Most Common Attacks and their effectiveness

The landscape of the cybersecurity industry is dynamic and innovative in some ways. More significantly, it is having an impact on almost all entities, both public and private. However, we must be aware of the most prevalent and successful attacks carried out by modern cybercriminals if we are to protect entities and ourselves. We can then give the security measures in place a higher priority. A cyber-attack is an attempt to gain access to a computer network or system by cybercriminals, hackers, or other digital adversaries, typically with the goal of changing, stealing, destroying, or disclosing information.

Therefore, we will discuss the most prevalent and successful cyber-attacks used today in the cybersecurity industry in this article.

1.Malware

Any program or piece of code that was written with the intention of damaging a computer, network, or server is known as malware, also known as malicious software. The majority of cyberattacks fall under the category of malware, which includes many subsets like ransomware, trojans, spyware, viruses, worms, keyloggers, bots, crypto jacking, and any other kind of malware attack that makes use of software in an evil way.

The following are some common types of Malwares.

• Ransomware:  In a ransomware attack, an adversary encrypts a victim’s data and offers to provide a decryption key in exchange for a payment. Ransomware attacks are usually launched through malicious links delivered via phishing emails, but unpatched vulnerabilities and policy misconfigurations are used as well.
• Fileless Malware: Fileless malware is a type of malicious activity that uses native, legitimate tools built into a system to execute a cyber-attack. Unlike traditional malware, fileless malware does not require an attacker to install any code on a target’s system, making it hard to detect.
• Spyware: Spyware is a type of unwanted, malicious software that infects a computer or other device and collects information about a user’s web activity without their knowledge or consent.
• Adware: Adware is a type of spyware that watches a user’s online activity in order to determine which ads to show them. While adware is not inherently malicious, it has an impact on the performance of a user’s device and degrades the user experience.
• Trojan: A trojan is malware that appears to be legitimate software disguised as native operating system programs or harmless files like free downloads. Trojans are installed through social engineering techniques such as phishing or bait websites.
• Worms: A worm is a self-contained program that replicates itself and spreads its copies to other computers. A worm may infect its target through a software vulnerability, or it may be delivered via phishing or smishing. Embedded worms can modify and delete files, inject more malicious software, or replicate in place until the targeted system runs out of resources.
• Rootkits: Rootkit malware is a collection of software designed to give malicious actors control of a computer network or application. Once activated, the malicious program sets up a backdoor exploit and may deliver additional malware.
• Mobile Malware: Mobile malware is any type of malware designed to target mobile devices. Mobile malware is delivered through malicious downloads, operating system vulnerabilities, phishing, smishing, and the use of unsecured Wi-Fi.
• Exploits: An exploit is a piece of software or data that opportunistically uses a defect in an operating system or an app to provide access to unauthorized actors. The exploit may be used to install more malware or steal data.
• Scareware: Scareware tricks users into believing their computer is infected with a virus. Typically, a user will see scareware as a pop-up warning them that their system is infected. This scare tactic aims to persuade people into installing fake antivirus software to remove the “virus.” Once this fake antivirus software is downloaded, then malware may infect your computer.
• Keylogger: Keyloggers are tools that record what a person types on a device. While there are legitimate and legal uses for keyloggers, many uses are malicious. In a keylogger attack, the keylogger software records every keystroke on the victim’s device and sends it to the attacker.
• Botnet: Botnet is a network of computers infected with malware that are controlled by a bot herder. The bot herder is the person who operates the botnet infrastructure and uses the compromised computers to launch attacks designed to crash a target’s network, inject malware, harvest credentials or execute CPU-intensive tasks.

2. Denial-of-Service (DoS) Attacks

An intentional, targeted attack known as a denial-of-service (DoS) attack bombards a network with erroneous requests in an effort to interfere with business operations.

Users are prevented from carrying out routine and important tasks during a DoS attack, such as accessing email, websites, online accounts, or other resources run by a compromised computer or network. Even though the majority of DoS attacks do not cause data loss and are typically stopped without paying a ransom, the organization must spend time, money, and other resources to recover from them in order to resume vital business operations.

