Whether you are a family person or simply living alone, you certainly value the privacy and security of your household devices. More and more hackers are focusing on unaware users that are sharing the same network within a single household. In recent days and age the technology has brought groundbreaking changes to how we operate daily. This opens up multiple security threats and problems for an average online user. In this article we are going to cover 3 online threats or attacks that are most common when it comes to home attacks and what you can do to protect yourself or close family members.
Home Malware Attacks
Malware stands for “malware,” which includes viruses, worms, Trojans, spyware, and ransomware, and is the most common type of a home device cyberattack. Malware infiltrates the system, usually through an invalid web link, email, or an unwanted program download. It installs itself on the target home system, collects sensitive data and blocks access to network components which can ultimately destroy data or shut down the system completely. Below are some of the main types of home malware attacks;
- Viruses – A piece of code that injects itself into a program. The malicious code is then executed when the downloaded program is started.
- Worms – malware that exploits software vulnerabilities and backdoors itself to access the operating system. Once installed on the home network, the worm can carry out attacks such as Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS).
- Trojan Horses – Is a code that purports to be a harmless program and is hidden in games, or attachments to email. An uninformed user downloads a Trojan horse which ultimately gives access to the attacker once it’s started.
- Ransomware – Simply put, a user is denied access to their home systems or data through encryption. Ordinarily, an attacker would demand a ransom to access a decryption key again, but there is no guarantee that paying a ransom will actually restore full access or performance.
- Cryptojacking – Attackers distribute software on the victim’s computer and unwittingly start using their computer resources to create digital currencies. Damaged systems can slow down and affect system stability.
- Spyware – This malicious code accesses an uninformed user’s data, including sensitive information such as passwords and payment details. Spyware can affect desktop browsers, cell phones, and desktop applications.
- Adware – It tracks users’ browsing activity to identify behavioral patterns and interests so advertisers can send targeted advertisements to the user. Adware is associated with spyware, but does not involve installing software on the user’s device and is not necessarily used for malicious purposes, but can be used without the user’s consent and their privacy may be compromised.
Phishing Attacks
Phishing is a serious cyber threat in which unsuspecting victims are fooled by an email, phone or SMS from a person who identifies a legal organization in order to deceive persons into providing sensitive data such as personal information. The provided data is later used to access important user accounts and can ultimately result in identity theft and monetary loss. Some of the important features of a Phishing Attack are:
- Sense of Urgency – One of the most popular tactics used by cyber criminals is to ask you to act quickly because great deals are only available for a limited time. Some even tell you that you only have a few minutes to reply. When dealing with this type of email, it is best to ignore it. Oftentimes they’ll say to you your account will be suspended unless you update your personal information right away.
- Hyperlinks – A link may not be what it appears to be. If you hold your mouse over a link, your real url will be sent over there when you click on it. It could be completely different, or it could be a common misspelled website, so look carefully.
- Attachments – If you see an attachment in an email that you weren’t expecting or that doesn’t make sense, don’t open it! They often contain ransomware or other viruses. The only type of file that can always be clicked is a TXT file. Unusual sender – whether from someone you don’t know or someone you know, if something seems unusual, unexpected, strange, or completely suspicious, don’t push it!
Man-in-the-Middle Threat
One of the favorite ways of hackers to strike at home devices is a so-called man-in-the-middle attack (MitM). The connection between two endpoints, for example a user and an application, is intercepted. A potential attacker could eavesdrop on the home connection, steal sensitive data and impersonate everyone involved.
Examples of MitM attacks are:
- Wi-Fi eavesdropping – An attacker establishes a Wi-Fi connection impersonating a legitimate business like a company that users can familiarize themselves to. A fraudulent Wi-Fi network allows an attacker to monitor the activity of connected users and track data such as payment card details and credentials.
- Email Theft – In this breach, an attacker is forging an email address of a legitimate organization such as a bank and then uses it to trick users into providing confidential information or transferring money to an attacker. The user follows instructions that they believe came from the bank, but actually came from the attacker.
- DNS Spoofing – For this attack the Domain Name Server (DNS) is spoofed and redirects the user to a malicious website pretending to be a legitimate website. An attacker could redirect traffic from a legitimate website or steal a user’s credit.
IP Spoofing – An Internet Protocol (IP) address that connects users to a specific website. An attacker could forge an IP address to look like a website and trick users into interacting with that website.
HTTPS Spoofing – HTTPS is generally considered to be the most secure version of HTTP, but it can also be used to trick the browser into tricking a malicious website. An attacker used “HTTPS” in the URL to hide the malicious nature of the site.
Protect Your Home Devices by Installing an Antivirus Software
You might be thinking, wait, isn’t there an antivirus installed in my Windows PC? Microsoft Windows Defender Security Center is not only built-in to the operating system, but also automatically takes over the protection if it detects the lack of another antivirus program. Additionally if a third-party protection is installed it is automatically disqualified. The main point is, this built-in protection solution doesn’t compare to the third party home cybersecurity software. Some argue that even the best free software is better than Windows Defender. One more thing, it is also important that whatever software you choose, you should keep updating it on a regular basis. This ensures that you, and your home devices are always protected.
What Is Your Preferred Method of Protection?
Home protection is not to be taken lightly. The reason why hackers are so successful in their attacks is that an average user is underestimating the threats and seriousness of these security breaches. Hopefully by reading this article and implementing the above mentioned tips you will safeguard your home and protect your devices from malicious attacks.
