Great Connections for Winter 2018

6 WINTER 2018 7 Common Types of Cyberattacks Hackers use a variety of techniques to try and steal and exploit sensitive data—such as credit card information and passwords —and these techniques continue to evolve. As a business owner or manager, you need to be aware of the most frequent types of cyberattacks. 1. APT: Advanced persistent threats, or APTs, are long-term targeted attacks that break into a network in multiple phases to avoid detection. 2. DDoS: An acronym for distributed denial of service, DDoS attacks occur when a server is intentionally overloaded with requests to attempt to shut down the target business’s website or network system. 3. Inside attack: This refers to a situation where a person with administrative privi- leges, usually from within the business, purposely misuses his or her credentials to gain access to confidential company infor- mation. Former employees, in particular, present a threat if they left on bad terms. 4. Malware: This term is short for malicious software and covers a range of programs introduced into a computer with the goal of causing damage or gain- ing unauthorized access. 5. Password attacks: There are three main types of password attacks: a brute- force attack, which involves guessing at passwords until the hacker gets in; a dictionary attack, which uses a program to try different combinations of diction- ary words; and keylogging, which tracks all of a user’s keystrokes, including login IDs and passwords. 6. Phishing: Perhaps the most commonly deployed form of cybertheft, phishing involves collecting sensitive information like login credentials and credit card infor- mation through a legitimate-looking (but ultimately fraudulent) website, often sent to unsuspecting individuals in an email. 7. Ransomware: This type of malware will either lock you out of your computer and demand money in return for access or threaten to publish private informa- tion if you don’t pay a specified amount in ransom. Ransomware is one of today’s fastest growing types of cyberattacks. How to Help Protect Against Threats Cybercriminals are a sneaky bunch and the consequences of their actions can range from poorly functioning computers to a devastating data loss. Fight back by taking the following precautions: • Be sure all computers and mobile devices are running the latest operating systems (OS). Malware creators are always adapting, and so are OS developers. If a vulnerability is identified, developers will fix it in the next update, so you want to be sure you have it installed. • Use antivirus and antispyware soft- ware and keep it up to date. New threats are discovered daily and keeping your software updated is one of the easiest ways to protect your business from an attack. • Educate employees not to open email attachments from unknown sources. Also tell them not to click on links within unsolicited email messages. • Use long, complex passwords that are unique to each account. Passwords should be as long as possible and contain uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers and symbols. It’s also important to not use the same password for multiple accounts and to change them regularly. For more information about online security, visit www.us-cert.gov/cas/tips.