(Newswire.net — February 6, 2020) — The internet has connected people across the globe. Never was it easier to reach and catch-up with that cousin who moved to another continent after middle-school. But people who want to build connections are not the only ones gathering in cyberspace.
Some people log in with malicious intentions. Unfortunately, gullible and less experienced users are easy targets for cybercriminals. But what are the methods these people resolve to the most?
Identity Theft
Identity theft occurs when cybercriminals gather enough information to pose as someone else. They can access this information through your ID, driver’s license, social security numbers, and other documents containing private data.
Criminals use the gathered information to commit fraud, spend your money, and engage in other illegal activities using your name. The number of identity theft victims is troubling; thus many cyber insurance policies cover damages of this crime.
Hacking
The term hacking covers partial and complete control of a system that is not legally yours. The main aim of this activity is to gain access to sensitive information like credit card numbers. In most cases, hackers target corporate and government networks.
DDoS
Distributed Denial of Service is an attack on successfully running services. Once the cybercriminal takes the server offline, most people will focus on bringing it back on track. This gives them an opportunity and time to hack the system completely.
Phishing
Those who try phishing are, essentially, mimicking the work of legitimate companies. They would send thousands of emails to random people on the internet. In these emails, hackers pose as companies and ask for sensitive information such as credit card numbers and social security data.
PUP
A potentially unwanted program (PUP) is never installed directly but comes as an addition to another program. Pirated content often contains PUPs. The most common types of PUPs are malware, adware, and dialers.
Exploit Kits
Some hackers deploy kits that help them exploit potential weak spots of various web sites. Using Java or Flash, they can hack the site entirely or redirect the visitor to a malicious website.
Viruses
Computer viruses are the hacker’s favorite weapon. Skilled criminals deploy all types of viruses, malware, and Trojans to collect data from other systems or to shut it down completely.
Ransomware
Ransomware is the most destructive malware attack. These programs infect your computer and encrypt files using public-key encryption. They demand a ransom to lift the encryption.
Cyberbullying
Cyberbullying is bullying carried out through many platforms in the cyber world. World leaders and various governmental and non-governmental organizations realized the damages cyberbullying does. Therefore they are passing laws in attempts to put an end to this practice.
Safe Browsing
The internet opened the door to many businesses, technologies, and human interactions not imaginable a century ago. However, it also opened the door to many criminal opportunities and activities.
The arsenal of a cyber-criminal is vast. Their tactics and methods include creating viruses, cyberbullying, deploying ransomware. Some of them use PUPs, DDoS, or exploit kits. Some hackers rely on human mistakes, like when trying phishing or attempting identity theft.