Cybersecurity Attacks Striking At The Heart Of The Albany Business Community
As information technology evolves, cybercriminals are becoming more sophisticated and daring. In the past few years, the business world has seen a spike in the number of attacks on both small and large businesses. Companies that take security for granted are becoming victims of various types of cybersecurity attacks.
Bad actors target businesses in various sectors to gain unauthorized access to sensitive data or disrupt operations. They exploit vulnerabilities in networks, business applications, and devices to launch debilitating attacks. According to the World Economic Forum, cybercrime is one of the significant global risks facing organizations in the private and public sectors.
For businesses to understand the risks posed by increasing cyberattacks, they need to familiarize themselves with different types of cybersecurity threats. Experts at IT firms like PNJ Technology Partners in Albany, NY, can help you identify and protect your business against a wide variety of threats.
Common Cybersecurity Threats
Here are the different types of cybersecurity attacks you should know.
1. Phishing Attacks
Many cybercriminals launch attacks using phishing as their preferred technique. This method involves fraudulent activities aimed at gaining access to sensitive information through misrepresentation. Criminals typically pose as legitimate entities or professionals to unsuspecting targets, usually via email.
These attempts allow bad actors to manipulate victims into revealing sensitive data, such as credit card details and authentication information (usernames and passwords). In many cases, criminals trick targets into clicking corrupted links. Bad actors can employ one of four main types of phishing scams: whale phishing, clone phishing, tech support phishing, and spear phishing.
2. SQL Injection Attack
This type of cyberattack poses a significant threat to database-driven websites. Cybercriminals execute an SQL query, which makes its way to a database via the input data. In most cases, attackers substitute login credentials with the SQL command. Thus, attackers take advantage of the data-plane input to compromise the security of a server.
This action enables bad actors to run predefined SQL commands. A successful SQL injection attack leads to unauthorized access to sensitive information. Criminals can delete, modify, read, steal, or update sensitive data stored in the server. The injection also permits criminals to execute administration processes, such as shutdown.
3. Malware
Malware or malicious software can infiltrate your organization’s system by attaching to genuine programming code. This type of threat can duplicate via the internet and conceal its presence in applications.
Cybercriminals deploy a wide variety of malware, including file infectors, trojans, stealth viruses, adware, logic bombs, spyware, and ransomware.
Spyware cybersecurity attacks focus on gathering information about the target. They usually collect browsing history data by illicitly tracking digital activities. A remote user receives this information and may deploy additional malicious programs via the internet.
4. AI-Powered Cybersecurity Attacks
As artificial intelligence transforms technology, cybercriminals are leveraging its capabilities to create complex and adaptive hacking tools. Machine learning (ML) poisoning and AI fuzzing are emerging as the next frontier of cyber threats due to AI capabilities.
Machine learning poisoning involves the injection of malicious instructions into an ML model. Once the injection is complete, hackers can launch successful attacks against the system. When it comes to AI fuzzing, bad actors combine traditional fuzzing techniques with artificial intelligence capabilities to develop a hacking tool that scans IT infrastructure for vulnerabilities.
5. Botnets
Cybercriminals often deploy bots to conduct cyberattacks, such as the denial of service attacks. Botnets derive strength from the numbers, which enable them to disrupt the day-to-day operations of a business. Denial of service attacks can cost an organization millions of dollars in revenue losses. Additionally, the company suffers from reputational damage and may face fines.
Botnets can serve other malicious purposes, including distributing viruses, stealing sensitive data, and spreading spam. Many cybercriminals opt to use botnets because they are effective and affordable. IT experts at PNJ Technology Partners recommend deploying a multi-layered security solution to protect your IT infrastructure from botnets.
6. Smart Contract Hacking
Online criminals have developed techniques to hack smart contracts, which come with self-executing code. Many businesses use the code generated by the smart contract programs to create processes and rules governing a blockchain application. Companies rely on contracts to conduct digital asset exchanges.
The increased use of these contracts attracted the interest of bad actors looking to compromise the integrity of blockchain applications. Smart contracts are software programs, and cybercriminals exploit bugs found in them for hacking purposes. Developers of smart contracts are still learning how to design programs with robust security.
7. Ransomware Attacks
According to recent reports, ransomware cybersecurity attacks result in the loss of billions of dollars each year. Hackers target both businesses and individuals to extort money by hijacking devices, including servers and computers. Cybercriminals demand large sums of money to restore access to IT assets. In most cases, bad actors require payment in cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin to take advantage of anonymous transactions.
As large companies invest in advanced solutions to protect IT infrastructure from ransomware attacks, criminals are diverting attention to smaller companies and individuals with poorly protected devices. If attackers receive no payments, they usually threaten to expose or delete sensitive data in the victim’s system.
Why Choose PNJ Technology Partners
Founded in 1984, PNJ Technology Partners provides a wide variety of IT services to businesses in Albany, NY, and beyond. Some of the tech services include cloud solutions, network support, visualization, cybersecurity, IT consulting, hardware maintenance, and Microsoft 365 consultancy services. The vendor helps businesses protect against a comprehensive array of cybersecurity attacks.
Its network and storage solutions enable your organization to take advantage of the latest technologies. By partnering with PNJ, you can count on the vendor to implement and configure your infrastructure. In the end, your team enjoys optimal network and device performance, which is crucial to maintain high productivity levels.
IT experts at PNJ can help you invest in the right software and hardware for your budget and operational requirements. The firm also provides ProCare help desk services to keep your systems running smoothly. Help desk support gives your team access to highly skilled technicians.
