THE REALITY OF CYBER ATTACKS IN THE DIGITAL WORLD

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THE REALITY OF CYBER ATTACKS IN THE DIGITAL WORLD
Apr, 28, 2022

Password attacks are the most common form of personal and corporate data breaches. A password attack is simply when a hacker tries to steal your password. In 2020, 81% of data breaches were due to compromised credentials. Hackers know that many passwords are poorly designed so attacks will remain a method of attack as long as passwords are being used.
There are different kinds of password attacks, you may have encountered one

  • Phishing is when a hacker posing as a trustworthy party sends you a fraudulent email, hoping you will reveal your personal information voluntarily. Sometimes they lead you to fake “reset your password” screens; other times, the links install malicious code on your device.
  • Man in The Middle Attacks these attacks happen when a hacker or compromised system sits in between two uncompromised people or systems and deciphers the information they’re passing to each other, including passwords. opportunity to be the man in the middle.
  • Brute force attack, if a password is equivalent to using a key to open a door, a brute force attack is using a battering ram. A hacker can try 2.18 trillion password/username combinations in 22 seconds, and if your password is simple, your account could be easily accessed.
  • Key-loggers are a type of malicious software designed to track every keystroke and report it back to a hacker. Typically, a user will download the software believing it to be legitimate, only for it to install a key logger without notice.

The big question should be how do you protect yourself from cyber-attacks?

Well here are a few items on our list that will keep you from getting your passwords hacked:

  • Multi-factor authentication Using a physical token or a personal device (like a mobile phone) to authenticate users ensures that passwords are not the sole gate to access
  • Investing in a password manager- Password managers use numerous layers of security that greatly reduce the chance of your passwords being hacked and shared.
  • Biometrics – A malicious actor will find it very difficult to replicate your fingerprint or facial shape.
  • Using a VPN- A secure virtual private network (VPN) will help prevent man-in-the-middle attacks by ensuring that all the servers you send data to are trusted.
  • Using complex passwords- As your password’s complexity increases, the chance of a successful brute force attack decrease