Cyber Phishing Methods

 Phishing methods are becoming more sophisticated and brutal. 

Cybercriminals are developing increasingly brutal and sophisticated methods to avoid detection by humans and managed detection response services. During the COVID-19 pandemic, scammers are using federal requests for assistance to send emails purporting to be from the Small Business Administration (SBA) to trick loan applicants into making personal payments. Disclosure of information. The phishing email accurately spoofs the SBA email domain. Invisible Ink Technique: Phishing emails have been discovered that use invisible symbols to trick secure email gateways. This attack uses the way security software processes text to increase the likelihood of a message reaching the user's mailbox. With an emotional feel, scammers send a fake Zoom invitation to what they say is an urgent meeting to discuss something important. The mock meeting takes place within a few minutes so that the recipient does not have much time to think. The link leads to a fake Zoom website and steals the victim's credentials. Fake Excel attachments are sent to avoid detection: This attack involves attaching HTML files to email messages that purport to contain invoices and other financial transactions. Phishing messages use encryption to avoid further detection. When unsuspecting user opens the attachment, they are redirected to a fake website that steals their credentials.

As ransomware attacks continue to make headlines, Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks are becoming increasingly rare. In reality, attackers continue to launch DDoS attacks, many of which go unreported, especially given the ongoing tensions that make it difficult to assess risk and impact. DDoS attacks accounted for 28% of cyber threats over the past three years, but organizations have only been moderately successful in detecting and responding to them.

The financial services industry is a prime target for attackers, but all industries are at risk of DDoS. In January 2022, several DDoS attacks hit companies in the financial services, IT software, IT infrastructure, government agencies, and telecommunications sectors.

As the number of attackers increased and the methods improved, attacks became more complex, varied in frequency, and increased in intensity. By understanding how DDoS attacks work and how they affect business operations, organizations can more effectively mitigate potential cyber risks with the help of UnderDefense services.

What are DDoS attacks and how do they work?

In a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack, a cyber attacker uses multiple computers to flood a network or server with requests and overwhelm it with too much traffic. An attacker controls a series of infected devices, called botnets, that prevent an overloaded network from responding to legitimate requests, resulting in a denial of service.

In the initial stages of a DDoS attack, an attacker exploits the vulnerability of devices connected to the Internet. It then installs malware (usually command-and-control) that tells the device what to do. Individual devices are called "bots", and they are collectively called botnets. Each device sends requests to the target network or server, which eventually overloads the resources and cannot respond to the requests.

Watch out for a new class of DDoS attacks

As organizations adopt new technologies, attackers are improving their methods, including those used for DDoS attacks. Examples of evolving DDoS attacks are Hybrid attacks: DDoS attacks by ransomware force companies to pay the ransom or divert attention from data theft. Black Storm Attack: Obfuscation of User Datagram Protocol (UDP) transmissions to reduce the number of devices required to build a botnet. Use of intermediate mailboxes: Used to monitor and filter packet flows to display IP traffic. Because DDoS attacks disrupt networks and servers, they often cause business disruption and can cost hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars. This can affect both internal and client resources and lead to clientloss. As more companies offer digital experiences to their customers, DDoS attacks can prevent customers from accessing their applications and data. A DDoS attack disrupts a company's operations, preventing customers from making or receiving calls. When reliability and security become an issue, the customer's focus shifts.Violation of service level agreement. Organizations working closely with businesses should consider whether an interruption in service would constitute a breach of contract. In this case, the organization may have to pay a fine or the customer may decide to terminate the contract. Organizations must have an UnderDefensesolution to limit such attacks.

Lost productivity

DDoS attacks can also affect an organization's business applications and network. This means that workers lose access to the resources they need to do their jobs, which reduces productivity and negatively affects profits. As with any type of attack, organizations must respond quickly to DDoS attacks. The malware must be contained and all devices, systems, and networks restored to the state they were in before the attack. Legal costs. When DDoS attacks are used to mask a data breach, organizations may find that the initial failure results in a data leak and potential lawsuits. Not only will this cause additional costs, but it can also take a long time to resolve all these issues.

How to understand that a DDoS attack has occurred?

DDoS attacks often start with subtle changes in network traffic or technical problems. When trying to determine whether an organization has been affected by a DDoS attack, UnderDefense often looks at the following metrics:

Poor network performance, such as delays when opening files or accessing web pages.

No access to network resources.

An unusual pattern of network traffic coming from a device or IP address.

Unusual network traffic to a single endpoint or IP address.

How to prevent DDoS attacks with UnderDefense services?

Network and device security are essential to prevent DDoS attacks. Businesses need antivirus solutions to protect all devices, including routers, from malware that turns devices into bots. In addition, strong passwords on routers and devices connected to the Internet provide a layer of security that prevents attackers from using these devices as part of a botnet.

UnderDefense's portfolio of managed security services enables customers to build proactive security programs. UnderDefense's vulnerability assessment and penetration testing services help find vulnerabilities that can be exploited by threats as the first step in a DDoS attack. Managed Detection and Response (MDR) provides customers with advanced cyber incident detection capabilities that enable faster investigation and response. Finally, with incident response services and security testing, you can build a cyber resilience program that includes mitigating potential cyber-attacks and data recovery to get customers and employees back to full productivity sooner.

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