Attack origin plays a role in the distinction between DoS and Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks. DDoS attacks are launched from multiple systems, whereas DoS attacks come from just one.

DDoS attacks are faster and harder to block than DOS attacks because multiple systems must be identified and neutralized to halt the attack.

3. Phishing 

Phishing is a type of cyberattack that lures a victim into sharing sensitive information, like passwords or account numbers, or into downloading a malicious file that will infect their computer or phone with viruses using email, SMS, phone, social media, and social engineering techniques.

Some of the most common types of phishing attacks today include:

• Spear Phishing: Spear-phishing is a type of phishing attack that targets specific individuals or organizations typically through malicious emails. The goal of spear phishing is to steal sensitive information such as login credentials or infect the targets’ device with malware.
• Whaling: A whaling attack is a type of social engineering attack specifically targeting senior or C-level executive employees with the purpose of stealing money or information, or gaining access to the person’s computer in order to execute further cyberattacks.
• Smishing: Smishing is the act of sending fraudulent text messages designed to trick individuals into sharing sensitive data such as passwords, usernames and credit card numbers. A smishing attack may involve cybercriminals pretending to be your bank or a shipping service you use.
• Vishing: Vishing, a voice phishing attack, is the fraudulent use of phone calls and voice messages pretending to be from a reputable organization to convince individuals to reveal private information such as bank details and passwords.
• Business Email Compromise (BEC): A threat actor sends an email message that seems to be from a known source to make a seemingly legitimate request for information, in order to obtain a financial advantage.

4. Spoofing

Spoofing is a method used by cybercriminals to pose as a reputable or well-known source. By doing this, the adversary can interact with the target and gain access to their systems or devices with the ultimate goal of stealing data, demanding money, or infecting the device with malware or other harmful software.

Spoofing can come in many different forms, such as:

• Domain Spoofing: Domain spoofing is a form of phishing where an attacker impersonates a known business or person with fake website or email domain to fool people into the trusting them. Typically, the domain appears to be legitimate at first glance, but a closer look will reveal subtle differences.
• Email Spoofing: Email spoofing is a type of cyberattack those targets businesses by using emails with forged sender addresses. Because the recipient trusts the alleged sender, they are more likely to open the email and interact with its contents, such as a malicious link or attachment.
• ARP Spoofing: Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) spoofing or ARP poisoning is a form of spoofing attack that hackers use to intercept data. A hacker commits an ARP spoofing attack by tricking one device into sending messages to the hacker instead of the intended recipient. This way, the hacker gains access to your device’s communications, including sensitive data.

5. Identity-Based Attacks

According to CrowdStrike's research, 80% of all breaches involve stolen identities and can take up to 250 days to discover.

Identity-driven attacks are very difficult to recognize. It is frequently very difficult to distinguish between a valid user's typical behavior and that of a hacker when a valid user's credentials have been compromised and an adversary is posing as that user.

The following are some of the most frequent identity-based attacks:

• Kerberoasting: Kerberoasting is a post-exploitation attack technique that attempts to crack the password of a service account within the Active Directory (AD) where an adversary masquerading as an account user with a service principal name (SPN) requests a ticket, which contains an encrypted password, or Kerberos.
• Man-in-the-Middle (MITM) Attack: A man-in-the-middle attack is a type of cyberattack in which an attacker eavesdrops on a conversation between two targets with the goal of collecting personal data, passwords or banking details, and/or to convince the victim to take an action such as changing login credentials, completing a transaction or initiating a transfer of funds.
• Pass-the-Hash Attack: Pass the hash (PtH) is a type of attack in which an adversary steals a “hashed” user credential and uses it to create a new user session on the same network. It does not require the attacker to know or crack the password to gain access to the system. Rather, it uses a stored version of the password to initiate a new session.
• Silver Ticket Attack: A silver ticket is a forged authentication ticket often created when an attacker steals an account password. A forged service ticket is encrypted and enables access to resources for the specific service targeted by the silver ticket attack.
• Credential Stuffing: Credential stuffing attacks work on the premise that people often use the same user ID and password across multiple accounts. Therefore, possessing the credentials for one account may be able to grant access to other, unrelated account.
• Password Spraying: The basics of a password spraying attack involve a threat actor using a single common password against multiple accounts on the same application. This avoids the account lockouts that typically occur when an attacker uses a brute force attack on a single account by trying many passwords.
• Brute Force Attacks: A brute force attack is using a trial-and-error approach to systematically guess login info, credentials, and encryption keys. The attacker submits combinations of usernames and passwords until they finally guess correctly.

