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Most Common Types of Network Security Attacks and Preventions

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Most Common Types of Network Security Attacks and Preventions

Network Security Attacks can be classified as some of the massive destructors for the IT Sector or any business that is running most of its work online. That’s because nobody knows when they will get victimized by a network security attack.

Every year several casualties come to hear in the headlines of the newspaper like – “Anonymous Company victimized in the anonymous Network Security Attacks.” In such cases, organizations must bear the loss of a huge mass of data in one go.

After the incident, they get a message from the perpetrator for ransom money. For such cases, organizations hire professional network security experts to resolve the issue of open security ports for the attackers, so the adversary won’t be able to attack and snatch access from authorized users.

What is a network attack?

Now the biggest question is what is a network security attack. It’s a kind of malicious attempt by unauthorized users to get access to the network resources of an individual/ a company. A lot of ways are there to get this done. Some of them are

  1. Exploiting Security Flaws in the Network Infrastructure,
  2. Stealing User Credentials, and
  3. Many more.

It’s one of the most common online attacks that happens online. However, it can cause an individual or an organization to bear losses, such as follows.

  1. Data Theft,
  2. Unauthorized Access, and
  3. Destruction of Data.

Types of Network Security Attacks

Following are some of the popular types of Network Security Attacks:

1.Denial of Service (DoS)

It’s a kind of cyber attack that is specially customized to cause disruption to a service/ network by flooding it with overwhelming traffic, which makes it impossible for the actual users to use it in times of need.

The objective behind this attack is to load the network with requests so that the operations can’t be taken care of in time. Moreover, DoS Attacks can be used to victimize a single system or multiple systems.

 2.Man-in-the-Middle Attack

It’s a kind of tricky attack where the imposter tries to imitate both parties who are having a conversation. The imposter tries to listen to both parties and get information from their conversation by answering both of their questions.

This way, both party don’t get the clue of having the imposter between their conversation. The adversary gets to play between them while intercepting, sending, receiving data, and surveilling the conversation without the consent of both.

 3.Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS)

These attacks involve disrupting the normal traffic of a potentially targeted server/ service/ network by flooding the target with unusual traffic.

It gets effective by compromising several computer systems. Compromised devices can help you get access to other connected devices as well.

 4.Password Attacks

Cybercriminals try such attacks to access users’ accounts/ systems by guessing/ cracking their passwords. These kinds of attacks can happen in various forms, such as

  1. Dictionary Attacks,
  2. Brute Force Attacks, and
  3. Social Engineering.

 5.Phishing

Phishing attacks commonly use disguised email as a weapon. The objective of this attack is to trap the victim into believing that the message has been sent from a legitimate sender with whom the victim has a connection. The process goes as follows.

  1. A request from someone in their company
  2. That says to click a link or download an attachment.
  3. The links drive the victim to a malicious website which then downloads the virus onto the victim’s system.

 

6.SQL Injection

In this attack, the adversary inserts malicious code into a web app to gain access to the databases. With this attack, the adversary exploits web applications’ security flaws, which can be exploited with SQL Injection. It can allow hackers to modify or delete data or access confidential data.

 7. Cross-site Scripting (XSS)

It’s a kind of system security flaw that is usually found in web applications. Ultimately, the adversary gets access to inject malicious code, which is known as a payload.

The payload can be easily executed via the user’s web browser, allowing attackers to access the

  1. Confidential Data,
  2. Steal Cookies,
  3. Drive users to malicious websites/ perform other malicious activities.

 8. Email Spoofing

Hackers use email spoofing to send emails with a fake sender address.

The objective of this technique is to get the victim to open the email & take the required actions, such as

  1. Clicking the fraudulent link
  2. Download the attachment.

This process is carried out by creating an email imitating a legitimate email coming from a reliable source.

 9. Unauthorized Access

This process involves a hacker trying to access a computer/ network/ software/ data without an authorized user’s consent. It comes in illegal activities that can lead to

  1. Data Theft,
  2. Fraud, and
  3. other Malicious Activities.

 10. Malware Attacks

Malware Attacks are one of the most popular attacks that are executed to access a PC/ network without the user’s consent. It comes in various formats, such as

  1. Viruses,
  2. Worms,
  3. Trojans,
  4. Spyware,
  5. Ransomware, and
  6. Adware

The impact of this malicious software can be destructive, and sometimes it can be the reason for

  • Deletion of Data,
  • Corruption of Files, and
  • Stealing Sensitive Data

How to Prevent network attacks?

Network Security Attacks can be destructive. However, several ways are there via which you can save your networks from being attacked. Some of them are as follows.

  • Install a Firewall:

Preventing is a must if you know what kind of attacks could happen to your resources. So, the first thing that you can implant in your network is a firewall. It comes as a barricade between your device and the rest of the internet. Moreover, it helps in blocking unauthorized access, supervision, and incoming & outgoing traffic controls.

