The Next Step in Your Cybersecurity Journey

In our last post, we discussed the CIA Triad, the foundation of cybersecurity. Now, we’ll examine how these fundamental principles are violated by the most common types of cyber attacks. Just as a security guard knows where threats can come from, understanding our enemies in the digital world is the first step to protecting ourselves.

1. Phishing: The Most Common Form of Social Engineering

Phishing is a social engineering tactic where cyber attackers try to trick you into revealing personal information (passwords, credit card numbers, etc.) through deceptive emails, messages, or websites.

  • How it works: It often starts with a deceptive message that appears to be from a trustworthy source, like a bank, a popular e-commerce site, or a social media platform.
  • How to protect yourself: Always check the sender’s email address. Never click on unknown links or download files from suspicious emails.

2. Malware: A Digital Nightmare

Malware is any software designed to harm computer systems, steal information, or gain unauthorized access. Common types include viruses, Trojans, and ransomware.

  • How it works: A virus can replicate and spread, damaging files on your computer. Ransomware can encrypt your files, demanding payment for their release.
  • How to protect yourself: Use reliable antivirus software. Keep your software and operating system up to date.

3. DDoS (Distributed Denial-of-Service): The Greatest Foe of Availability

A DDoS attack aims to overwhelm a website or server with a flood of fake traffic, making the service unavailable. This attack directly violates the Availability principle we discussed earlier.

  • How it works: The attacker uses a network of infected computers (a botnet) to send thousands or millions of requests to the target site at once. The server can’t handle the load and crashes.
  • How to protect yourself: Use a reputable web hosting provider and consider using DDoS protection services.

Conclusion and Next Steps

Knowing about cyber attack types is a crucial step in increasing your cybersecurity awareness. Remember, the strongest defense is knowledge. In our next post, we will cover simple but effective methods and tools we can use to protect ourselves from these attacks.