Common Cybersecurity Threats

Cybersecurity is protection from threats to your internet-connected systems. Cyberattacks occur when systems aren’t protected; cyberattackers can detect that your cybersecurity is lacking and target your systems. Staying secure will help you protect your computers, software, data, and most importantly, personal information from attacks.

Cyberattackers, hackers, and scammers are usually after one (or more) of three things when they target someone: money, personal information, or social or political influence.

System Threats

Any kind of software designed to purposefully cause damage to an internet-connected system is malware. Whoever created the malware did so to maliciously damage any system for their own purposes.

Trojan Horse

Just as the Greeks created the Trojan horse to ambush the city of Troy, cyberattackers create misleading computer programs to sneak into your system. If you think you may have downloaded trojan horse software onto your computer, do not open the program and do not run it.

Computer Worm

Computer worms replicate themselves to spread to other computers. They can corrupt the data saved to your system. They may also be programmed to send emails or messages through your accounts; the messages the computer worm sends may include links or attachments that, if opened by the recipients, will infect other computers and devices to continue the process of infecting and spreading.

Virus

Viruses are probably the most well-known cybersecurity threats. Once activated, they create copies of themselves inside other computer programs. If left unchecked, viruses can corrupt data, extract data (like your personal information), and cause system failures. Viruses are capable of completely destroying your system, meaning all of your data being lost.

Online Threats

Online threats originate and operate in the internet. Recognizing these is important in order for your system to stay operational and your information safe.

Malware-laden Websites

These websites have malware stored in them. So when you go to the webpage, it automatically downloads onto your system and infects it. These are most commonly found when trying to download illegitimate software. These are most common on online gambling sites, pirated movie and music sites, and adult content sites.

Phishing

Phishing is tricky. Phishing is often disguised as legitimate by pretending to be from a larger, reputable company. Phishing emails often try to get you to send money, give out personal information, or infect your system with malware.

Sometimes the phishing emails are personalized to one person or company. This is called “spear phishing.” These attacks are usually more convincing, so always be on the lookout for suspicious emails.

Ransomware

Ransomware encrypts your data so you can’t access or use it; once it’s encrypted, the ransomware demands money from you to get your data decrypted. You need an encryption key to decode all of your data; it’s nearly impossible to decrypt without the key, so this malware is very effective in getting the victim to pay up.

Online Scammers

Online scammers will say they’re selling something online, but when it’s been purchased, the scammer will not provide whatever it was they said they were selling. They often ask for payment through social media or personal check instead of a reputable process.

Scammers will also target (legitimate) people trying to sell things online. They will reach out to the seller and offer to pay with a cashier’s check for more than the listing price “for the inconvenience.” This is always a scam.

How can you avoid these cybersecurity threats? Back up your data. You can do this on a flash drive, external hard drive, or through an online service. If you’re downloading something, make sure it’s from a trusted source. A good rule of thumb is if it looks suspicious, don’t take the risk.