Cyber threats have become more frequent and sophisticated, resulting in financial losses for businesses and loss of customer data and reputational damage to consumers. These attacks can be a result of hacking, ransomware, malware, and more. Some attacks are the work of nation-states, and others are launched by hackers for political reasons, often called hacktivism.
Firewalls and anti-malware/anti-spyware protect systems from unauthorized access by blocking outbound communication, intercepting usernames/passwords, and detecting software code. An effective extended detection and response system integrates these solutions to provide comprehensive threat visibility across the attack surface, eliminating barriers that attackers exploit.
Phishing attacks trick users into revealing credentials or downloading malicious files. Social engineering techniques like baiting, where an attacker entices a victim with something tempting such as a free gift card or a fake alert such as the coronavirus pandemic, increase attack success rates. Once inside the network, attackers move laterally to find valuable targets and steal or corrupt data.
Ransomware attacks encrypt data and demand payment to restore access. The most common form of extortion, these attacks are highly successful, with victims experiencing their first clue that they’re at risk when they receive a demanding message asking for a large sum to regain access to their data.
Internet of things (IoT) devices, supply chains and cloud services are increasingly integrated into organizational infrastructure, making them critical targets for cyberattacks. These attacks take advantage of insecure protocols, server infrastructure and coding processes to steal data or inject malware.
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