Methods to protect against cyberattacks: Approaching security in a comprehensive way

In the modern world of digital technology and Internet, cyberattacks have become a serious security threat for private users, corporations and government agencies. Risks vary from stealing personal data and financial fraud to complex attacks on critical infrastructure. Given this, we need comprehensive Internet security solutions and methods to protect against cyberattacks, including technical, organizational and legal measures. Below, we will discuss these methods and look into what every user can do today to minimize the risk of falling victim to fraudsters and hackers.

Cyberattacks may vary in form, with each being designed to achieve specific malicious purposes. Understanding various types of attacks will help you be better prepared for protection. Here are the most common types of threats:

1. Phishing. This is a social engineering method intended to deceive users in order to obtain their sensitive data. Phishing attacks usually use email, but also can use other communication channels, such as SMS or social media.

Types of phishing:

• Classic phishing. Bulk mailing of messages with false links leading to fake websites where users enter their sign-in credentials.
• Spear phishing. A targeted attack on specific individuals or entities. Attacks are prepared carefully and attackers may use information about the victims to enhance the effectiveness of the scam.
• Vishing. Phishing using phone calls where scammers try to obtain sensitive information posing as employees of banks or other legitimate organizations.
• Smishing. Phishing using SMS messages with links to malicious websites or a request to respond to the message, swindling victims’ personal information under one pretext or another.

2. Malicious software (malware). This includes programs designed to damage, gain unauthorized access to, or disrupt the normal operation of, computers and networks. Malware can be introduced by several methods, including downloads from websites, infected email attachments, or exploits of vulnerabilities.

Types of malware:

• Viruses. These are self-replicating programs that attach themselves to files and spread to other computers.
• Worms. Stand-alone programs that spread across networks without user intervention.
• Trojans. Programs that disguise themselves as legitimate software but contain malicious functions.
• Spyware. Programs that collect information about the user without their knowledge or consent.
• Ransomware. Programs that encrypt user data and demand money for decryption.
• Rootkits. Programs that hide the presence of malware on a computer and provide unauthorized access to data.

3. DDoS attacks. Aimed at disabling a system by overloading it with requests, DDoS attacks are usually launched with the help of botnets — networks of hacked computers that are controlled by attackers.

Types of DDoS attacks:

• Application layer attacks. Overloading a particular service or application with a large number of requests.
• Protocol layer attacks. Exploiting vulnerabilities in network protocols, such as TCP/IP, to overload resources.
• Network layer attacks. Generation of traffic in excess of the network capacity.

4. Zero-day attacks. These use vulnerabilities in software that have not yet been detected or fixed by the developers. Protections against cyberattacks of this type may appear after users have suffered significant damages; therefore such attacks are a greater threat.

Zero-day attacks feature:

• Unexpected nature. Software developers and users are not aware of vulnerabilities in advance.
• High risk. Zero-day attacks can be used to compromise critical systems before they are detected and stopped.

5. Insider threats. These come from either current or former employees who have access to sensitive data. They can be intentional or unintentional, but in any case they pose a serious threat.

Types of insider threats:

• Malicious insiders. Employees acting from mercenary or malicious motives.
• Negligent insiders. Employees who make mistakes or neglect security measures.
• Dismissed employees. Former employees who retain access to systems and use it to the detriment of the company.

6. Social engineering. This involves the use of psychological manipulation to obtain sensitive data or access to systems. Social engineering attacks may target both individual users and groups of people.

Social engineering methods:

• Pretexting. Creating a fictitious scenario for obtaining information from the victim.
• Scripts. Composing plausible stories for obtaining access to systems or data.
• Harassment. Putting psychological pressure on the victim in order to gain access to sensitive data.

Therefore, protection against cyberattacks of any kind must be comprehensive, well-thought-out and constantly improved to meet new challenges. The most important measures are discussed below.

Methods to protect against cyberattacks may vary and often complement each other. Some measures include the following:

1. Technical protections.

• Antivirus software. Using antivirus software to detect and remove malware. It is worth noting that modern antivirus programs use heuristic methods for detecting new and unknown threats.
• Firewalls and intrusion prevention systems (IPS). These monitor incoming and outgoing traffic, preventing unauthorized access to the network. Intrusion prevention systems analyze the network traffic and block suspicious activity.
• Software updates. Regular updating of operating systems and applications is essential for fixing vulnerabilities. The importance of timely patch management cannot be overstated, because many attacks use vulnerabilities that are already known.
• Data encryption. This protects data both in storage and transit, making them useless for attackers if intercepted.
• Multi-factor authentication (MFA). Using two or more authentication factors significantly increases security, reducing the likelihood of unauthorized access.