  • Use Strong Passwords:

If you want to keep your access safe from hackers, you need to use strong passwords as a safe keep for your networks. The character limit of your password needs to be 8. It also should contain a combo of upper & lower case letters, numbers, and special characters.

Daily changes in the password would keep it safe, & unique. No matter what, don’t share your password with anyone.

  • Keep Software Updated:

Your devices should run on updated software unless you want to invite unwanted access to your data & devices. Outdated software can give invitation several security flaws and easily get into the eyes of exploiters.

  • Monitor Network Traffic:

Your online traffic can also give a reason for a network security attack. For that, you need to observe your network traffic to find any suspicious activity. Using a network sniffer tool to capture and log all the traffic on the network would work for you too.

  • Educate Employees:

Aware & Educate your employees about network security practices to reduce network security attack risks. Ex –

  1. Teach how to create strong passwords, and
  2. Teach how to recognize suspicious emails/ websites.

Top  Network Security Tools in 2023

Following are the Network Security Devices that are used to protect your network from unknown online threats:

  • Cloudflare
  • Web Application Firewall (WAF)
  • Intrusion Detection/Prevention System (IDS/IPS)
  • File Integrity Monitoring (FIM)
  • Multi-factor Authentication (MFA
  • Log Analysis and Correlation
  • Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)
  • Security Information and Event Management (SIEM)
  • Network Access Control (NAC)
  • Network Segmentation and microsegmentation
  • Network Vulnerability Scanning and Management
  • Application Whitelisting
  • Identity and Access Management (IAM)
  • Network Access Control Lists (ACLs)
  • Data Loss Prevention (DLP)
  • Encryption
  • Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response (SOAR)
  • Network Honeypots
  • Cloud Security Solutions
  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML)

What comes under the Network Security Policy in India?

Organizations & people in India should follow the mentioned ways to get secured from online Network Security Attacks.

  1. Data Protection,
  2. Access Control,
  3. Software Security,
  4. Firewalls,
  5. Network Segmentation,
  6. Network Monitoring,
  7. Patch Management,
  8. Encryption,
  9. User Authentication, and
  10. Physical Security

Frequently Asked Questions

About the most common types of network security attacks and preventions

  1. How Can I Protect My Business From Network Security Attacks?

By following these below steps, you can ensure your network’s safety:

  1. Establish strong security policies
  2. Implement a secure network
  3. Use a firewall
  4. Utilize antivirus and anti-malware software
  5. Use strong passwords
  6. Monitor user activity
  7. Educate users
  8. Backup data
  9. Use encryption
  10. Use two-factor authentication

 

  1. What is the impact of network attacks on the operation of an organization?

Organizations’ networks consist of a load of data that transfers through a network in all departments of the internal and external parts of the organization. That’s why a network security attack can have a big impact on an organization’s operations.

Due to such attacks, several things can happen to the organization, such as follows.

  1. Downtime,
  2. Data Loss,
  3. Gain an Organization’s System Access,
  4. Financial Losses, and
  5. Reputational Damage.

Moreover, these attacks can cause more security flaws in the systems that can be easily victimized adversaries to gain access to confidential data/ disruptions of operations.

  1. What is meant by a network attack?

Network Security Attacks are malicious attempts made by online threat actors who find loopholes in network infrastructure through various ways which help them to have access to several other resources of organizations.

The adversary gains access to confidential data of the organization related to users and clients. Some of the Network Security Attacks are as follows.

  1. Spoofing,
  2. Denial of Service (DoS) Attacks,
  3. Man-in-the-Middle Attacks,
  4. DDoS Attacks, and
  5. Many More.

 

  1. What are the 5 main types of network attacks?

The 5 types of Network Security Attacks are as follows

  • Denial of Service (DoS) Attacks,
  • Man-in-the-Middle (MiTM) Attacks,
  • Session Hijacking,
  • Phishing Attacks, and
  • Malware Attacks.

 

  1. What to do if your Network is Attacked?

If you become a victim of a network security attack, you can use the following methods to get stable again.

  1. Disconnect from the Network,
  2. Contact your IT Department,
  3. Back up data,
  4. Update your Security Software,
  5. Change Passwords, and
  6. Monitor the Network

 

  1. What is the most common type of network attack?

One of the most common Network Security Attacks that you’ll see would be a DDoS Attack. It’s an attack in which several adversaries send huge amounts of traffic to a single target together to flood a network. Ultimately, that prevents authorized users from accessing the services.

  1. What is an example of a network attack?

DDoS Attacks can be a good example of a network security attack that involves flooding a network with overwhelming traffic to disrupt the actual users from using it. Disruption of such services can cause various issues that can hamper an organization’s operations.

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