Meet Anne. She often shops from WWJ Pink Art. She has her information like email ID,
address, and credit card details saved on the website to enable a faster and hassle-free
shopping experience. The required information is stored on a server. One day, she received
an email which stated her eligibility for a special discount voucher from Shopping Cart. In
order to receive the coupon code, she was asked to fill in her Shopping Cart account
credentials. This didn't seem fishy to her at the time as she thought it was just an account
verification step. Little did she realize the danger she would be facing. She was knocked off
her feet when a substantial amount of money was wiped off her account. How do you think
this happened? Well, yes, the email she received was fake, and Shopping Cart account
witnessed unauthorized access from a third party. This type of attack is known as a cyber
attack, and the person who carries it out is called a hacker.
Cybersecurity involves techniques that help in securing various digital components,
networks, data, and computer systems from unauthorized digital access. There are multiple
ways to implement cybersecurity, depending on the kind of network you are connected to
and the type of cyber attacks you are prone to. So, let's take a look at the various cyber
attacks Anne could have been exposed to.
Types of Cyber Attacks
Malware attack
Phishing attack
Man-in-the-middle attack
Password attack
One of the most common types of cyber attacks is a malware attack. Like Trojan, adware,
and spyware, to name a few. If Anne had downloaded any suspicious attachments online,
her system could have gotten corrupted by certain malicious viruses embedded within the
attachments.
Next is a phishing attack. The type of cyber attack which Anne experienced. The hacker
usually sends fraudulent emails, which appear to be coming from a legitimate source. This is
done to install malware or to steal sensitive data like credit card information and login
credentials.
Another type of attack is man-in-the-middle attack. Here, the hacker gains access to the
information path between Anne's device and the website's server. The hacker's computer
takes over an IP address. By doing so, the communication line between Anne and the
website is secretly intercepted. This commonly happens with unsecured Wi-Fi networks and
also through malware.
Password attack is one of the easiest ways to hack a system. Here, Anne's password could
have been cracked by using either common passwords or trying all possible alphabetical
combinations.
To prevent future cyber attacks, Anne should implement a few cybersecurity practices. First,
she installed a firewall. Second, she implemented honey pots. In addition to these, she also
decided to use unique alphanumeric passwords, antivirus software, and started avoiding
mails from unknown senders.
address, and credit card details saved on the website to enable a faster and hassle-free
shopping experience. The required information is stored on a server. One day, she received
an email which stated her eligibility for a special discount voucher from Shopping Cart. In
order to receive the coupon code, she was asked to fill in her Shopping Cart account
credentials. This didn't seem fishy to her at the time as she thought it was just an account
verification step. Little did she realize the danger she would be facing. She was knocked off
her feet when a substantial amount of money was wiped off her account. How do you think
this happened? Well, yes, the email she received was fake, and Shopping Cart account
witnessed unauthorized access from a third party. This type of attack is known as a cyber
attack, and the person who carries it out is called a hacker.
Cybersecurity involves techniques that help in securing various digital components,
networks, data, and computer systems from unauthorized digital access. There are multiple
ways to implement cybersecurity, depending on the kind of network you are connected to
and the type of cyber attacks you are prone to. So, let's take a look at the various cyber
attacks Anne could have been exposed to.
Types of Cyber Attacks
Malware attack
Phishing attack
Man-in-the-middle attack
Password attack
One of the most common types of cyber attacks is a malware attack. Like Trojan, adware,
and spyware, to name a few. If Anne had downloaded any suspicious attachments online,
her system could have gotten corrupted by certain malicious viruses embedded within the
attachments.
Next is a phishing attack. The type of cyber attack which Anne experienced. The hacker
usually sends fraudulent emails, which appear to be coming from a legitimate source. This is
done to install malware or to steal sensitive data like credit card information and login
credentials.
Another type of attack is man-in-the-middle attack. Here, the hacker gains access to the
information path between Anne's device and the website's server. The hacker's computer
takes over an IP address. By doing so, the communication line between Anne and the
website is secretly intercepted. This commonly happens with unsecured Wi-Fi networks and
also through malware.
Password attack is one of the easiest ways to hack a system. Here, Anne's password could
have been cracked by using either common passwords or trying all possible alphabetical
combinations.
To prevent future cyber attacks, Anne should implement a few cybersecurity practices. First,
she installed a firewall. Second, she implemented honey pots. In addition to these, she also
decided to use unique alphanumeric passwords, antivirus software, and started avoiding
mails from unknown senders.
