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Cybersecurity

How To Secure Websites From The Sneakiest Cyber Attacks?

How To Secure Websites From Cyber Attacks?, Cyberattacks have been rapidly on the rise To keep secure, use a VPN to hide your IP data.

Published

4 years ago

December 18, 2019

TwinzTech

How To Secure Websites From The Sneakiest Cyber Attacks

Advancements in technology have brought about a rapid wave of change over the world, instilling a liberating amount of ease and leisure in our lives. However, with its dark side comes to the horrors of being vulnerable online.

Cyberattacks have been rapidly on the rise coming forward at an alarming speed and wreaking havoc in the world. As per surveys carried out by the government of the UK, the amount of cyber-attacks and data breaches faced by companies and organizations remains high.

There is no saying to the fact that facing a cyber-attack is terrible for business. However, how bad is a different story to tell? At times these cyberattacks can burn a company to ashes, and if not, there remains a stain on its reputation.

Primarily if your organization’s work revolves around data storage, it is better to stay protected against threat actors entirely. To stay secure use a VPN as it not only hides your IP address but also encrypts your internet traffic.

Now protection from menial attacks such as malware or small hack attacks is an old story and, by far, thankfully, universal awareness, which is why most companies are at least smart enough to stay protected against them.

However, as smart cybercriminals have now become, there are quite a several sneaky cyber attacks you can become a victim of. This article, therefore, provides the readers with working on some frequent and sneakiest attacks and their possible preventions.

Table of Contents

1. Buffer Overflow

Depicting by its very name, the Buffer Overflow attack works with hackers bombarding the server with extended input schemes, strategically designed to overwhelm the server.

After withstanding these bombardments for quite some time, the server memory overflows, and inadvertently the system crashes. With that, hackers meticulously put their codes into the system, which results in a compromised server.

Precaution:

The best precaution against these attacks is to go for using code languages that do not go through specific checks while extenuating overflow attacks. Some common examples are Python, Java, or Dot NET. These languages do not allow overflowing attacks in the first place.

However, if changing the language of your website is a hard task to execute, then the loophole is to opt for more secure functions in contrast to strcopy or strcat. Primarily as they allow buffer flows by writing on the way past a buffer’s limit. A much more securer version that can be used is stern, which writes past buffer limits.

2. Cross-Site Request Forgery

These attacks usually occur when a customer makes an online account with an insecure password or does not log out of the account properly.

It goes on with a hacker posing to be a logged-in customer over a site. He then proceeds to carry out unwanted actions through this facade giving him the liberty to act like a real customer.

With this act in place, the hacker gets access to such information that would allow him to submit requests through an account.

These attacks usually result in the transfer of sensitive information, with the worst-case scenario being a hacked bank account. In this case, the hacker gets away with a fund transfer.

These CSRF attacks are known as being sneaky because the hacker is careful to bring about only slight changes within a code. These changes are easy to look by and hard to notice until close examination.

Precaution:

Admittedly these attacks in the way are the responsibility of an organization. However, as a means of valuing the integrity of their customers, organizations can take some precautionary steps against them.

First off, businesses can have a specific password requirement, such as only allowing passwords that come with a combination of letters, symbols, and numbers. This could inadvertently ensure that customers keep strong passwords.

Next, they could also offer customers personalized security options such as two-factor authentication or ReCAPTCHA. Additionally, coercing customers to change passwords regularly can be fruitful too.

Secure Websites From The Sneakiest Cyber Attacks

3. Backdoor Trojan and Shell Attacks

Probably amongst one of the most dangerous attacks, backdoor attacks, as depicted by their name, allow hacker access within a server in various roundabout ways allowing hackers to exploit every data available.

Hackers usually carry out these attacks through a shortcode or a file, generally termed a Trojan or shell, which are challenging to remove primarily as these trojans or shells are often concealed through code obfuscation or encryption, making them hard to discover in the first place.

Even most detention software fails at finding them, and hackers thoroughly exploit this vulnerability by launching multiple attacks on a server.

Precaution:

While dealing with simply any cyber attack, it is better to be secure against them. In cases of backdoor attacks, the best escape plan is to put in backdoor protection, which would filter out malicious shells or Trojan requests.

