Markela Kerkezou

We get it, you may think “Why would someone want to steal my data?” Especially when cybercriminals are capable of attacking large corporations or even governments (!). But, indeed, you are more important than you think. 1. Access to your bank account Attackers can access your banking account and use your credit card or debit card for fraudulent purchases. They can also apply for credit cards or loads in your name. 2. Selling your information Cybercriminals may sell your information to other criminals on the dark web. Selling stolen data in large quantities to other criminals on the dark web is one method cybercriminals make good money. These collections may contain millions of stolen data records. The buyers can then employ this information for their own illegal activities, such as committing crimes using your name or applying for fraudulent identification. 3. Identity theft Cybercriminals may not be able to use their name on many online services, possibly because they are wanted by the police etc. So, they like to steal this data from online accounts to commit identity theft, such as using the victim’s credit card or taking loans in their name. 4. Account takeover For many reasons one criminal may want to steal your account, even if they don’t commit identity theft. You won’t be able to access your account if the hacker changes your password. If payment information is included in the compromised account, account theft may be costly.

Are you familiar with Greek mythology? According to the legend, even after years of fighting, the ancient Greeks were unable to take the mighty city of Troy. So, they devised a strategy to accomplish their objective: they would disguise a wooden horse large enough for 40 soldiers to hide in as a gift for the Trojans. The 40 men inside the city walls allowed a larger force to enter once the Trojans had pulled the horse inside the walls, and the city was then taken. Similar to the fabled Trojan horse of Greek mythology, a Trojan computer virus disguises itself as something else in order to bypass your defenses unnoticed. Its goal is to trick you into getting it into your device. How do cybercriminals use trojans? Well, Internet users aren’t stupid. A file called virus.exe won’t fool anyone. Cybercriminals know that, so the virus must be disguised. Once on your device, the malware can steal your personal information, including passwords and financial details along with spying on you, spamming, and encrypting your files for a ransom. Once a Trojan has infected your device, it can utilize it to launch assaults as part of a wider network or download further viruses without your knowledge. How does a device get infected by a Trojan? Unfortunately, a computer Trojan can take on the appearance of almost anything to catch your attention Have you received an email attachment claiming to be an invoice? That may be a Trojan. Have you tried to download an e-book from a not so verified source? That may be a Trojan. Have you opened a link that looks like your bank’s but is slightly different? That may be a Trojan. Have you downloaded an interesting app you saw on TikTok? That may be a Trojan. Trojans are not so easy to detect- Afterall they are meant to fool you. How many types of Trojan are there? There are four (4) different types of Trojan attacks to look after. 1. Backdoor Trojan: Backdoor Trojans, as their name suggests, construct a form of backdoor: a gateway used to access your device. A backdoor Trojan can utilize this backdoor to enter if it has already established a way into your computer or mobile device. Your information may be stolen, or the computer may become infected with trojans and other viruses through the backdoor. 2. Banking Trojan: This one is easy to guess; banking trojans care about your banking information, such as bank account login details, credit card information etc. The most common way of doing so is the following: the victim receives a phishing email which contains a malicious link. The victim falls for that, because when they click on the link, they are taken to a page which looks exactly like the login page of their bank. So, instead of logging in to their online bank, the victim is unintentionally providing cybercriminals with information about their bank accounts. 3. DDos Trojan: This one is pretty common as well. The abbreviation DDoS stands for “Distributed Denial of Service”. In reality, this results in a server receiving a barrage of requests to increase traffic levels past their cap. The word distributed in this context refers to numerous diverse sources that are hitting the server at the same time. The phrase “dos attack” is used when a single source is the lone one driving all traffic. A trojan horse virus can utilize a user’s device to launch DDoS assaults by joining it to a bigger botnet of connected devices. 4. Downloader Trojan: Last but not least, there is Downloader Trojan. Once a downloader Trojan has infected a device, it can download other harmful malware on the device. Think of him as an intermediary with the other virus, which can be extremely harmful as well. How to avoid trojans? Think of the myth again; if the Trojans hadn’t taken the horse in, they wouldn’t have been utterly destroyed. Likewise, Trojan viruses have no power on your device, unless you let them. After all, prevention is the best cure. 1. Use antivirus software Antivirus can detect a harmful file and can block malware from infecting your device. You can also use apps to scan your files from anything suspicious; you can do your own research or consult an expert! 2. Avoid opening links and attachments Unless you are completely sure about the source of an email, do not open attachments. Only open files from reliable sources. This is very important, do not trust anyone online! 3. Practice your eye and do not fall for phishing scams Be careful with your emails. For example, your bank has sent you an email demanding urgent action. Think twice before clicking on a link: wouldn’t the bank refer to you by your last name instead of “Dear client”? Wouldn’t they be more careful with their grammar? Avoid falling victim to simple traps and be wary of unsolicited emails and messages that contain links or attachments. 4. Keep all software on your computer up to date with the latest patches and never install software from a source you don’t trust completely

