An attack vector is a path or means by which a hacker can gain access to a computer or network server to deliver a payload or malicious outcome.
Attack vectors enable malicious hackers to exploit system vulnerabilities, including end users.
Although organizations should be able to handle any incident, they should focus on those that use common attack vectors.
Although an organization can never be sure which path an attacker will take through its network, hackers typically employ a certain methodology - i.e., a sequence of stages to infiltrate a network and steal data.
The goal of attackers is to find information systems with few protections or with vulnerabilities they can exploit to access the target system.
Based on the intelligence gathered in that phase, attackers customize their tool sets to meet the specific requirements of the target network.
The attackers send the malware to the target by any intrusion method, such as a phishing email, a man-in-the-middle attack or a watering-hole attack.
The malware opens a command channel, enabling the attackers to remotely manipulate the target's systems and devices through the network.
Many types of cybersecurity attacks and incidents could result in intrusions on an organization's network.
An attacker who gains unauthorized access to an organization's network may then try to obtain higher-level privileges using what's known as a privilege escalation exploit.
A more targeted type of phishing attack known as spear phishing occurs when the attacker invests time researching the victim to pull off an even more successful attack.
A threat actor launches a denial-of-service attack to shut down an individual machine or an entire network so that it's unable to respond to service requests.
An organization can typically deal with a DoS attack that crashes a server by simply rebooting the system.
A man-in-the-middle attack is one in which the attacker secretly intercepts and alters messages between two parties who believe they are communicating directly with each other.
This is a type of injection security attack in which an attacker injects data, such as a malicious script, into content from otherwise trusted websites.
Finally, a web application firewall can monitor a network and block potential attacks.
In October 2016, another major security incident occurred when cybercriminals launched a DDoS attack on domain name system provider Dyn, which disrupted online services worldwide.
The attack hit a number of websites, including Netflix, Twitter, PayPal, Pinterest and PlayStation Network.
Even as organizations implement new security measures, attackers find ways to circumvent them.
Thirty percent of incidents were business email compromise attacks, and 12% involved inadvertent disclosure of private information.
This Cyber News was published on www.techtarget.com. Publication date: Sat, 13 Jan 2024 23:28:04 +0000