Beware of These 4 Types of Cyber Attacks to Preserve Your Company’s Reliability

In the 2013 film, Escape Plan, Ray Breslin—played by action superstar Sylvester Stallone—is the owner of a security firm that specializes in testing prisons for weaknesses.

In the movie, Stallone is hired by prison wardens to pose as an inmate so he can study the facility. As the name suggests, he exploits vulnerabilities in the facility and eventually escapes.

With the results of his study, the wardens were able to strengthen the security they had in place and prevent actual security breaches.

Now think of a company’s database like a prison. And instead of preventing someone from getting out, you want to stop a threat from getting in.

Well, that’s where penetration testing service comes in.

Penetration testing is an authorised simulation that replicates a cyber attack. The aim is to assess its security. It helps an organization prepare for the possibility of an actual attack. Here’s a list of the most common cyber attack types that can threaten your systems.

1. Malware Attack

Malware is unwanted software that is downloaded on your system. It is similar to a virus. The software attaches itself to code, replicating and destroying vital information.

There are various types of malware, including ransomware and macro viruses. They can slow down your system, steal data, and perform many other unwanted actions.

2. Distributed Denial-Of-Service (DDoS) Attacks

This type of attack is carried out externally, with a goal of overwhelming the system in question. During an attack, fake traffic is directed to the site which the servers are unable to handle. As a result, the site fails and actual customers are denied services.

Sometimes, hackers are looking to tap into the system once it goes offline. Once in, they can launch another type of attack—such as hijacking—causing even more damage.

3. Password Attacks

This one is pretty straightforward; they involve hackers obtaining passwords, giving them access to a host of information. There are two types of password attacks:

·         A brute-force attack is more aggressive, randomly trying as many passwords as the system has resources for until the right one is found

·         A dictionary attack employs the use of common passwords to find a way in

4. Phishing Attacks

Phishing is when emails are sent out by hackers, claiming to be from a legitimate company. The hackers generally ask for personal information, including credit card details. Once successful, they can access the bank accounts or online account details of victims.

Are you worried about the security of your site?

Lean Security is one of Australia’s leading penetration testing service providers. We’ve helped thousands of big and small businesses make their sites more secure.

To find out how we can help you, give us a call at +61 (2) 8078 6952 or message us here.

Plus, check out if you’re applicable for free services!

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Cloud Security Challenges: Explore the Top Cloud Security Threats

With all the technicalities surrounding cloud computing, it can be difficult to understand what new challenges it engenders.

But before we set out to understand the risks uncovered by penetration testing service providers, let’s start by answering some basic questions.

What is the cloud? A system of computing resources that includes networks, computers, and the applications that operate on them.

What is it used for? Use cases for the cloud vary depending on what the need of the user is. Generally, businesses use it to store vast amounts of customer information.

What are the challenges surrounding cloud computing? The specialists at the Cloud Security Alliance have reported these to be the top four cloud security challenges.

To help you understand each one, we’ve explained them in detail, starting with the most pertinent ones.

1. Data Breaches

A data breach is a type of attack where account information is accessed by unauthorized individuals. The purpose of this attack is to gain sensitive information such as credit card details and then to use it to access a person’s finances. Another thing hackers do with the information they steal is sell it to other parties.

Data breaches can cost companies millions of dollars. Here are some reasons why:

·         Repairs and recovery in the aftermath are expensive

·         Settling lawsuits by customers whose data was leaked is an additional cost

·         Customers lose trust in your business, leading to lost sales

2. Weak Identity, Credential and Access Management

Credential and access management has to do with how many checks a site has in place to ensure that only authorized persons are able to access an account. Implementing preventative measures such as strong passwords and multi-factor authentication leads to more robust security.

This makes it harder for hackers to uncover your password, especially with brute-force attacks, if you employ these techniques.

3. Insecure Application Programming Interfaces (APIs)

An API is a gateway to all direct and indirect components within the system. Cloud service providers hand over the reins to software developers to design these APIs.

This additional layer creates room for vulnerabilities, and incorrect authorizations and transfer of content can occur as a result. These vulnerabilities can be exploited by hackers.

4. System and Application Vulnerabilities

A weakness or vulnerability in the system you’re using can be exploited. Common tools to exploit system vulnerabilities include cross site scripting, SQL injection, and LDAP Injection.

With constant changes to applications, it becomes necessary to conduct regular scans of the site to check for vulnerabilities. 

Lean Security offers AI-powered penetration testing services to companies all over Australia. We check for a host of vulnerabilities, including SQL Injections, Cross Site Scripting, and Insufficient Authentication

To find out more, give us a call at +61 (2) 8078 6952 or message us here.

5 Ways to Protect Your E-Commerce Site from Hackers in 2020

According to the Australian Cyber Security Centre, the two major cybercrimes targeting Australians are online fraud and shopping scams.

In light of this, consumers are being asked to stay vigilant and report any potentially fraudulent activities to authorities. Meanwhile, businesses are looking to identify and correct weaknesses in their systems by employing methods like penetration testing services.

There are many steps you can take to ensure the safety of your website. Here’s a list of five of them:

1. Mandate Strong Passwords

One of the easiest (and most effective) steps a retailer can take to protect clients’ sensitive information is asking for a strong password. A complex password with a variety of alphabets and special characters makes it harder for hackers to crack it.

You can even take this a step further and ask for multi-factor authentication. This sets up two or more protective defences, thereby protecting your data better.

2. Back Up Data Regularly

Some hackers attack websites to delete data, with the primary motive being causing distress to the company and its customers. Others hack into systems to steal customer data, such as credit card information. If this happens your company may need to shut down its site to fix the situation.

Data might get lost or deleted in the process. But if you have backups available, the impact of the damage can be controlled.

3. Protect Yourself from DOS/DDOS

Denial of Service (DOS) or Distributed Denial of Service (DDOS), are cyberattacks that don’t require any internal access. They work by flooding the system with fake traffic until the servers overload—till the point of failure.

In simple terms, it lowers the speed of your website, making it difficult for customers to use it. The best way to protect yourself from DDOS attacks is by monitoring traffic.

4. Ensure Data Encryption

Any piece of data that your customers are inputting on your site needs to be encrypted. This includes not just credit card information, but also emails addresses and phone numbers. The reason being that this information can be used for phishing attacks.

What are phishing attacks? It involves a host of fraudulent practice, including sending emails pretending to represent reputable companies and asking for sensitive information. Even big companies like Facebook and Google have fallen victim to such attacks.

5. Perform Routine Checks

The best preventative measure is performing routine penetration checks. Keep checking your defences to make sure they are up to date and impenetrable. It’s always better to be prepared beforehand than have to deal with damages once they’ve been incurred.

More importantly, you risk turning away customers who feel your site isn’t reliable.

Lean Security is one of Australia’s leading penetration testing service providers, with over 10 years of experience in the IT security industry.

We’ve helped thousands of big and small businesses make their site more secure. To find out how we can help you, give us a call at +61 (2) 8078 6952 or message us here.

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