5 Common Cyber Attacks to Protect Against in 2021

Cyber attacks are on the rise, and this change is mainly due to the recent pandemic; the change from offline activities to online was almost instant. This is why people did not consider their security; it was more of an afterthought, which caused people to put down their guard and forget how dangerous the online world can be.

If you want numbers to show you how terrifying common cyber attacks are, there have been almost 800,000 reports of cyber attacks in the United States alone, doubling the number from the previous year; data hacking is up 600%. Here are a few examples of major cyberattacks this year:

1. Almost everyone is connected through cloud networks; this means our personal data could easily be breached. There is currently a data breach every 11 seconds.
2. Hackers are becoming more sophisticated and have improved their techniques, and they are reaping up profits.
3. As you do all your activities online, the number of “phishing” incidents is increasing.
4. It is not only computers; phones are vulnerable as well. Especially when it comes to “Malware” attacks, Android has reported almost 500,000 new malware threats every month.

Each cyber attack is unique, which is why they are hard to counter-attack. We’ll explain five of the most common cyber attacks and how to protect yourself from them.

5 Common Cyber Attacks

1. Malware

Malware is an umbrella term for any type of malicious software that is designed to harm any device. Cybercriminals use this software to extract data from your device and use it to profit financially from you. There is so much data that can be compromised everything from your financial info, email, password, credit cards, and healthcare records the possibilities are endless.

There are the most common types of malware:

• Viruses: This is a malicious code or program that is written to change the way your computer operates, and it spreads from one computer to the other. It spreads by attaching itself to a legitimate file, so you won’t suspect it was coming. However, the moment your computer is infected by the virus, it can harm other computers connected to the same network, and they work on stealing your data, recording all your passwords, it logs keystrokes, corrupts your files, spams your email contacts, and it can even take over your device.
• Trojans: The difference between this and the malware above is that this one cannot replicate itself. The Trojan horse is software or code that looks legitimate, but once you’ve opened it up, it will disrupt, damage, and steal any of your data or network. The way they get you is by tricking you into loading the malware and running it on your device; then, it takes over.
• Worms: These computer worms transmit themselves through any software vulnerability; these come as attachments on spam emails that trick you into opening them. Once you install the malicious website that is sent to you, the worm crawls out and infects your machine without you realizing it.
• Rootkits: This malware is the toughest to detect as they remain hidden in the computer even though they are active. This malware will give hackers remote access to your computer, and they can monitor all the activity on your device, even your keystrokes.
• Adware: This malware comes in a different form, as it comes through pop-up ads. While it might not affect your device as other malware, it still affects your internet experience and causes it to lag and cause problems in the long run.2

2. Phishing

This type of common cyber attacks comes in the form of an email, and its only goal is to trick you into believing that this email is sent to you from someone you won’t suspect. This type of attack is dangerous because it comes across as a message from someone you trust, which is why it consists of about a third of all breaches making it the most reported cybercrime.

There are a couple of different types of phishing attacks:

• Email Phishing: These could be sent to random emails hackers have access to; they look legit, encouraging you to press on the URL sent.
• Smishing: This is similar to the way email phishing is; the only difference is that it targets you through SMS messages.
• Spear Phishing: This is when hackers have a specific target in mind, it is not just some random email. They have done their research beforehand.
• Whaling: This is hackers aiming for the big bucks, as they target targets that can bring in massive profit, like celebrities and large corporations.

3. Man-in-the-Middle

A shorter form is the “MITM” attack, and this is when a hacker eavesdrops on an existing conversation or data transfer without anyone realizing it. This way, the hacker is put in the “middle,” and they can intercept all the information they need from either party. At the same time, they can send malicious links to either side and work their way into any device undetected.

You can fall victim to this type of common cyber attacks in two ways

• You connect to a public WiFi network.
• A malware redirects all your web traffic to a MITM server.

There are encryption protocols like SSL and TLS that decrease the likelihood of you falling for this type of attack, but there are rare instances where they still occur.

4. Ransomware

The word ransom tells you everything you need to know about this common cyber attacks. This technique locks your computer with all the files and software in it and then holds it hostage until you pay for its release.

This attack works by using encryption that locks your device; it gets access to your computer through one of the previous common cyber attacks like phishing.

5. Password attack

This is a straightforward attack as it refers to hackers stealing your password. 81% of data breaches were because of compromised credentials, as hackers know that people do not put in the effort to put in a strong password and put in one that’s easy to remember.

The way hackers obtain your password is:

• Data breaches.
• Phishing.
• Keyloggers.
• Traffic interception.
• Hashcat.