6.Code injection attacks

Code injection attacks consist of an attacker injecting malicious code into a vulnerable computer or network to change its course of action. There are multiple types of code injection attacks:

• SQL Injection: A SQL Injection attack leverages system vulnerabilities to inject malicious SQL statements into a data-driven application, which then allows the hacker to extract information from a database. Hackers use SQL Injection techniques to alter, steal or erase application's database data.
• Cross-Site Scripting (XSS): Cross Site Scripting (XSS) is a code injection attack in which an adversary inserts malicious code within a legitimate website. The code then launches as an infected script in the user’s web browser, enabling the attacker to steal sensitive information or impersonate the user. Web forums, message boards, blogs and other websites that allow users to post their own content are the most susceptible to XSS attacks.
• Malvertising: Malvertising attacks leverage many other techniques to carry out the attack. Typically, the attacker begins by breaching a third-party server, which allows the cybercriminal to inject malicious code within a display ad or some element thereof, such as banner ad copy, creative imagery or video content. Once clicked by a website visitor, the corrupted code within the ad will install malware or adware on the user’s computer.

7.Supply Chain Attack

A supply chain attack is a particular kind of cyberattack that goes after a dependable third-party provider of goods or services that the supply chain depends on. While hardware supply chain attacks compromise physical components for the same purpose, software supply chain attacks inject malicious code into an application to infect all users. Software supply chains are particularly vulnerable because modern software often uses pre-made components like third-party APIs, open-source code, and proprietary code from software vendors rather than being created from scratch.

8.Insider Threats

IT teams that only look for enemies outside the organization only get a partial picture. Insider threats are internal actors, such as current or former employees, who pose a risk to a company because they have direct access to its network, sensitive information, and intellectual property (IP), as well as knowledge of its operational procedures, corporate policies, and other details that could aid in carrying out an attack.

An organization is typically threatened by malicious internal actors. Some motivations include monetary gains from the sale of private information on the dark web and/or emotional coercion through the use of social engineering techniques. On the other hand, some insider threat actors lack malice and instead exhibit negligence. To combat this, organizations should implement a comprehensive cybersecurity training program that teaches stakeholders to be aware of any potential attacks, including those potentially performed by an insider.

9.DNS Tunnelling

Cyberattacks of the type known as "DNS Tunnelling" use the domain name system (DNS) queries and responses to get around more conventional security safeguards and send data and code across networks.

After becoming infected, the hacker is free to carry out command-and-control operations. By encoding it bit by bit in a series of DNS responses, this tunnel gives the hacker a way to spread malware and/or extract data, IP, or other sensitive information.

Due in part to their ease of use, DNS tunnelling attacks have grown in popularity in recent years. Even mainstream websites like YouTube have easy access to toolkits and guides for tunnelling.

10.Internet of Things (IoT) Attack

Any cyberattack that targets an Internet of Things (IoT) device or network is referred to as an IoT attack. Once a device has been compromised, a hacker can take over, steal data, or join other infected devices to form a botnet to carry out DoS or DDoS attacks.

In 2019, there were more than twice as many mobile network infections as there were in 2018, according to the Nokia Threat Intelligence Lab.

IoT infections are anticipated to increase as connected device numbers are anticipated to increase significantly over the coming years, according to cybersecurity experts. In addition, the rollout of 5G networks, which will encourage the use of connected devices even more, could increase the number of attacks.