards or biometric, etc.
5. Intrusion-detection/prevention systems can be used to protect against denial of service attacks.
6. Keep software patched and review configurations. Attackers will seek to exploit known security vulnerabilities and poorly configured systems.
All software should be patched/updated regularly and configurations must be carefully reviewed. You may want to implement an automated patch management program.
7. Get a 3rd party security risk assessment. While using a third-party service may seem like an unnecessary expense, you can never be too careful when it comes to protecting your sensitive data, especially when considering the hefty fines associated with the GDPR.
8. Implement a secure UTM Firewall. Make sure you have a properly configured UTM firewall which uses malware sandboxing.
9. Use the latest anti-phishing technology. Though many strains of ransomware are able to bypass traditional anti-spam/anti-malware solutions, they still provide an additional layer of defence.
10. Keep an inventory of all devices connected to your network. You must know exactly what devices are connected to your network and enforce “least privilege” access on all devices, based on the users assigned to them.
11. Prevent files from executing in AppData/LocalAppData folders. Using either Windows or an IPS, you can disallow programmes from running in AppData/LocalAppData folders. Trusted applications can be whitelisted if required.
12. Disable Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP). RDP is a Windows utility that facilitates remote desktop access.
Attackers have been known to use special search engines to search for RDP instances that are open to the internet, and then launch a brute force attack to gain access to the victim’s desktop.
Tips for you in case you are attacked online
I hope you are still paying close attention because the next tips are a precautionary measure and some important advice to protect you.
Here are 2 tips for recovery:
1. Disconnect from the network immediately: The moment you suspect that you have been infected, disconnect from the network (including Wi-Fi).
Doing so will unlikely prevent the attack from launching but it may intercept communication between your device and the C&C server before all of your files have been encrypted.
2. Restore the system to its original state: Assuming you have been keeping regular and reliable backups, you will need to restore and test all systems.
It is a good idea to backup all data onto a removable drive and be sure to disconnect the drive once the backup is complete.
After all, some strains of ransomware will also encrypt files on any connected drives/devices.
Here are 8 tips for you to avoid online attacks:
1. Know what a online attacks looks like
New online attacks methods are being developed all the time, but they share a commonality that can be identified if you know what to look for.
There are many websites on the internet that will keep you up to date with the latest online attacks and their key identifiers.
The earlier you discover the latest attack methods and share them with users through regular security awareness training, the more likely you are to avoid a online attacks.
2. Do not click on un known links
It is generally not recommended to click a link in an email or instant message, even if you know the sender.
The minimum you have to do is hover over the link to see if the destination is the correct one.
Some phishing attacks are rather complex, and the destination URL can look like a carbon copy of the original site, set up to record keystrokes or steal login/credit card information.
If it is possible for you to go directly to the site through your search engine, instead of clicking on the link, you should do so.
3. Get anti-phishing add-ons tools
Most browsers nowadays will enable you to download add-ons that detect malicious website tags or alert you to known phishing sites.
They are usually completely free, so there is no reason not to install this on every device in your organization.
4. Do not give your information to any site
If a website's URL doesn't start with "https", or you can't see a locked padlock icon next to the URL, don't enter any sensitive information or download files from that website.
A site without security certificates might not be intended for phishing scams, but it's better to be safe than sorry.
5. Rotate your passwords regularly and strong
If you have online accounts, you should get into the habit of switching passwords regularly so as to prevent the attacker from gaining unlimited access.
Your accounts may have been hacked without your knowledge, so adding an extra layer of protection through password rotation can prevent persistent attacks and block potential attackers.
6. Always be up to date
Receiving so many update messages can be frustrating, and it can be tempting to put them off or ignore them completely.
Do not do this. Security patches and updates are released for a reason, and it's most popular to keep up with modern cyber attack tactics by patching vulnerabilities.
If you do not update your browser, you may be at risk of phishing attacks through known vulnerabilities that could have been easily avoided.
7. Install powerful firewalls
Firewalls are an effective way to prevent external attacks, as they act as a shield between the computer and the attacker.
Both desktop firewalls and network firewalls, when used together, can enhance your security and reduce the chances of an intruder penetrating your environment.
8. Have a data security platform to detect signs of attack
If you are unfortunate enough to be the victim of a successful phishing attack, it is important to be able to detect it and respond to it in a timely manner.
Having a data security platform helps relieve some of the stress on the IT/security team by automatically alerting you to abnormal user behavior and unwanted changes to files.
If an attacker gains access to your sensitive information, data security platforms can help identify the affected account so you can take action to prevent further harm.
Finally,we recommend it for you: Use intelligent threat detection programs such as ( Lepide Data Security).
How to use lepide to prevent phishing attacks?
The Lepide Data Security Platform gives you the visibility you need to determine when your own users become security threats.
If a user clicks on a phishing link, and their account starts exhibiting unusual behavior, Lepide can detect and respond in real time with automated threat response templates.
If you would like to see how Lepide Data Security Platform can help you identify and prevent data breaches from phishing attacks, you can schedule a demo with one of there engineers daily.
They are help enterprises to determine where your areas of weakness are and to help you reduce data breaches risks with there FREE Data Risk Assessment service.
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