With a DoS attack, the target site gets flooded with illegitimate requests. Because the site has to respond to each request, its resources get consumed by all the responses. This makes it impossible for the site to serve users as it normally does and often results in a complete shutdown of the site.
DoS and DDoS attacks are different from other types of cyber attacks that enable the hacker to either obtain access to a system or increase the access they currently have. With these types of attacks, the attacker directly benefits from their efforts. With DoS and DDoS network attacks, on the other hand, the objective is simply to interrupt the effectiveness of the target's service. If the attacker is hired by a business competitor, they may benefit financially from their efforts.
A DoS attack can also be used to create vulnerability for another type of attack. With a successful DoS or DDoS attack, the system often has to come offline, which can leave it vulnerable to other types of attacks. One common way to prevent DoS attacks is to use a firewall that detects whether requests sent to your site are legitimate. Imposter requests can then be discarded, allowing normal traffic to flow without interruption. An example of a major internet attack of this kind occurred in February 2020 to Amazon Web Services (AWS).
In a MITM attack, the two parties involved feel like they are communicating as they normally do. What they do not know is that the person actually sending the message illicitly modifies or accesses the message before it reaches its destination. Some ways to protect yourself and your organization from MITM attacks is by using strong encryption on access points or to use a virtual private network (VPN).
To execute the attack, the bad actor may send a link that brings you to a website that then fools you into downloading malware such as viruses, or giving the attacker your private information. In many cases, the target may not realize they have been compromised, which allows the attacker to go after others in the same organization without anyone suspecting malicious activity.
You can prevent phishing attacks from achieving their objectives by thinking carefully about the kinds of emails you open and the links you click on. Pay close attention to email headers, and do not click on anything that looks suspicious. Check the parameters for “Reply-to” and “Return-path.” They need to connect to the same domain presented in the email.
If a targeted “whale” downloads ransomware, they are more likely to pay the ransom to prevent news of the successful attack from getting out and damaging their reputation or that of the organization. Whale-phishing attacks can be prevented by taking the same kinds of precautions to avoid phishing attacks, such as carefully examining emails and the attachments and links that come with them, keeping an eye out for suspicious destinations or parameters.
Often, a spear-phishing attack uses email spoofing, where the information inside the “From” portion of the email is faked, making it look like the email is coming from a different sender. This can be someone the target trusts, like an individual within their social network, a close friend, or a business partner. Attackers may also use website cloning to make the communication seem legitimate. With website cloning, the attacker copies a legitimate website to lull the victim into a sense of comfort. The target, thinking the website is real, then feels comfortable entering their private information.
Similar to regular phishing attacks, spear-phishing-attacks can be prevented by carefully checking the details in all fields of an email and making sure users do not click on any link whose destination cannot be verified as legitimate.
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