2. Organizational protections.

• Security policies. The development and implementation of security policies to govern the use of information resources are a must for any company who wants their systems for protection against cyberattacks and threats to be effective. These policies must contain rules for the use of passwords, handling sensitive data, and incident response protocols. Experts from SEVEN SENSES will help you draft a relevant and reliable security policy for your business as a separate service.
• Staff training. Regular training of employees in the basics of cybersecurity, including recognition of phishing emails and safe online behavior, is also a must. User awareness is key to the prevention of social engineering attacks. You can use our Penetration Test service to test your employees for susceptibility to psychological manipulation that may lead to hacks and data breaches.
• Risk assessment. Risk assessment and security system audits to find vulnerabilities and devise remediation actions should be conducted on a regular basis. This should be done by both in-house and third-party experts. You can also ask us for help with this.
• Access control. This involves restricting access to sensitive data on a least privilege basis, meaning that in such a system users only can access the resources they need for performing their job duties.

3. Legal protections.

• Compliance with laws and regulations. You have to comply with legal requirements for data protection, such as GDPR in Europe or HIPAA in the United States. These laws establish standards for personal data processing and protection.
• Contracts with suppliers. You should have contracts with service providers to stipulate cybersecurity requirements. Contracts should contain provisions on data protection and responsibility for loss of data.
• Incident management. This involves developing incident response plans and testing them on a regular basis. The plans must include procedures for notifying stakeholders and disaster recovery plans for systems and data.

Thus, countering cyberattacks is a complex and versatile process both for individual users and businesses. It should cover each and every aspect of data handling, from protecting banking information against cyberattacks to the ability to resist psychological manipulation. Some things in this case are best resolved with the help of professionals. As mentioned earlier, this involves creating general principles of IT systems security and protection of business applications against cyberattacks, and other important aspects. But there is something that every user can do today to protect themselves. These measures are easy to implement, but nevertheless they can prevent a lot of problems.

The following protections need to be deployed by each and every user: 

1. Use reliable passwords. This is a very simple and yet very effective way to protect yourself against cyberattacks. It is advisable that your password has at least 12 characters, including digits, uppercase and lowercase letters, and special characters. It is also important that you use unique passwords for different accounts to prevent hacking all if one is compromised.
2. Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA). MFA requires additional identity verification, for example, by SMS, email or an app authenticator. This considerably complicates the hacking process. Set up MFA on all accounts that support it, including email, social media, and bank apps.
3. Update software. Updating your operating system and applications regularly will help fix known vulnerabilities that may be used by scammers. Enable automatic updates for all devices and apps to use the latest versions at all times.
4. Be careful with email. Check the sender’s address carefully, especially if the email contains suspicious links or attachments. Never provide personal information in response to requests by email, even if they seem legitimate. Enable anti-spam filters on your email client to reduce the number of malicious emails.
5. Protect your devices. Install reliable antivirus software and update its databases on a regular basis. Enable hard disk encryption on all devices to protect data in case of their loss or theft.
6. Regularly create backups of important data on external drives or in cloud storages. Store them in different places to minimize the risk of loss.
7. Use protected connection. In particular, use a VPN to protect your Internet traffic, especially when you connect to public Wi-Fi networks. In addition, it is useful to check that websites where you enter your personal information use a secure connection (HTTPS).
8. Improve your awareness on a continuous basis. Read articles and blogs about cybersecurity to constantly expand your knowledge and improve your skills.  Of course, be attentive to any suspicious activity or messages on the Internet and always check their authenticity.

Thus, cybersecurity and protection against current threats require vigilance and regular implementation of various protection measures. Following the recommendations listed above will help you significantly mitigate the risk of losing sensitive information, hacks, and other attacks that may have critical consequences.

In general, it is important to keep in mind that security in the digital space is an ongoing process that requires constant focus and improvement. Of course, you can address this on your own or engage a large number of contractors. But the simplest and yet reliable method is to turn to experts who will fully think out and implement an effective security architecture for you and your business. This is what we do in SEVEN SENSES and we are always willing to provide you with comprehensive support.