What is a cyber-attack and how can you prevent it?

Prevention and effective response to cyber-attacks are critical aspects of cybersecurity, both at the corporate and governmental level. If you are interested in the field of computer security, the Degree in Computer Engineering in Madrid at Universidad Europea will prepare you to be able to respond to the challenges and opportunities of this ever-growing sector. 

IoT devices, artificial intelligence applications and cloud systems, among others. All technological advances bring with them a new cyber-attack threat.

What does a cyber-attack consist of?

A cyber-attack is a deliberate attempt to compromise the security of a computer system, network or electronic device. It aims to steal, destroy, manipulate or misuse information stored or transmitted through them.

Cyber-attacks come in many shapes and forms. Some are aimed at stealing sensitive information (personal or financial data) or impersonating identities. Others seek to sabotage systems and disrupt services and then demand a ransom (ransomware) or as a protest action (hacktivism). Finally, there is a third group whose aim is industrial or governmental espionage.

Cyberattackers can be individual criminals inside or outside the targeted organisation, but they can also be organised groups with large financial resources and sophisticated structures and technologies at their disposal.

Most common types of cyber-attacks

Cybersecurity is an ever-changing challenge. Hackers and cybercriminals take advantage of each new technology to renew their strategies and evade the security of organisations. Still, broadly speaking, we can identify some common types of cyber-attacks:

Malware

Malware is an umbrella term for a wide range of malicious software designed to infiltrate a system and cause damage or collect information without the user's consent. Some types of malware include:

• Viruses: attach themselves to executable files and spread when the infected file is executed.
• Trojans: pretend to be legitimate programs to trick users and allow remote access to the system.
• Ransomware: blocks access to the system or encrypts files and demands a ransom to restore access.
• Spyware: collects user information without the user's knowledge.

Phishing

Phishing is a method in which attackers attempt to trick users into revealing sensitive information, such as passwords or financial information. They do this by impersonating a trusted entity through emails, text messages or other forms of communication.

Denial of Service Attacks (DDoS)

These attacks involve bombarding a system, service or network with a large volume of malicious traffic that prevents legitimate users from accessing it.

Social engineering

Involves manipulating people to gain access to sensitive systems or information. It may include techniques such as impersonation, persuasion or deception to obtain information.

Brute force attacks

These are repeated attempts to guess passwords or access codes by using automated programs that try a wide range of possible combinations.

Injection attacks

In this type of cyber-attack, criminals insert malicious code into web applications or databases via input forms, such as search or login forms, to manipulate or steal data.

Critical infrastructure (CI) attacks

These attacks target critical infrastructures such as power plants, water systems, hospitals, etc., with the intention of causing massive and severe disruptions.

Protecting against cyber-attacks in business and related jobs

All organisations are vulnerable to cyber-attacks. However, some sectors are particularly attractive to cybercriminals due to the nature of the information they handle. This is the case of the financial sector, healthcare institutions, the energy industry or the technology sector.

It is essential that these companies develop a clear cyber security policy that includes education and training of their employees in the proper use of company systems and social media security.

This policy should include robust security measures, such as firewalls, intrusion detection systems or data encryption. Regular audits are also recommended to identify and correct potential vulnerabilities and ensure compliance with security plans. In addition, it is important to keep up-to-date on the latest threats and vulnerabilities so that proactive measures can be taken to mitigate risks.

The cyber security team

The management of cybersecurity in a company usually falls to the IT department or, more specifically, to the cybersecurity team.

Among the profiles that can make up this team are the following:

• Chief Information Security Officer (CISO): is the leader in charge of establishing and supervising the company's overall cyber security strategy. He or she reports directly to senior management.
• Information security analyst: responsible for monitoring and analysing the security of information systems, identifying vulnerabilities and assessing potential threats.
• Incident response analyst: responsible for investigating and responding to cyber security incidents, identifying the scope of the attack, mitigating the damage and restoring the security of the system.
• Penetration tester: performs penetration tests on an organisation's systems and networks to identify vulnerabilities and assess the effectiveness of security measures.
• Digital forensics: collects and analyses digital evidence to investigate cyber security incidents, such as intrusions, data theft or fraud.
• Network security engineer: designs, implements and manages security measures to protect an organisation's networks. These include firewalls, intrusion detection systems and data loss prevention systems.
• Application security engineer: assesses the security of software applications and develops measures to protect against vulnerabilities such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting and other attacks.
• Security architect: designs the security architecture of systems and networks, ensuring compliance with security standards and best practices.
• Security data scientist: uses data analysis techniques to identify patterns and trends in cyber security activity and develop predictive models to prevent future attacks.

As you can see, studying cybersecurity opens up many options for your future, with high-demand professions that are highly valued by companies.

If you are interested in this field, Universidad Europea has a wide variety of engineering degrees where you can choose the one you like best.