Cyberattacks in 60 seconds
Since Russia invaded the Ukraine, you may have been hearing of cyber attacks more often than you used to. Cyber attacks are a key instrument in disruption in this conflict and many more conflicts to come. Russia has launched cyberattacks against the Ukraine and the Ukraine is fighting back.
So what is a cyber attack?
There are many types of cyberattacks, all with various goals. Overall, hackers are looking to deny a user access to a website, retrieve personal information or money.
Here are three common types of cyberattacks:
DDoS (Distrubuted Denial of Service): Attackers will flood servers with fake requests so real users cannot access the site. These requests overwhelm the server and it cannot act properly. For example, the Ukrainian IT Army attacked Russian bank websites to prevent Russians from using the site (read more here).
MiTM (Man in the Middle): This is an eavesdropping type of attack, where the attacker positions themselves between the user and the server. In doing so, they can access the data flowing between. For example, a man in the middle could access account details and personal information while between a user and their banking website.
Phishing: This is one you’ve probably experienced yourself. A phishing attack is when hackers send a high volume of emails pretending to be a trusted source (such as your bank or your boss). Phishing attacks often contain directions to log into a website, click a link or enter personal information. Think: receiving a weird link from a random Facebook friend through Messenger (they’ve clicked a link from one of their friends and were hacked).
What you can do to protect yourself:
Passwords: Think of your passwords like the lock on your front door. For each device and account, you should have a different and complicated password. The best way to keep track of these is to write them down and keep them in a safe spot.
Skepticism: Double-check emails from websites that have important data. If you get an email from your bank asking you to log in or enter details, don’t open the email, and open your account on a separate device (don’t click the link!). If action is needed, it will show up on your account.
VPN: A Virtual App Network (VPN) is a secure way to reduce risk of cyberattacks. What they do is connect your device to a server, so when you connect to the internet, it looks as if you are using that server, not your own. VPN apps are pretty affordable, and they give you some more privacy, protection and they could give you access to another country’s Netflix (if the server you connect to is in another country, the internet will think your device is in that country, so you can get access to that country’s perks).
Cyberattacks are scary, and a very real and possible threat to our privacy. Luckily, there are ways to prevent attacks and protect your information.
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