Hackers are always looking for new ways to get their hands on your money and data, but there are a few common avenues they tend to most commonly pursue. So what are the top methods hackers use to exploit computers?
1. Phishing
Phishing is a sly form of cyberattackthat involves the impersonation of trusted entities. Social media and email are commonly used to conduct phishing attacks, with the latter vector generally being the most popular over time.
In a typical phishing scam, the attacker will send one or multiple emails asking for some kind of information. Of course, not many people would hand sensitive data over to just anyone, so attackers feign legitimacy by pretending to be an official organization. For instance, you may get an email from someone claiming to be from your bank. The email states that there’s been some unusual activity on your account, and you need to log in online to verify whether it was you. The sender provides you with a link to your bank’s login page, which you then click on and use to access your account.
To do this, you enter your login credentials into the required fields. Harmless, right?
Unfortunately, this login page is a carefully made duplicate that looks almost identical to the original page. This is designed to record your key logs, including your login information. Now, the attacker has your login credentials and can access your banking account.
It’s easy to fall for phishing attacks, especially given how sophisticated and convincing they’ve become. That’s why phishing is one of the biggest threats to individuals and businesses today.
Phishing can also be used to spread malware. For example, you may download an attachment from an email that is harboring malicious code.
2. Exploit Kits
An exploit kit is essentially a toolbox that hackers use to attack devices and networks. A typical exploit kit will work using the following steps:
- Contact the victim or host program.
2. Redirect incoming traffic to a different page.
3. Scan for any existing vulnerabilities.
- Highlight a vulnerability and exploit it.
5. Deploy the malware to carry out the attack.
Not all exploit kits are the same, and many have been made in the past. Some malicious developers even sell their exploit kits to other attackers for a fee. Fiesta, Angler, and HanJuan are all well-known examples of exploit kits that have been used to target vulnerabilities and attack users.
3. Software Vulnerabilities
Software development has come a long way over the last 50 years, but things are still far from perfect. Software bugs and vulnerabilities get left behind in a lot of programs, and sometimes take a while to identify. It’s these imperfections that cybercriminals look to exploit when carrying out an attack.
Common softwarevulnerabilities include SQL injections, poor encryption, shoddy design, and a lack of permission perimeters. An attacker could use these to access databases, gain remote control, or cause a crash.
4. Trojans
Trojan horses(or just Trojans) get their name from the Ancient Greek myth that goes by the same name. In this story, the Greek army gifted the Trojans with a large wooden horse. The Trojans saw this as a harmless structure, yet inside were hidden Greek soldiers, there to easily begin an invasion when the horse was taken into the walls of Troy.
Like the original Trojan horse, Trojans infect a computer by deceiving the user. Most Trojans hide themselves within harmless-looking apps, that a user will download without knowing they’re being targeted. This way, the Trojan can exist on the computer for an extended period of time, collecting sensitive data and even controlling the device remotely.
5. Ransomware
Ransomware attacks are among the most costly out there today, as they can squeeze huge amounts of money out of victims. A standard ransomware program will encrypt all the files on a given device, and threaten to steal and leak the locked information unless the victim pays the required ransom.
While ransomware attacks can be carried out on anybody, larger organizations are usually prime targets, given their access to larger sums of money. Sometimes, the attacker will decrypt the data after the ransom is paid, but there have been instances wherein the attacker has taken the money and left the data totally encrypted.
What’s even more concerning is that more modern ransomware programs, such as LockBit 3.0, can exfiltrate data as well as encrypt it, meaning the attacker already has all the sensitive data before the victim is even aware of the attack.
6. Wi-Fi Hacks
Wi-Fi is an integral part of our lives, and our daily reliance on it means Wi-Fi hacks are now commonplace—but they don’t all take place in the same way.
Wi-Fi hacks can come in the form of:
Public Wi-Fi is a particularly risky connection option, as it is often used by attackers to gather your traffic data. The connection between your device and the network can be infiltrated by an eavesdropper and then used directly to exploit you, or sold online to other malicious actors (which will be discussed next).
7. Dark Web Sales
The dark web is an expansive level of the internet that is known for its illegal dealings. On this platform, you may find illegal files, firearms, drugs, and stolen data for sale. A lot of thisstolen data is bought and sold by hackerslooking to make a profit from their exploits or find new exploit avenues.
The type of stolen data sold on the dark web includes:
It’s tough to know whether your information is being sold online (although some antivirus suites offer dark web monitoring). In fact, a lot of people have their online accounts compromised or their identities stolen by attackers who bought their information on a dark web marketplace.
8. Flash Drives
While cyberattacks are often carried out remotely via an online connection, some cybercriminals keep things a little more retro.
You don’t need an internet connection to be infected with malware. In fact, a simple USB drive can be used to compromise your device. Once inserted, the malware can be loaded onto the target device and can get to work stealing data, monitoring activity, or conducting functions remotely.
Of course, it’s harder to infect a device this way, as the hacker needs physical access to it. But USB drive hacks have been carried out many times before, so they’re certainly possible, and don’t require a huge amount of technical know-how.
Hacking Isn’t a Rare Occurrence
Given how reliant the world is on technology, it’s no surprise that hacks and exploits are so common. Thousands of people get targeted by hackers every day; many of these malicious attempts are successful too. It’s worth knowing how a hacker can exploit your device so that you’re able to tie up all your security loose ends and keep yourself safe.
