A cyberattack is a malicious activity where an attacker seeks to breach, damage, or otherwise compromise a digital device, network, or digital service. It is executed with the intent to steal, alter, delete, or ransom data, disrupt services, or cause harm to an organization or individual.
Common Types of Cyberattack:
- Phishing: Fraudulent attempts to obtain sensitive information by disguising as a trustworthy entity through email or other communication channels.
- Ransomware: A type of malware that encrypts a user’s files and demands payment in exchange for the decryption key.
- Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS): Overloading a network, system, or application with traffic or requests, rendering it inaccessible to legitimate users.
- Man-in-the-Middle (MitM): Intercepting and potentially altering communication between two parties without their knowledge.
- SQL Injection: Inserting malicious SQL statements into an entry field for execution, often to view, manipulate, or delete data from a database.
- Zero-Day Exploit: Attacking a software vulnerability that is unknown to the vendor and for which no patch is available.
- Advanced Persistent Threat (APT): A prolonged and targeted cyberattack in which an intruder gains access to a network and remains undetected for an extended period.