However, in case your primary precaution fails, it is better to have an updated backup of your database available. Primarily as these attacks usually attack a site’s underlying theme all the time hiding behind a 404 error message.

Now, as getting rid of these attacks involves detecting and deleting compromised files. Therefore backups are necessary.

4. Zero-Day Exploit Attacks

Cyberattacks continue to evolve with each passing day, and if your site’s security system does not change at the same pace, it means an open invitation to malware and hack attacks.

With time, even the most high-end security becomes vulnerable due to cracks that need timely patching. If not, these cracks become the main gateway for hackers to enter and exploit servers.

Some hackers may even design codes specifically to exploit these “cracks” in a system, with their success commonly referred to as zero-day attacks.

Generally, these attacks are frequent with custom-made sites that companies develop themselves rather than those based on hosting services.

Primarily as flaws within these relatively new sites are hardly noticeable and by the developers notice and patch those flaws, hackers have beaten them to exploit them. Therefore such attacks are termed zero-day attacks.

While carrying out these attacks, hackers usually take advantage of human errors and execute typical phishing schemes on them, such as sending malicious emails or attachments.

Unaware employees end up downloading malicious files or opening suspicious-looking emails, which results in malware and hacker infiltration.

Prevention:

Prevention of these attacks can go around in various ways, starting with having an updated security system. Additionally, developers should also regularly carry out scams for vulnerabilities through different scanning software and malware signature checkers.

Additionally, as within these attacks, hackers take advantage of human errors; educating staff regarding frequent cyber attacks is also a step worth taking.

5. Conclusion

Cyberattacks are darker and, unfortunately, an integral part of being online. And as these attacks are an ongoing event, there is no assuming that your website is ever “completely safe” from them.

As these attacks continue to grow, the best defense is always to keep enhancing security systems and to stay prepared for the worst.

Cybersecurity

6 Tips to Advance Your Cybersecurity Career In 2023

Cybersecurity is a specialized field. We’ll share some valuable tips to advance your cybersecurity career in 2023

Published

1 month ago

August 15, 2023

TwinzTech

6 Tips to Advance Your Cybersecurity Career

Cybersecurity is a highly in-demand field with a vast scope for growth, opportunities, and scalability. But it’s a technical and sophisticated field. Success in this occupation depends on in-depth knowledge, hands-on experience, relevant skills, and constant improvement. If you’re inefficient in these areas, you might face career stagnation.

Advancing your career in today’s time has become relatively easier, given the plethora of resources and development avenues. Nonetheless, identifying which routes align with your career advancement prospects can seem challenging. If you belong to the cybersecurity landscape, accelerating career advancement might seem time-consuming, but with the right tips, you’ll attain heights of success in no time.

Below, we’ll share some valuable tips to advance your cybersecurity career in 2023:

Table of Contents

1. Advance Academically

Cybersecurity is a specialized field. As such, aspirants are required to go through a lengthy and extensive academic process to set foot in this sector. A bachelor’s degree will enhance your foundation knowledge and skills, including computer science, information technology, security networks, security threats and assessment, and operating systems.

Comparatively, a master’s degree explores the depths of cybersecurity. You’ll learn about security concepts and applications, cyberspace vulnerabilities and threats, cybersecurity laws and policies, defensive cybersecurity technologies, and network and system administration. Therefore, if you want to excel in your career, earning a higher degree, such as a master’s, is crucial.

Advanced education also provides you with an edge, honing essential skills and capabilities essential to your field. If you’re planning to earn a higher degree alongside work, a master in cyber security online program can prove invaluable. Online masters allow you to manage work and academic responsibilities simultaneously. This way, you’ll be able to propel your career advancement without compromising your professional life.

2. Acquire And Refine Practical Skills

Formal education in cybersecurity offers foundational knowledge and enables you to acquire an entry-level job. But higher-level positions require more refinement and training. With bookish knowledge and limited practical exposure, you cannot tackle this complex and evolving field. Even stringent rules and regulations lay infective in this borderless cyber realm.

