11 most common types of cybersecurity threats
A cyberattack is a deliberate and malicious attempt to breach a secure server or database with the intent to steal data. Often, attackers demand ransom or leak confidential information to bad actors.
The most common methods used to carry out cyberattacks include:
1. Malware
Malware is one of the most common computer security threats. Malware attacks are malicious software or code designed to harm a system and render it inoperable. Malware can steal, corrupt, and even encrypt your files. This malicious software attacks an operating system by injecting it with viruses, trojans, spyware, or ransomware.
Almost every cyberattack involves some sort of malware. In March 2024, Fujitsu Japan servers were attacked with sophisticated malware that bypassed the security walls, compromising sensitive data.
Spyware is another type of malware that gathers sensitive personal information, including health data, passwords, credentials, and credit card numbers. It’s a silent cyberattack in which the hacker receives the data without the victim’s knowledge.
Unfortunately, malware attacks are relatively easy to execute and hide. Attackers can build custom malware to steal information, infect computer systems, and disrupt critical infrastructure.
2. Phishing
Phishing scams have been around for decades, yet they constantly evolve to employ more sophisticated methods. At its core, phishing is about tricking users into revealing their sensitive information or wiring money. Hackers pretend to be trustworthy, posing as colleagues, officials, or friends to lure victims through messages or emails. Sophisticated attacks also include fake calendar invites and malicious QR codes.
Phishing messages usually contain a fake link that redirects to malicious websites, where victims must enter their email and password to log in. All the information entered on the fake website or app goes to the attacker.
Phishing attacks can be hard to spot as hackers use emails and websites that closely mirror the format and structure of authentic businesses.
3. Distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks
DDoS attackers overwhelm a website or an operating system by sending it massive amounts of traffic. This traffic slows down servers and renders the online service unavailable to legitimate users. DDoS attacks use botnets (a network of malware-infected bots or devices) to bombard fake traffic to servers or networks. Attackers may also flood the target server with multiple fake connection requests, forcing the target website or application to time out.
While DDoS attacks may not directly pose cybersecurity risks, they can result in reputational damage. The large volume of malware-infected traffic can cripple a computer network or cause a system crash.
4. Man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks
Man-in-the-middle attack is a digital form of eavesdropping. In an MITM attack, hackers place themselves between the user and the server. For instance, if you are trying to send money online, MITM attackers can manipulate the data flow and redirect you to malicious servers. They may intercept the SSL session by presenting the user with a forged certificate. Once the user accepts the certificate, attackers can decrypt and access the victim’s data.
MITM attacks are usually launched on unsecured Wi-Fi networks, making it easier to disrupt the connection. An MITM attack can involve different types of cyberattacks, including:
- Session hijacking to gain unauthorized access to a web server.
- Intercepting and duplicating communication between two parties through a replay attack.
- IP spoofing to impersonate the source address.
- Sending unsolicited files via Bluetooth.
In 2019, hackers pulled off a sophisticated MITM attack to make a Chinese venture capital (VC) firm shell out $1 million meant for a startup. They intercepted the communication between the VC firm and the startup and created two lookalike domains to deceive both parties.
5. Social engineering attacks
Social engineering attacks psychologically manipulate users to perform certain actions. These actions may include sharing personal information, buying gift cards, subscribing to fake services, or wiring money. Phishing is one of the most common types of social engineering attacks, and there are other similar attacks as well:
- Spear phishing: A type of phishing attack where hackers target a specific person or entity.
- Vishing: Voice phishing attacks trick users into revealing personal and financial information over phone calls.
- Honey trapping: Attackers assume a fake identity to interact with the target user online and get them to reveal personal information.
- Catfishing: Attackers use other people’s photos and videos to gain trust to scam a victim.
NordVPN’s survey of 1,000 Americans shows how widespread social engineering attacks are. 48% of the respondents said they received suspicious emails with links and attachments asking for their personal information, while 37% received malicious messages asking them to divulge work or business-related information.
6. Scams
An online scam is any fraudulent activity designed to steal your information or money. It is another type of social engineering attack in which hackers try to gain a victim’s trust before defrauding them.
Scams are one of the most prevalent cybersecurity risks because they don’t require any technical skills to carry out. Some of the scams you may encounter include:
- Bogus tech support.
- Online dating scams.
- Crypto scams.
- Bogus IRS calls.
- Postal scams, asking you to “reschedule your parcel delivery.”
- Advance-fee fraud.
An Abu Dhabi businessman lost $20,000 in a cryptocurrency scam. The attacker, assuming the identity of the victim’s previous crypto vendor, created a fake story of working at a reputed organization. The victim invested $20,000 with the hopes of seeing hefty returns. But as you can easily guess, the money vanished.
