Cyber attacks have a tremendous negative impact. Attacked companies suffer financial losses, reduced customer trust, and damaged reputations.
To curb cyber attacks, companies must implement adequate cyber security. Cyber security can protect networks, computer systems and their components from unauthorized and unwanted digital access.
Cyber attacks certainly have a “mastermind”. So, who has the potential to attack a company’s IT system?
Hackers (hackers)
Hackers are individuals or groups who try to gain unauthorized access to computer systems. This most formidable enemy in the field of IT security poses a significant threat to companies because:
- Have in-depth knowledge of computer systems, networks, programming languages, and cyber security tools
- Using various methods to compromise IT security
- Persistent and adaptable to exploit weaknesses in company IT systems
- Has global reach so can launch attacks from anywhere, making it difficult for companies to defend against attacks effectively
- Can collaborate with other criminals to increase attack success
Hacktivists
Hacktivists are individuals or groups who hack computer systems as a form of activism or protest to promote a social or political agenda. The types of attacks they usually carry out are DDos attacks, data breaches, and website/app defacement.
Insiders
Trusted insiders, such as employees, are often overlooked IT security threats. They can steal data, exploit weaknesses, disrupt operations, carry out sabotage, and even collude with outside parties relatively easily because they have knowledge and legal access to the company’s IT system. Their insider status makes detecting attacks difficult because their actions appear normal at a glance.
Government actors (Nation-state actors)
Nation-state actors are government-sponsored institutions or entities, such as intelligence agencies or military units. The targets of their attacks are countries, organizations or individuals for political, economic or military purposes. Some of the “attack” activities they carry out are espionage, sabotage and cyber warfare.
Business competitors
Competing companies or organizations may attempt to gain access to proprietary information or interfere with operations to gain a competitive advantage. They can steal intellectual property, disrupt operations, and attack supply chains to the company’s direct detriment.
They can also disrupt company stability by carrying out phishing and social engineering to trick employees into providing sensitive information, for example login credentials or financial data. Business competitors may also bribe or threaten employees to provide access to the company’s IT structure.
Script kiddies
Script kiddies are amateur individuals who use ready-made hacking tools or scripts to launch cyber attacks. They don’t fully understand the technology or have a specific motivation behind their actions. Nevertheless, the attacks carried out cannot be underestimated. The reason is, attacks from script kiddies can cause the spread of malware, data breaches, and server DDoS.
To protect against these potential threats, a comprehensive approach to cyber security is required, including implementing strong access controls, regularly updating software and security patches, conducting employee training and awareness programs, implementing intrusion detection and prevention systems, and conducting audits and assessments. security regularly.
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