For most of us, our computers have become an integral part of our day, whether for work or pleasure, making them the perfect target for hackers. Whether it be remote logins or email bombs, cybercriminals are constantly finding new ways to gain unauthorized access to our devices. This blog looks at the types of threats hackers use to gain access and how firewalls are fundamental in combatting these ongoing attacks.
Understanding the Threat Landscape
Regarding the evolution of online threats, things constantly change and grow, becoming increasingly sophisticated. As this unfolds, cybercriminals will always be on the lookout for employing new and never-before-seen tactics to gain unauthorized access to unprotected computers. Take a look at the list below to learn about the myriad of strategies that hackers use:
Remote Login: Unauthorized individuals can remotely connect to your computer, gaining varying degrees of control, from viewing files to running programs.
Application Backdoors: Specific programs can sometimes feature certain capabilities that allow for remote access, while others can harbor hidden vulnerabilities that grant unauthorized control.
SMTP Session Hijacking: Focused on exploiting weak points in SMTP servers, cybercriminals will send spam emails while redirecting them through unsuspecting hosts to avoid detection.
Operating System Bugs: Like applications, operating systems can sometimes have backdoors or security vulnerabilities that hackers can exploit for unauthorized control.
Denial of Service (DoS) Attacks: Cybercriminals will work to inundate servers with unanswerable connection requests; they can then slow or cause them to crash, resulting in a complete disruption of services.
Email Bombs: Attackers bombard the victims' email systems with numerous messages, making them unable to accept new emails.
Viruses and Macros: Malicious programs (aka malware), such as viruses, spread rapidly among a network of computers and cause immense damage, ranging from data loss to system crashes.
Spam and Redirect Bombs: Spam emails contain a harmful link, while redirect bombs work to manipulate routing information to disrupt network traffic.
Peace of Mind and Protection
Firewalls provide peace of mind and protection against external nefarious entities looking to gain covert access to their victim's networks and devices. In particular, this is critical for businesses of all sizes, even more than home networks in some cases, because businesses can have all kinds of traffic coming and going from various locations.
With a deeper understanding of the evolving threat landscape and the appropriate implementation of cybersecurity measures, private individuals and organizations can help mitigate the potential risks and secure their online worlds.
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