The most infamous types of hacking

Having antivirus software running in the background of your device is like putting a lock on your front door and leaving your windows opened – it might fend off some offenders, but there are plenty of ways hackers can break through your system and retrieve valuable information or take control over it.  

What is hacking?

At a large scope, hackers are individuals who acquire data or take control of a device without the proprietor’s permission. Hacking can be seen as immoral and illegal, but some play the role of “Robin Hood” in an attempt to sabotage the position of an elite enterprise or individual who may be practicing unethical activities. Nonetheless, this does not excuse the act of vindictively gaining access to any sensitive information without authority. 

Popular types of hacking

Hacking isn’t limited to malicious software affecting a device. There are creative and dangerous methods that you need to know about. 
Malware

A Malware is designed to be the perfect predator – it can function to forcefully access networks, spy on its prey, and destabilize a functioning system. Essentially, malware is malicious software that’s used to inflict harm on the user. Malware can be distributed in various ways including emails, pop-ups on websites, and in the form of “click-bait” links. 

In the worst case, malware can cease your device and control it from the attacker’s location. Some attackers simply want to outdo other hackers in creating the most advanced malware. But in other cases, malware is used to extort their victims into giving them valuable information or financial assets. 

DDoS

DDoS  means distributed denial of service and it requires technical knowledge and strategic planning to initial these attacks. It works by sending an inflated amount of traffic to a targeted server or servers using multiple devices until the system slows down or crashes. A DDoS target can be an individual or a large corporation such as Google. 

The attacker uses multiple devices by infecting other devices to help with the assault which are known as bots. These bots can range in the dozens to millions and can be any device including your own. So if your device is infected with a virus, then there’s a chance that it’s contributing to a DDoS attack. 

DNS Spoofing

The DNS (Domain Name Server) is a crucial part of the internet. It’s the factor that translates a written website address to a numeric value that the computer can read. The browser doesn’t know what “YouTube” or “Facebook” is unless a DNS rewrites the command into a value it can understand. 

DNS spoofing is when the attacker creates a malicious website almost identical to the official one it’s resembling. The purpose of this is to host a server that can request personal information such as emails, passwords, banking information, credit card numbers, phone numbers, and more. The user will think that they’re simply accessing a legitimate website by passively handing out their information. They don’t know that the backend will use this data for their ill intent. 

The best place to launch this attack is on a public Wi-Fi network that doesn’t have strict monitoring security compared to a private Wi-Fi network which fosters a more robust security system. 

Phishing

If you ever received an email with highlighted banners and multiple buttons to links suggesting that you won a prize or some other informal message, then you were almost victim to a phishing scheme. Attackers send out spam emails enticing the end-user to click on a link that will activate a virus or any malicious software to take over or redirect you to a malicious website. Phishing emails can target any average user to high corporate officials and are usually sent out in mass bulk to maximize the outcome. 

Fake WAP

A simple yet easy attack to fall for. While many hacking techniques involve tying the bait to a stick and waiting for the victims to fall under the hidden door, or directly attacking the end-user, this technique relies on creating a malicious honeypot that attracts users in. An attacker creates a fake Wireless Access Point to mimic that of a real one. It’s placed strategically in a public hotspot where people may want to connect. 

Once users start connecting, the hacker can monitor their activities, launch malware onto their device, and steal personal information such as banking credentials and personal addresses. They target public places like nearby cafes, hotels, and terminal spots like airports or train stations. 

Social Engineering 

The term social engineering refers to the action of impersonating someone and tricking the victim into giving personal information by clicking on malicious links that can infect their device. The emails or websites are so convincing that it’s difficult to distinguish between fraudulent and legitimate sources. Social engineering can impersonate an IT engineer in a company who sends out spam emails claiming to conduct maintenance. If they ask for personal information, then it might be a red flag for a social engineering attack.  

SQL injection

An SQL injection is a type of cyber-attack that exploits certain software weaknesses in web applications to alter the data according to the attacker’s will. Once they have launched the attack, they can steal and modify certain information or take control of the systems for their intent. A cyber-security team is deployed for big corporations to conduct security maintenance regularly. In fact, an SQL injector is one of the most common attacks and is not difficult to introduce. 

The attacker scans for unsecured websites and inserts a code to gain a foothold from which they can perform any malicious acts and essentially control the website. Some SQL codes are so advanced that the attacker can have an automated program to launch the attack for them without having to implement any action. The program requires the targeted URL of the website and the program will do the rest. 

How can you defend yourself? 

The truth is, there is no ultimate anti-virus to combat cyber-attacks. As technology and cyber security advance so does its adversary. Hackers will find new techniques to launch phishing schemes and fake WAP attacks will become cleverer and indistinguishable. Constantly running strong antivirus software in the background will always help prevent attacks. 

However, if you fall victim to a social engineering attack, then even the toughest antivirus software can’t prevent it. Some ways of avoiding these attacks are by simply double-checking emails or messages that might seem off or out of your usual activities. 

You might encounter a free coupon to a gym in your inbox even though you don’t actively work out. This is an offshoot targeted ad that shouldn’t be sent to you. Such signs are sure to be spam and should be avoided at all costs. Another alternative method is by using a VPN.

Why VPNs are useful 

VPNs are virtual private networks that create an encrypted channel that redirects your traffic to the internet. It does that by changing your IP address to a selected virtual server so that you can remain anonymous and access content that may not be available in your region. By having a VPN activated you can avoid targeted viruses and spyware infecting your device. 

SwoshsvPN offers extended security features to elevate your security in other ways to avoid falling into cyber attack traps. 

• Kill Switch features automatically disconnects you from the Wi-Fi if a sudden disruption occurs on the network. It does that so that you accidentally don’t expose your real IP address whenever you’re online. It reconnects you as soon as it detects if the Wi-Fi is operating normally. 
  
   
• Auto-connect, as the name suggests, instantly connects you to a VPN server without manually connecting yourself. When your device boots up, SwoshsVPN instantly activates to protect your online identity and privacy.