Understanding Different Types of Hacking

When it comes to protecting your business from most types of hacking, the best defense is a good offense. Having the right protocols in place to proactively protect your business is vital to keeping your systems safe. Since developing protocols for your business comes with research, education, & the proper understanding of hacking related to your organisation, we’ve provided a set of our most commonly asked questions to get you started. 

Why am I being targeted by hackers

Most likely you are being targeted because your system has a vulnerability that can be exploited. Hackers love easy targets, so they frequently seek out small businesses that might not have the type of protocols in place that we mentioned above. Most cyber-attacks are financially motivated, so if you are being targeted, it’s because someone suspects that you have something they want (data, included). 

How many businesses are hacked each year

Hacking statistics are a tricky thing. Some businesses don’t report when they fall victim to a cyber attack. Others will report some types of hacking and not others. 

From what we do know, hacking is very common. Duke University reports that in the US, ”more than 80 percent of U.S. companies indicate their systems have been successfully hacked in an attempt to steal, change or make public important data.”

How do companies get hacked

Most of the time hackers get into a system due to human error. Many hacking techniques are designed to exploit a lack of understanding of how to prevent a security breach. 

Business Insider explains, “While some exploits are caused by insanely technical code created to dupe even the most advanced machines, more often it's simple human actions that are to blame. Even the best protection software won't help someone with unsafe online practices.”

A few examples of these types of hacks include:

Malware

Malware is the installation of intrusive software on your computer. This most commonly happens through a dangerous web or email download, and due to a lack of prevention.

Phishing

Phishing attacks center on tricking a user into revealing information in response to an email or other message. A particularly pervasive version of this is called “spear-phishing” which involves targeting an individual directly and fooling them into revealing usernames and passwords or other information.  (Read more here: What is Phishing)

Man in the Middle

Man in the Middle (MitM) attacks are a common hacking technique where a hacker places themselves in between a user and an application. Sometimes this is an eavesdropping hack, and other times it involves capturing keystrokes to gain access to computer systems.

Denial of Service

Denial of service (DoS) attacks involve taking control of a computer system and locking the rightful users out. Generally, these attacks will last until a ransom of some kind is paid. (Read more here: Denial of Service Attacks)

VoIP Hacking

We are frequently asked “can your business phone be hacked?” The simple answer is yes, it certainly can. This is especially true if you use a VoIP system as many companies do.  ZDNet reports that “hackers are exploiting unpatched VoIP flaws to compromise business accounts.”

Without the proper training and protocols in place, your business is at risk. Let our team of cybersecurity experts help you stay ahead of threats & attacks against your organisation. 

If you’re worried about your business being hacked, check out our other article covering everything you need to know about protection from hacking and learn why cybersecurity needs to be planned and implemented well in advance of an attack.

Contact StickmanCyber today to learn more about our CyberSecurity as a Service offering and our Threat Monitoring, Detection, & Response services.