What is spyware and what does it do? Spyware is malicious software that seeks to gather information from a person or an organization and communicate it to a different party in a way that’s harmful to the user. In short, spyware steals data from your device in numerous ways; it can take screenshots, use your camera, and log what you type. Spyware is very sneaky; it finds its way to your computer without your knowledge, and it stays hidden, running quietly in your background, collecting information, and monitoring your activities, and then it passes the information to its masters. Some of the most common types of data spyware steals are: In addition to stealing your personal data, spyware frequently causes system and connectivity slowdowns. Additionally, it can download new malware and change the security settings on your device. Also, you may notice more advertising and pop-up windows.  What are the different types of spyware? Once a spyware program is into your device, it can spy on you and steal your information in various ways.  How can spyware infect your device? Spyware can infect your device in a lot of ways. Here are a few of spyware’s main techniques; How can I protect myself from spyware? Having spyware on your computer is not fun at all. You must do your best to protect yourself from it.  Cyberattacks are very common and very dangerous. You must stay protected. Don’t miss any of our articles and inform yourself to maintain a secure digital life!

Nowadays, you often hear the word “cyberattack”, sometimes along with the words “cybercriminal” or “cybersecurity”. What is really a cyberattack and how big of a threat is it? Modern online environments frequently face the possibility of cyberattacks. In short, a cyber attack’s objectives can include stealing or destroying data, taking down crucial systems or infrastructure, breaking into computer systems, and stealing money. One can launch a cyber assault by adding harmful code to a website or application, infecting the target device with malware, or including the target device in a broader network of other devices that are used to launch additional cyberattacks. Cybercriminals have the potential to wreak significant harm if they do their job successfully. People, enterprises, organizations as well as larger targets, such as entire countries, should be prepared for cyber-attacks since they are a prevalent instrument in warfare. Why would someone take control of my computer, when they could take control of a whole country? You are more significant than you think you are. Although corporations may be more lucrative targets for cybercriminals, but there are many negative effects for individuals of inadequate cyber security measures. These consist of: So, you are important to them. Types of cyber-attacks Cyber-attacks come in a wide variety and are commonplace today. Knowing the different forms of cyberattacks makes it simpler for us to defend our systems and networks against them. Here is a list of the most popular cyber-attacks, that depending on their size, can either harm an individual or a major corporation. 1. Phishing attack: This one is pretty simple to understand. Phishing is a form of social engineering assault in which the perpetrator poses as a reliable contact and sends the victim phony emails. Unaware of this, the victim opens the email and either opens the attachment or clicks on the malicious link, which looks like a trustworthy one. Attackers are able to access private data and login passwords this way. A phishing attack also allows for the installation of malware. 2. Malware Attack This one is one of the most typical kinds of cyber-attacks. “Malware” refers to malicious software viruses including worms, spyware, ransomware, adware, and trojans (hyperlink trojan article). The trojan infection poses as trustworthy software. Spyware is software that secretly steals all your private information, whereas Ransomware locks down access to the network’s essential parts. Adware is software that shows banner ads and other commercial information on a user’s screen. Malware enters a network by exploiting a weakness. When a user visits a risky link, downloads an email attachment, or uses a pen drive that has been infected. 3. Password Attack Pretty simple to understand: a password attack is when a hacker cracks your password using various password-cracking tools (like Aircrack, Cain, Abel, John the Ripper, Hashcat, etc). That’s why we recommend using strong alphanumeric passwords with special characters – not to irritate you! 4. Man-in-the-Middle attack Shortly, MITM is when the attacker hijacks the session between a client and a host (eavesdropping). By doing so, attackers steal and alter data. So, using public Wi-Fi networks is not a good idea! 5. Zero-day attacks The term “zero-day vulnerabilities” describes security flaws in software that have not yet been patched. The vendor or developer may need any amount of time to address the problem, depending on the severity of the vulnerability. In the meanwhile, the exposed vulnerability is the focus of the attackers. They make sure to take advantage of the vulnerability even before a patch or other fix is put in place. To sum it up, cybercriminals may use what has come to be known as a zero-day attack, or zero-day exploit when these vulnerabilities are not patched. As you can see, there are plenty of ways that your data can be stolen. So, what can you do to protect yourself? 1. Have strong passwords! Don’t make the cybercriminals’ job easier! They can easily guess a generic password that is simple. 12345 or “password” are not good passwords and can be cracked without the use of sophisticated technologies. On the other hand, is far more difficult to crack a password that contains both uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. Also, change your password often, and don’t use the same password twice. 2. Don’t fall for phishing! Be extra careful when you receive an email from someone you don’t know. Train your eye. For example, your bank has sent you an email demanding urgent action. Think twice before clicking on a link: wouldn’t the bank refer to you by your last name instead of “Dear client”? Wouldn’t they be more careful with their grammar? Avoid falling victim to simple traps and be wary of unsolicited emails and messages that contain links or attachments. 3. Update your operating system and applications regularly This is the main defense against any cyberattack. This will eliminate the weaknesses that cybercriminals frequently use. Utilize reputable and legal antivirus software. 4. Don’t use public Wi-Fi connections You must avoid connecting on unsecured Wi-Fi. Although public Wi-Fi can be very useful when you’re out of data, it can be quite dangerous. However, whenever connecting to untrusted Wi-Fi, always remember to utilize a VPN. You run the danger of being exposed to malware and cyberattacks on insecure networks. 5. Look out for threats online You put yourself at risk for numerous things, such as identity theft, when you click a dangerous link or download a dubious attachment. Not only do you put yourself at risk, but a tiny error might also cause a significant data breach or infect your workplace’s entire network. Therefore, businesses and other organizations should inform their staff of the numerous cyber security threats. 6. Use an antivirus program to safeguard your devices Antivirus can detect a harmful file and can block malware from infecting your device. You can also use apps to scan your files for anything suspicious; you can do your own research or consult an expert! Remember that without an antivirus, you are completely defenseless