There are so many different ways your device can get attacked, and hackers are constantly becoming more sophisticated. They are able to use different techniques to access your device, which is why you need the right tools to secure all your devices.

How to Secure Your Device?

Hackers gaining access to your device can be devastating, as there might give them insight into your personal data, including your financial info. While hackers are tech-savvy and have all the tools they need to intrude on other devices, all you need is a few simple steps to keep your device and personal data secure.

1. Check how strong your password is:

When you choose a password, always make sure it is long, as the longer a password is, the harder it is to guess. Try putting in a sentence; this way, the password will be easy to remember for you.

Avoid putting numbers or letters in chronological order, as those are always the easiest ones to guess.

2. Check if you have ever been breached:

You cannot protect yourself without knowing whether or not your data has been breached before. This is why it is essential that you go online to check which accounts have been breached and change all of those passwords.

3. Don’t trust anyone (we mean on email):

Although this sounds extreme, you are never %100 sure when it comes to the source of the email. This is why you always need to be on the lookout for any suspicious emails and malicious websites. Any interaction with those URLs could land you in trouble and give hackers access to all your data.

4. Secure your device:

There are a few ways you can do this, make sure your device is never left open and has a password. Try to avoid public networks and only connect to those you trust.

Our last piece of advice is that you use antivirus software; this software protects you from the most common cyber attacks. They are packed with different features that ensure your safety, so you won’t have to worry about your data, plus it doesn’t require you to know a lot about computers. The interface is designed to accommodate everybody.

Recommended Antiviruses

1. Intego

This software is available for both Mac and Windows users, but the Windows version isn’t as good as the Mac one. So if you have a Mac this is the antivirus for you. 

Intego offers two different macOS malware protection engines; the first is the VirusBarrier, their antivirus scanner. Second is NetBarrier, the firewall. This will keep you protected from all common cyber attacks. 

VirusBarrier can get up and running in a matter of minutes so it takes out all the complexity from installing and using antivirus software. But, it still gives you all the protection you need, plus antivirus scans, malware detection and removal, real-time protection, and scheduled scans.

On the AV-test labs, a third-party testing lab, they scored a nearly perfect score when it comes to protection.

They also have a number of different security features:

1. ContentBarrier: Which offers you parental control and filters inappropriate websites.

2. Safe Browsing: Which protects you from malicious emails and websites and even warns you if you are being phished.

3. Personal Backup: Which lets you load all your content from your external drive to another device without reinstalling any other software, which is useful when the operating system becomes faulty.

They also provide great customer support via email, phone, live chat, and a FAQ section.

75% off deals are being offered if you want to subscribe. For example, the price for a 1-year subscription was $79.99, now it is $19.99

Protect Your Device Today!

2. TotalAV

This antivirus is full of different features and tools. Not only is its antivirus software, but they also have a password manager and a VPN included.

TotalAV offers the following plans:

Antivirus Pro: This plan can provide protection on up to three devices in real-time. It also gives you a disk cleanser, cloud scanning, anti-phishing, adware, spyware protection, browser cleaner and manager, and supportive help by the customer support staff.

Internet Security: This plan can provide protection for up to five devices; it also has all the previous features and discounted prices on their VPN.

Total Security: This plan can provide protection for up to five devices with all the previous features. It also includes an ad blocker and secure password vault.

Features like a Malware Scan, Real-time protection, Anti-phishing protection, and a System tune-up are all included in the software. All thee add-ons are there to protect you from common cyber attacks. 

You can reach customer support via email, live chat, or phone if you have any issues. However, Live chat is blocked in some countries. 

The best thing about this is their price point, as they are offering $80 off the subscription price. So what was originally $99 is now $19.

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3. McAfee

McAfee is well-known in the antivirus market; they are recognized for all the different features they add to their software. This will keep your device secure from the most common cyber attacks. 

McAfee offers three plans:

1. Single Device: This supports one device. This plan will include the antivirus, VPN, performance optimizer, minimize bandwidth usage, a password manager, anti-phishing protection, McAfee shredder, Encrypted Storage, identity Protection Service.

2. Multiple Device: This supports up to five devices and includes all the previous features, plus it is compatible with multiple devices.

3. Family: This supports up to ten devices that all have the features mentioned above with a parental control feature that helps protect families with young children.

They also have other features, like a password manager and the AES 256-bit encryption. You can reach customer support via phone support, live chat, and community forum. Phone support and live chat are available around the clock.

They are currently offering 70% and 50% of deals on all of their original subscription prices. Their family plan was $124.99, and now it went down to $70. 

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