Cybercriminals and hackers have become intelligent and innovative with their tricks and techniques. They have learned to bypass, dodge, and crack traditional security countermeasures. Studies show that cyber-attacks increased by 38% in 2022 than the previous year. And each passing year heightens the gravity of cybercrime. So, with beginner-level knowledge and less work exposure, you cannot safeguard your organization or protect digital assets.

Upskilling and reskilling are crucial to remain competitive in the cybersecurity field. Problem-solving, risk assessment, network management, information technology, and network penetration and testing are essential skills. Alongside these, security compliance, cloud computing, and ethical hacking are the most in-demand skills for cybersecurity specialists.

3. Learn And Polish Computer Programming Languages

Computer programming for cybersecurity aspirants is as essential as learning a language in school. You must learn to operate and interact with computers to understand, interpret, manage, and prevent security issues.

Basic training starts with proficiency in C, C++, and Java. But complexity increases as you advance academically and occupationally. For expert-level knowledge and a comprehensive grip on your domain of expertise, you must learn HTML, JavaScript, SQL, PHP, Python, and PowerShell. The more diverse your toolkit and skillset, the better you can understand and manage technical issues.

Cybersecurity

This approach will also diversify your career paths as you interact with clients. So, flex your hands on some coding whenever you have time if you have long-term ambitions. The good news is that you can learn almost all computer programming languages without spending a penny. You can find countless online resources to learn a new coding language from scratch.

4. Participate In Boot Camps

Since cybersecurity is evolving rapidly, constant improvement is necessary to stay updated. So, if you lack expertise in a particular skill or want to expand your horizons, join boot camps for rapid pace training. Boot camps are training opportunities with a practical focus and narrow scope, where you can learn or polish particular skills. You can participate as an instructor or learner. Either way, you can get diverse exposure and learn from other participants.

Information exchange will enable you to widen your knowledge and understanding of cybersecurity, cyberspace threats, and countermeasures. You will answer or listen to the perspectives of newcomers, aspirants, and cybersecurity specialists. Newcomers and aspirants are more keen and curious about the recent developments that even experts can miss. Their curiosity, questions, and knowledge compel you to think from another perspective and bring innovation to your approach or solutions.

5. Earn Relevant Certifications

While not as effective as a master’s degree, certifications still prove worthwhile. Certification courses are a cost-effective approach to acquiring advanced-level knowledge in no time. Certifications enable you to develop a comprehensive profile for an advanced career position or divert your focus to a specific cybersecurity niche.

For instance, with a Certified Ethical Hacker credential, you can boost your career from an entry-level position to a security investigator, forensics investigator, web security administrator, system security manager, or penetration tester. The more certifications you earn, the more possibilities for career growth.

6. Get Industry Exposure

Industry exposure is a prerequisite for almost every profession. Employers ask for practical exposure even for positions like instructor, teacher, content manager, research analyst, or product developer. Survival in a highly technical occupation like cybersecurity is challenging without exposure and hands-on experience. That’s because cybersecurity issues vary from industry to industry and company to company. The security needs of different firms also diverge over time. Some have phishing problems, while others have espionage issues.

Espionage, malware, ransomware, phishing, insider threat, crypto-jacking, or intellectual property theft may come under the cybersecurity umbrella but require different strategies and countermeasures. So, with your limited knowledge and expertise, you cannot be their evergreen problem-solver. You must possess comprehensive knowledge to become an all-rounded expert. Staying glued to your computer screen for better coding skills is not the only efficient way to innovate sustainable security solutions for your clients. You must learn and explore how security threats evolve and refine your skillset accordingly.

Hence, take the initiative and expose yourself to diverse experiences. Collaborate with other specialists and organizations to understand cybersecurity and cyberspace threats in depth. The more you engage, the faster you’ll learn about innovations and challenges in your field.

Conclusion

Since the job market has become competitive, you cannot survive without upskilling and reskilling. Unqualified and unskilled individuals often fail to maintain an edge in such evolving fields. If you seek career advancement, especially in a rapidly transforming field like cybersecurity, you need to focus on skill development. Earning a higher degree, such as a master’s in cybersecurity, is the best, most viable approach to accelerate career advancement. Through a higher degree, you’re able to hone essential cybersecurity skills and remain on top of changing industry trends and norms. Similarly, industry exposure and learning programming languages will also serve in your favor.