Most Common Types of Cyberattacks

It’s good to know how to prevent cyberattacks, but it’s even better to know what types of cyberattacks web designers are up against. By knowing the enemy, web designers can become smarter with how to handle attacks like this. First, a common cyberattack is a socially engineered Trojan. This is when a legitimate website is temporarily overtaken by malicious software, that tells website users that they’ve been infected and have to download a file to correct this infection. This sounds like what happened when the White House website was hacked on the Fourth of July several years ago. InfoWorld’s recommendation for combating socially engineered Trojans is end-user (the person who actually uses the website) education. Second is unpatched software. The programs most commonly ailed by this problem are Java, Adobe Reader, and Adobe Flash. InfoWorld recommends the best way to combat this is to ensure all software is patched up. The third most common cyberattack is phishing. Phishing is spam email with the intent of gaining personal information. The best way to combat this is to ensure your browser has anti-phishing capabilities, and end-user education. I now know what to look out for when I’m improving the security of my websites.

Source: http://www.infoworld.com/article/2616316/security/the-5-cyber-attacks-you-re-most-likely-to-face.html