Top 10 Cybersecurity Threats and How to Prevent Them

Photo credit: Antoni Shkraba

Cybersecurity threats are constantly evolving and anyone with a smartphone or computer is a potential target. To protect your personal and business data, it’s essential to understand these threats so you can protect against them.

The top 10 cybersecurity threats you need to be aware of include:

1. Malware
2. DDoS attacks
3. Phishing attacks
4. Ransomware
5. APTs
6. XSS
7. Credential stuffing
8. Social engineering attacks
9. Cryptojacking
10. Insider Threats

Malware

Malware is short for “malicious software” and is a broad category that includes viruses, spyware, Trojan horses, and computer worms. It’s designed to disrupt, damage, or gain unauthorized access to systems. Once malware infiltrates it can steal data, disrupt operations, or vandalize systems.

How to prevent it:

• Antivirus software: Regularly update and run antivirus and anti-malware programs on your devices to detect and remove malware.
• Safe browsing habits: Only download files from trusted websites and sources, and beware of email attachments from unknown senders.
• Update systems frequently: Make sure all your software is up to date so it can patch known vulnerabilities.

Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) Attacks

Distributed denial-of-service attacks flood networks or websites with an overwhelming amount of traffic, causing systems to crash and become unavailable to legitimate users. Attackers carry out DDoS attacks by using a botnet (or “robot network”), which is a network of computers already infected by malware and under cybercriminal control.

How to prevent it:

• Load balancing: Spread network traffic across multiple servers to minimize the risk of overload.
• Traffic analysis tools: Monitor traffic for suspicious spikes, which may indicate a DDoS attack.
• DDoS protection services: These services offer protection by filtering and managing incoming traffic. They can monitor potential threats in real time and block attempted distributed denial-of-service attacks. DDoS protection providers such as Gcore, Talos and Radware have been exhibitors at VivaTech.

Phishing Attacks

At least 75% of cybersecurity threats start with an email. Called phishing attacks, these email or website scams trick people into giving away personal information, such as login credentials or financial information. Often these emails appear to come from trusted organizations such as banks, governments, or corporations.

How to prevent it:

• Email filters: Spam filters work to block known phishing domains and suspicious content.
• Employee training: Teach network users how to be smart and vigilant when inspecting emails for signs of phishing.
• Anti-phishing software: These tools can detect phishing websites and warn users before they enter sensitive information.

Ransomware

Ransomware encrypts the victim’s files, then demands payment to unlock them. It’s often spread through phishing attacks and even if the ransom is paid there's no guarantee you’ll get your data back. The biggest ransomware attack in history, the 2017 WannaCry attack, infected more than 200,000 computers and cost users an estimated billion.

How to prevent it:

• Back up data: Frequently back up and store the data in secure, offline locations.
• Patch management: Keep your systems up to date to prevent vulnerabilities.
• Email filtering tools: Spam filters can block phishing emails.
• Employee education: Teach employees how to detect suspicious emails and attachments.

Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs)

Advanced persistent threats are targeted attacks in which cybercriminals, often working for nation-states, hack into a network and stay undetected to steal information for long periods of time. Because of the amount of time and expertise needed for these attacks, they are usually carried out against governments and large corporations.

How to prevent it:

• Intrusion detection systems (IDS): These systems are used to monitor network activity and detect unusual behavior.
• Limit employee access: Restrict access privileges to only the data and systems a person needs to do their job.
• Security audits: Conduct frequent audits to identify weak points in your security infrastructure and patch vulnerabilities.

Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)

Cross-Site Scripting is a type of injection attack. A malicious code or script is injected into otherwise safe websites, allowing cybercriminals to steal user data or take control of the user's session. For example, an XSS attack on a financial services company page where users input their banking info would allow hackers to steal that data every time someone uses the page.

How to prevent it:

• Input validation: Ensure data submitted into an information system matches requirements outlined in form controls. Any inputs that don’t follow the rules and seem suspicious should be blocked.
• Content Security Policy (CSP): This added layer of security limits the types of scripts that can run on your website.

Credential Stuffing

Credential stuffing exploits the fact that people tend to reuse passwords across websites. In these automated attacks, cybercriminals use stolen usernames and passwords from a different breach and try the logins on other platforms.

How to prevent it:

• Password uniqueness: Create strong, unique passwords for different accounts.
• Multi-factor authentication (MFA): Also called two-factor authentication, this extra layer of security requires a second piece of evidence to log in, such as a unique code sent by text or created in an app.
• Monitor for suspicious login activity: Patterns such as multiple failed login attempts can signal a credential stuffing attack.

Social Engineering Attacks

Social engineering attacks trick people into revealing confidential information, often by impersonating trusted sources such as colleagues or official institutions. The most common type of social engineering attack is phishing, but there are many variations that all take advantage of human error.

How to prevent it:

• Employee training: Make sure employees know how to spot phishing and other social engineering attacks.
• Secure communication channels: Verify someone’s identity before sharing sensitive information.
• Strict access controls: Limit what information employees can access to reduce the damage from a successful social engineering attack.

Cryptojacking

Cryptojacking is when hackers secretly install software on your server or computer and use its computing resources to mine cryptocurrency without your consent. This slows down a computer’s systems causing decreased performance and shorter battery life.

How to prevent it:

• Ad blockers: Cryptojacking scripts are often delivered through malicious ads, and ad-blockers can help prevent them.
• Update software regularly: Keep your systems up to date to prevent vulnerability exploitation.
• Monitor system performance: A sudden drop in a device’s performance may signal the presence of cryptojacking malware.

Insider Threats

Insider threats happen when employees, contractors, or someone else within an organization misuses their access to steal data or compromise systems. These threats may be intentional or by accident.

How to prevent it:

• Limit access controls: Only give users access to the data they need to do their job.
• Monitor insider behavior: Install software that monitors for unusual activity, such as access to sensitive data at odd times.
• Frequent employee training: Ensure that employees understand security protocols and the consequences of violating them.

What is the Biggest Cybersecurity Threat Today?

Ransomware attacks are the most consequential. Ransomware attacks cost victims an estimated 0 billion per year globally and are growing in frequency, sophistication, and size. For companies and organizations, falling victim to a ransomware attack can also have a huge impact on reputation and trust.

How Do Most Cybersecurity Threats Start?

Human error causes the vast majority of cybersecurity failures. Phishing emails in particular are behind at least 75% of cybersecurity breaches. Phishing is often the entry point for more sophisticated threats such as ransomware and APTs as well. This is why educating yourself and your employees to recognize and avoid these scams is essential.

Read more about How to Safeguard Against Cyberattacks here.