What is a phishing attack? Phishing is a type of social engineering attack, designed to steal data, including login credentials, credit card numbers and personal information. Usually, an attacker sends a fraudulent message, that appears to come from a reputable and trustworthy source. This is usually performed through email or text messages. The victim is tricked into clicking a malicious link, which can lead to the installation of malware or the revealing of sensitive information. Moreover, by sending you to a web page that looks legitimate but is actually a phishing website, attackers manage to trick you into giving your details; then they can use this sensitive information for account takeover or identity theft. What are the different types of phishing attacks? Email phishing: Email Phishing is the most common type of phishing. Those emails usually are not personalized or targeted to a specific individual or company – this is termed “bunk phishing”. A personalized email can also occur, although not so often as those targeted attacks require more time. This is called “spear phishing”.Attackers are educated to mimic actual emails from a spoofed organization. They often use the same phrasing, typefaces, logos, and signatures, which makes it very hard to detect a phishing email.  Usually, attackers will try to push users into action by creating a sense of urgency as this inspires a sense of fear and promotes hasty actions. For example, scammers may ask you to change your e-banking account’s password because it has allegedly been stolen. Lastly, a link is attached. The links inside messages resemble their legitimate counterparts, but typically have a misspelled domain name or extra subdomains. Probably the website the link leads you appears very much alike to the one you expected (for instance your bank’s one). Additionally, attackers may attach a file to the email sent. For instance, a pdf file you have allegedly asked for. By downloading this, malicious software may be installed on your computer. SMS Phishing Smishing, or SMS phishing, uses text messages instead of emails to trick victims. That can be extremely dangerous as most people are aware of email phishing, but many may not know to be prepared for SMS phishing attacks. Additionally, scam SMS messages can be inserted into ongoing text message discussions and made to appear as though they are from reliable sources! Voice Phishing Vishing, or voice phishing, is a fraudulent phone call designed to obtain sensitive information. Instead of using written messages, scammers may either use real callers or automated text-to-speech software and call their potential victims in order to steal their personal information. For example, someone pretending to be a doctor may call and ask you for your banking credentials in order to perform surgery on your loved one; or you may receive a call from someone pretending to be a support agent for your company and ask for your login credentials. Calendar Phishing Calendar phishing is when phishing links are delivered via calendar invitations. Attackers will only need your email address to send you an invite, and the event will be placed in your calendar by default. By clicking into what-you-think-is a meeting link, malicious software can be installed on your computer. How to avoid phishing scams?