What is a cyber attack 

A cyber attack is an intentional, unauthorized and harmful attempt to compromise a computer system, network, or data. The individual or group of individuals who use different tactics, techniques, and procedures performs the attacks. People who do perform these threats are usually called cybercriminals, bad  hackers, or threat actors. They identify vulnerabilities, problems, or weaknesses in a computer system.  The individual or group of individuals who use different tactics, techniques, and procedures performs the attacks.

 

What is the different of cyber crime and cyber attack?

Cyber crime refers to criminal activities committed using the internet or other forms of digital communication. These crimes may include theft of personal or financial information, intellectual property theft, fraud, identity theft, and others. Cyber attack, on the other hand, refers to unauthorized and harmful attempts to compromise a computer system, network, or data. A cyber attack can be carried out for various reasons such as theft of data, disruption of services, or to cause harm. Cyber attacks can also be a precursor to cyber crimes, as the stolen information can be used to commit other crimes.

In short, a cyber attack is a type of cyber crime, but not all cyber crimes involve a cyber attack.

 

What are the types of cyber attacks

1. Phishing – a social engineering attack that aims to trick individuals into revealing sensitive information (e.g. passwords, credit card numbers) through fake emails or websites.
2. Ransomware – a type of malware that encrypts a victim’s files and demands payment in exchange for the decryption key.
3. DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) – an attack that overloads a website or network with traffic from multiple sources, making it unavailable to users.
4. SQL Injection – a type of attack that exploits vulnerabilities in a website’s database by injecting malicious SQL code into the site.
5. Man-in-the-middle – an attack where an attacker intercepts communication between two parties to steal or alter information.
6. Malware – a general term that refers to any software that is intentionally designed to harm or exploit a system.
7. Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) – an attack that injects malicious scripts into a web page viewed by other users.
8. Buffer Overflow – an attack that takes advantage of vulnerabilities in software by inputting more data than the buffer can handle, causing the program to crash or execute unintended code.
9. Password Attack – an attack that aims to crack passwords or steal them through various methods (e.g. brute force, dictionary attack).
10. Remote Access Trojan (RAT) – a type of malware that gives an attacker remote control over a compromised system.

 

 How to prevent cyber attacks-:

• Keep software up-to-date
• Use strong passwords and enable two-factor authentication
• Regularly back up data
• Limit access to sensitive information
• Use anti-virus and anti-malware software
• Educate employees on security awareness and safe online practices.
• Practice good network security by segmenting networks and using firewalls.
• Conduct regular security audits and risk assessments.
• Implement encryption for sensitive data in storage and transit.
• Be wary of phishing scams and suspicious emails.
• Limit the use of personal devices for work purposes and ensure they have proper security measures.
• Dispose of old devices securely to prevent data breaches.
• Monitor network activity for unusual or unauthorized access.
• Use secure configurations for all systems and devices.

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