Types of Cyber Security Attacks Most Common in 2024

23 September 2024

As a business owner, you probably have read or heard about cyber attacks in the news or during informal conversations with your peers and friends. But do you know about the different cyber attacks that could be targeting your business? We look at various cyber attacks - what they are and how you can protect your business.

Common Types of Cyber Attacks

1. Malware Attacks  

The most common cyber security attack is Malware - malicious software that infiltrates and corrupts computers. They may be viruses, worms, trojans and even ransomware. Sometimes malware spreads via email attachments, suspicious downloads or infected websites. When executed it can lose data, crash your system or even hold your data hostage until a ransom is paid.

• Viruses: Such programs attach themselves to legitimate files and spread through a network causing damage or disruption.
• Worms: Like viruses, worms can replicate and spread independently without a host file. They consume network resources and cause major disruptions.
• Trojans: These are disguised as harmless programs that trick users into installing them so hackers can gain unauthorised access to the system.
• Ransomware: Such malware encrypts victim's files and blocks them until a ransom is paid in cryptocurrency.  

Guard your network and devices against such pervasive threats with Managed Business Antivirus solutions that provide real-time protection and incident response for malware threats like viruses, worms, trojans and ransomware.

2. Phishing Attacks

Phishing, one of the well known types of cyber threats, is a social engineering technique where attackers impersonate trusted people to get people to divulge private information. This is done through fake emails, texts, or phone calls. Phishing attacks usually involve identity theft, financial loss or unauthorised access to secure systems.

• Email Phishing: Attackers disguise their emails as coming from banks or online services and ask recipients to click malicious links or download infected attachments.
• Spear Phishing: A more targeted type of phishing where attackers research their victims and tailor their attacks to increase the chances of success.
• Smishing and Vishing: Spear-phishing attacks using SMS (smishing) or voice calls (vishing) to trick victims into providing private information.

Businesses can detect phishing attempts more quickly with services like Computer Monitoring and Management. It monitors email traffic for suspicious patterns pointing to phishing attacks.

3. Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) Attacks

Hackers insert themselves between two parties communicating online and intercept and potentially alter the data being exchanged. It can happen during online transactions, email exchanges or even secure connections. MitM attacks could result in data theft or identity fraud/unauthorised access to sensitive information.

• Email Hijacking:Hackers access email accounts and conversations to modify or steal information.
• HTTPS Spoofing:Attackers fake SSL certificates to fool users into entering sensitive data.
• Wi-Fi Eavesdropping:Hackers exploit insecure or poorly secured Wi-Fi networks to steal data.

An IT service desk can help you out immediately in the event of a security breach by providing solutions to prevent data interception and ensure secure communications.

4. Denial-of-Service (DoS) and DDoS Attacks

DoS and DDoS attacks attempt to flood a system or network with internet traffic. It can then make a website or online service inaccessible to legitimate users. Even though most DoS attacks come from one place, there are exceptions. More complex DDoS attacks involve several compromised systems.

• Volumetric Attacks: These attacks flood the target network bandwidth with traffic that crashes or becomes unresponsive.
• Protocol Attacks: They attack by exploiting weaknesses in network protocols.
• Application Layer Attacks: Targeting the application layer of the network, these attacks overload web servers with multiple requests that are hard to distinguish from legitimate traffic.

5. SQL Injection Attacks: Manipulating Databases

SQL injection is a technique used to exploit weaknesses in data-driven applications to manipulate or extract sensitive data from Databases. Injecting malicious SQL queries into web forms or input fields allows hackers to gain unauthorised access to sensitive information, change data, or delete it'.

• Data Theft: Attackers can get customer details, financial records or intellectual property.
• Data Manipulation: Hackers can modify database entries causing chaos & possible financial loss.
• Data Deletion: Some attackers delete critical data.

Protecting Against Cyber Threats

Now that you know the most common types of cybersecurity threats, here are some essential strategies to enhance your cybersecurity posture:

• Education and Awareness: Education for yourself and your team on new cyber threats and attack methods should be ongoing. Be updated on latest cybersecurity trends and best practices.
• Strong Authentication: Add multi-factor authentication to user accounts to protect them further. It means attackers have a harder time getting unauthorised access.
• Secure Network and Devices: Make sure your network infrastructure and all devices connected to it are protected with current antivirus software and firewalls. Patch operating systems and applications frequently for known vulnerabilities.
• Backup and Recovery: Have a solid disaster recovery plan in place and regularly back up important data. This may reduce the effect of successful cyber attacks.
• Incident Response Planning: Plan out an incident response plan for handling cyber attacks effectively. This means identifying roles, communication protocols and recovery procedures.

Strengthening Your Cyber Defences Today!

With over 25 years of experience as a London IT consultancy service provider, Renaissance UK protects its clients against the many cyber attacks and threats that may occur.

We are Cyber Security & Compliance experts providing services to protect your digital assets. From Managed Business Antivirus solutions to Penetration Testing and Vulnerability Scanning - we provide customised protection.

And we don't think there is one size fits all approach to cybersecurity. Staying ahead means protecting your business from newer forms of cyber attacks and threats.