An Overview of the Most Common Cybersecurity Threats That Exist Today

In 2015, the world spent approximately 3 trillion dollars in cybercrime damages. In 2021, that number is expected to reach 6 trillion dollars. Cyber attacks threaten both businesses and individuals.

Do you know what you can do to protect yourself from becoming a victim of cybersecurity threats? One of the best ways to protect you and your business is through education.

Keep reading to learn more about the most common types of cybersecurity threats.

Malware

One of the most common cybersecurity threats is malware. Malware consists of ransomware, worms, viruses, and spyware that have malicious intent. Malware usually comes in the form of a link or a dangerous attachment.

Malware has the capability to install software that can harm your computer, gather sensitive information from your computer, or not allow your computer to operate.

If you want to learn more about malware, you can study cybersecurity at InterCoast Colleges.

Phishing

Another common type of cyber threat is a phishing attack. Phishing works by imitating sources that may seem legitimate. For example, you could receive a phishing email that looks like it is coming from your bank, but really it is coming from cybercriminals.

The goal of phishing is to steal someone’s bank information, social security number, or passwords.

Denial of Service

A denial of service attack works by overloading a server by sending tons of traffic to it. When this happens, the server is unable to process real traffic and may crash. Bank websites, email, and other services are often victims of denial of service attacks.

In addition to just having one attacker, many machines can come together to attack the same server. This is commonly referred to as a distributed denial of service attack or a bad DDOS attack.

Man in the Middle

Man-in-the-middle cyber-attacks occur when cybercriminals get between a transaction between two parties.

For example, when you go to purchase an item online, a middle man may come between the store and the payment processor to steal your credit card information.

You are at a higher risk of a man-in-the-middle attack when you use public WI-FI that is not protected by a password.

SQL Injection

Another common type of cybersecurity threat is a Structured Query Language (SQL) injection attack. These attacks happen when hackers insert code into SQL servers.

If the attack is successful, the hacker gains access to the server and all the information within the server. Hackers also may be able to change or delete data that is stored in the server.

Are You Protected From Cybersecurity Threats?

With cybersecurity threats on the rise, it is more important than ever to be aware of the common types of attacks.

It is critical to watch out for malware, phishing, denial of service, man in the middle, and SQL injection attacks. A cybersecurity firm may be able to help you monitor for attacks.

Did you enjoy reading this article on the most common types of cybersecurity threats? If so, be sure to check out our other articles in the technology category to learn more.