The 21st century isn't devoid of crypto-based ransomware attacks, cloud-based globally distributed service shutdowns, and other forms of cyberattacks.
The main underlying problem is that enterprises and individuals alike are equally impacted by these attacks. And if you want to protect your business from cyberattacks, you need to be aware of some of the most common cyberattacks prevailing in the business world.
These top nine types of cyberattacks will give you an idea of what's prevalent in the market and what you need to look out for before opening any malicious links or files.
1. Phishing
Socially engineered phishing attacks hook you with fake messages that often convey undue urgency while prompting users for immediate actions.
Some common examples of phishing attacks include authentic-looking social media login updates, e-commerce payment updates, payment gateway messages, Microsoft 365 account action messages, and many more.
Verizon's 2021 cybersecurity report confirmed that 96% of phishing attacks occur by email, while 3% occur by (smishing or SMS attacks) and 1% by vishing (telephone attacks).
Spear phishing (targeted business user attacks) and whaling (random hunting victims in a group) have increased during the pandemic.
2. Malware
In 2021, malware caused 61% of business-oriented cyber-attacks, as reported by Comparitech.
Suppose you're a business user based out of the US or UK. In that case, you need to worry about your cybersafety and how best to implement strategies to prevent malware-based attacks.
In 2022, malware is sophisticated enough to spread from employee to employee while entirely crippling organizations with data theft and ransomware. Nonetheless, on the whole, malware attacks have declined for the first time since 2016.
Google reports that of 2.195 million compromised websites listed in its 2021 transparency report, only 27,000 were a result of malware.
3. DNS Tunneling
DNS tunneling exploits your data network via DNS query and response packets. DNS tunneling allows the attacker to revert genuine host requests from your server to unscrupulous, unverified channels.
Infiltrators further spread malware from the infected terminal that bypass TCP/UDP connections, send commands, and upload data to the remote command and control center.
Hackers commit DNS tunneling attacks by encoding sensitive data in the DNS query's hostname label. Subsequently, the server sends the encoded data into the Resource Record of a DNS Response Packet.
Cyberattackers embed DNS tunneling scripts on your system via spear-phishing or whaling attacks. Attackers further use DNS inquiry reaction conventions to activate the IP stack.
4. Rootkits
Rootkit attacks are another cyberattack to worry about, mainly when dealing with confidential data. According to Help Net Security, data espionage continues to be the primary motivator in 77% of all rootkit-related crimes.
Hackers mostly commit cyber espionage and data harvesting to intercept traffic or infect higher systems. Investigative forays into social engineering indicate that independent users, business or otherwise, account for 56% of the attacks.
One in every four rootkit attacks targets telecommunications services, thereby creating a vast pool of victims. A cybersecurity firm stated that rootkit attacks mainly target government agencies.
Well-organized APT groups are likely to target specific individual users to infect connected systems than for financial gain.
However, governmental data breaches can have devastating consequences like losing control over civic infrastructure, power plants, electricity grids, as has been the case recently.
5. Internet of Things (IoT) Attacks
As reported by CompTIA, 25% of all business-oriented attacks result from IoT-driven intentions. This technology is pivotal in maintaining and hosting civic services, utilities, commercial services, healthcare, retail, and many others.
You may depend on it for Big Data analytics and insights in various departments in business contexts. This makes IoT security imperative for every organization undergoing a digital transformation.
Vigilance and security hygiene adherence is a must-have for business users. You can start by investing in skilled IT security personnel and sound IoT endpoint defense tools.
Integrating IoT with machine learning & AI, Big Data, Telecom, and other technologies project IoT security to become an $18.6 billion market in 2022.
6. Cross-Site Scripting
You may find a reason to put cross-site scripting attacks on your watchdog list. They are dependent on socially engineered attacks to steal data and credentials stored on your system.
Hackers can perform a series of such attacks by using cookies, IP details, etc. These forgeries (XSRF) are more enhanced as they steal security information, digital access, PII, and PHI using GET, POST, and other HTTP-driven methods.
XSRF attacks can waylay you into compromising entire business networks and applications. It can also infect commercial web services, as evidenced by the TikTok XSRF attack of 2020.
XSRF attacks have attacked services like YouTube, ING Direct, and anti-virus software developers, like McAfee, in the past.
7. SQL Injection
Your business applications may be in jeopardy from SQL injection attacks. They target your web databases for data theft and remote C&C over your business web-ops.
Targeted SQL injection attacks have rocked high-profile enterprise data systems in the recent past. They can serve as the entry point for attacks on other databases on the same server.
SQL injections are one of the oldest cyberattack formats prevalent to date. Up until 2019, they were the basis for 65% of all cyber-attacks, according to a study by Akamai.
They specifically target network points with poor authentication/firewall standards, weak credentials, poor web hygiene, lack of user awareness, outdated security software definitions and certificates, and much more.
8. Man-in-the-Middle Attack
Man-in-the-middle attacks pry on digital or software activity to steal data. They can either steal data as a silent eavesdropper or impersonate you to steal your business data.
Small-scale MITM attacks focus more on login data theft, financial data theft, and basic user information theft. You can expect MITM attacks to eye your business web services, BI, and SaaS on an enterprise scale.
Man-in-the-middle cyberattacks have seen a massive spike in the last couple of years. In the wake of WFH scenarios, India reported a whopping 52% of enterprises facing man-in-the-middle attacks once the pandemic started, according to The Financial Express.
9. Denial-of-Service (DDoS) Attack
According to Cloudflare's report, a 29% year-over-year and 175% quarter-on-quarter increase was reported in Level 3 and 4 DDoS attacks targeting your business's distributed systems, network, and logistic layers.
DDoS attacks are the unsavory front-runners of this list. DDoS attackers are transitioning to intermittent, short-lasting attacks, with 98% of Q4 attacks lasting barely under an hour.
Your enterprise needs to prepare a vigilant endpoint-to-endpoint strategy against such attacks. These might include testing your enterprise network defenses before an enormous breach.
DDoS attacks opt to jam business web traffic volume or packet rates to overwhelm their infrastructure and services. It would be best to be wary against the recent uptake in SNMP, MSSQL, and UDP-based DDoS attacks.
Top Cyberattacks to Look Out For
Different cyberattacks can have varied impacts on organizations. Nonetheless, what's really important to note is the intensity of the attacks, as the duration to curb them will also vary accordingly.
However, cyberattacks in any shape, form, and size can be extremely harmful to organizations and enterprises alike, making them a top-class threat for everyone out there.