If you’re responsible for managing your company’s cybersecurity, you know that one of the biggest threats you need to address is the possibility of a data breach. A data breach can spell disaster for any company, and no company is entirely safe. Some of the biggest companies in the world have been the victims of data breaches, and it has cost them millions — sometimes even billions. Even a small, brief data breach can be catastrophic for your bottom line and your reputation. So what types of data breaches should you be on the lookout for?
What Are the Different Types of Data Breaches?
Some of the most common types of cyber attacks include:
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- Malware attack: This is the type of attack that computer users are probably the most familiar with. It involves tricking a user into installing malicious code into their system. This trickery can be done through a simple emailing of an executable file that the user clicks while logged into the system. It can also be a Trojan horse that hides the code inside a useful program and activates it once the program is downloaded. Malware can release viruses into your system, activate ransomware or scrape your computer’s memory to steal data.
- Phishing attack: In a phishing attack, a malicious actor poses as a friendly entity in order to trick your user into providing them with unauthorized information. This process can be a direct play for specific data or a method of getting a password or other means of entry into the system, which the hacker can then use to root around and search for data on their own.
- Brute force attack: In the most basic type of hack, the hacker can create a bot that simply guesses common password after common password all day long, going through millions of possibilities in the hopes of hitting on a winner. A system that locks the user out after a set number of attempts is a good way to shut down this kind of attack.
- SQL injection attack: In this type of attack, the hacker sends a SQL query to the database using input data from the client to the server and inserts SQL commands into the data-plane input. This setup can enable the hacker to read or modify the database, shut it down or even execute operating system commands.
Optimal IdM for Data Breach Protection
Sadly, the above are just a few of the many ways a hacker can try to get into your system and do damage or create a breach. Hackers will get in any way they can, and they’re often disturbingly persistent, constantly probing a system for weaknesses and pouncing the second they discover one.
No matter what type of cyber attack you may be up against, the best first line of defense is quality identity and access management. Quality access control is critical to warding off a data hack. For a free demonstration on how Optimal IdM software can help protect you from data breaches, contact us now.