7. Ransomware
In a ransomware attack, hackers inject malware into a victim’s device and encrypt files, then demand a large sum of money to restore access to the files.
According to the Threat Landscape 2022 report by the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA), ransomware was a leading cyber threat in 2021 and 2022.
In May 2021, a gang called DarkSide launched one of the largest ransomware cyberattacks on the USA’s Colonial Pipeline. The attackers gained access to the pipeline management system, causing significant disruptions. Even though the company involved the FBI, they still had to shell out $4.4 million to regain system access.
Luckily, you can learn how to prevent ransomware attacks or at least minimize their impact. One solution is to back up your data and store it offline in a read-only format.
8. Zero-day attacks
A zero-day attack is an IT security threat in software or hardware that is yet to be discovered by its developers. The term “zero-day” refers to both vulnerabilities and exploits. It means that the software developers have been aware of the problem for zero days, and since the software is already in use, the developers have had zero days to patch the vulnerability.
A vulnerability can be anything from a bug to missing encryptions and authorizations. It’s one of the most common types of cybersecurity threats used on high-value targets. For example, zero-day attackers can cut off the water and power supply of a smart building or lock out its occupants using security flaws in the software before the developers have had a chance to patch it.
Earlier this year, 2024, Google sent an emergency update in response to a new zero-day vulnerability in the Google Chrome web browser. An anonymous report highlighted a critical bug affecting JavaScript and WebAssembly engines.
9. Password attacks
There’s a good reason why websites regularly prompt you to update your password. Password breaches are one of the most common cybersecurity risks. Cybercriminals employ a brute-force attack to guess or steal your login credentials. They run automated scripts for password cracking that try out every possible password combination to find the right match. Cybercriminals might also try to trick you into revealing your credentials by sending you to fraudulent websites.
Such attacks are relatively simple to launch and are successful when users set weak passwords and reuse the same passwords for multiple accounts.
10. Injection attacks
In a command injection attack, hackers input malicious code into existing programs or use malware to execute commands remotely. Applications that don’t have correct input data validation are prone to this type of cyber threat.
Attackers can access databases and change website or application data using two types of injection attacks: structured query language (SQL) and cross-site scripting (XSS). SQL code injection attacks place malicious code in SQL statements, while XSS executes scripts into the code of a popular application or website. Websites with poor coding and outdated software are more susceptible to these attacks.
11. Internet of Things (IoT) attacks
An IoT system can be embedded in physical objects like vehicles and buildings, enabling it to collect and process data. As the demand for IoT grows, so do the associated cybersecurity risks.
An unsecured IoT device has exposed endpoints that hackers can use to access the network, leading to potential service disruption, data theft, or IoT attacks on other devices.
Hackers exploit the IoT devices’ weak security, which makes this attack relatively easy and popular. One of the possibilities includes launching a DDoS attack, turning the IoT devices into botnets.
The Mirai botnet was one of the largest cybersecurity threats launched using an IoT botnet. The attack brought down several internet services and platforms, including X, Guardian, Netflix, and Reddit.
What are the most common sources of cyberattacks?
Cybercriminal groups, hackers, and hacktivists exploit cybersecurity vulnerabilities for different purposes. Some are looking for financial gain, while others have malicious intent to leak or sell data. Hacktivists execute these attacks to leak hidden agendas by public and private entities.
How to protect yourself from cybersecurity attacks
Cybersecurity risks and threats may seem complex, but taking precautionary steps can keep your data safe.
- Check the sender’s email address before opening any emails, and avoid clicking on links from unknown senders.
- Set unique and complex account passwords while ensuring no two accounts have the same password.
- Add an extra layer of security wherever possible, including multi-factor authentication (MFA) to prevent unauthorized access.
- Avoid public Wi-Fi networks, especially at airports and other public areas.
- Don’t charge your phone at public USB charging stations, as hackers can inject malware through them.
- Be cautious of offers and deals that seem too good.
- Avoid sites that don’t have HTTPS certificates.
- Update the antivirus software on your phone and laptop regularly.
- Use a VPN to encrypt your traffic while browsing the internet.
NordVPN and cybersecurity
A VPN, or virtual private network, can prevent data snooping by changing your public IP address and encrypting online traffic. With NordVPN’s Threat Protection Pro, you can block malicious websites, stop web trackers, and detect risky applications on your device.
Our Threat Protection Pro feature is a powerful suite of tools that scans downloads for malware and uses the threat intelligence to keep you safe from cyberattacks.
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