A cyberattack is an intentional, malicious act aimed at disrupting, damaging or stealing information from a computer system or network. Attackers use malicious software, phishing or exploiting vulnerabilities to steal sensitive information, disrupt services or take control of systems. These attacks can target individuals, businesses or governments and are often motivated by financial gain, espionage or causing widespread disruption. Cyberattacks can either be carried out by single entities or collectives. Cyberattacks pose serious risks to data privacy and operational security for victims.

Different types of cyberattacks?

Cyberattacks come in many forms, the most common types of attack being:

  • Malware – Malicious software designed to harm systems or steal data.
  • Phishing – Attempts to trick individuals into revealing sensitive information.
  • Ransomware  – Malware that encrypts data and demands a ransom for its release.
  • SQL injection – Attacks that exploit vulnerabilities in web applications.
  • DDoS attacks – Attempts to overload a network or server with traffic.
  • Social engineering – Manipulating individuals to perform actions or divulge information.

These tactics aim to exploit vulnerabilities in systems, steal data or disrupt operations for businesses. Additionally, advanced persistent threats (APTs) involve prolonged attacks, but it’s also important to keep in mind insider threats, which come from employees with malicious intent. Each attack is designed to harm an organisation’s resources, be it data, infrastructure or finances.

What is a cyberattack threat map?

A cyberattack threat map is a real-time visualisation tool that displays ongoing cyber threats across different regions and industries globally. A cyberattack threat map shows hotspots, emerging trends and potential targets. It typically tracks malicious activities such as DDoS attacks, phishing or malware campaigns in real-time, helping cybersecurity teams monitor trends and assess risks to their networks. These maps can integrate various threat intelligence feeds and are useful for anticipating and responding to emerging threats effectively.

Who is usually behind a cyberattack & why?

Cyberattacks can be carried out by various actors, including cybercriminals, hacktivists, state-sponsored groups and insiders. Motivations vary – financial gain drives cybercriminals, while hacktivists might push political agendas. State actors often target espionage, while insiders may act out of revenge or greed. Understanding these motivations helps organisations tailor defences to protect against specific threats.

What do cyberattacks target?

Cyberattacks commonly target sensitive data, such as financial records, intellectual property or personal information. They may also disrupt infrastructure and compromise systems, or disable networks. Attackers often go after industries with valuable information (such as healthcare, finance or government etc.) aiming to cause operational, financial or reputational damage for organisations.

Why should businesses care?

Businesses must care about cyberattacks because a successful breach can lead to financial loss and legal repercussions, not to mention reputational damage. Cyberattacks can disrupt operations, causing downtime and lost productivity, severely impacting business continuity. Protecting sensitive data, including customer and proprietary information, is crucial to maintaining trust and compliance with regulations. A successful attack can lead to data breaches, regulatory penalties and importantly loss of customer trust. Leveraging threat intelligence platforms allows businesses to proactively monitor, detect and prevent attacks.

Signs that you’re under attack

There are multiple common signs that indicate a cyberattack has taken place. These include:

  • Unusual network activity or performance issues
  • System slowdowns or strange files or programmes on computer systems
  • Unauthorised access attempts or suspicious logins
  • Data breaches or loss of sensitive information
  • System crashes or malfunctions
  • Phishing emails or suspicious attachments
  • Ransomware demands
  • Unusual spikes in network traffic
  • Unauthorised access attempts.

How to prevent cyberattacks

Preventing cyberattacks involves implementing a multi-layered defence strategy. It is advisable to use strong firewalls, encryption and up-to-date software to minimise vulnerabilities for businesses. Regular employee training on phishing and social engineering threats is also crucial when it comes to remaining safe against cyberattacks. It is also advisable to carry out strong password policies and multi-factor authentication for businesses who have employees operating remotely or dispersed. Threat intelligence tools can also help by automating threat detection, enabling organisations to monitor vulnerabilities and blocking attacks before they escalate.

What to do when an attack occurs

When a cyberattack occurs, swift and responsive action is essential. Organisations should carry out the following steps to mitigate damage:

  • Isolate infected systems to prevent further spread
  • Investigate the incident to determine the cause and scope
  • Implement recovery measures to restore systems and data
  • Notify relevant authorities and affected parties
  • Activate an incident response plan, inform stakeholders and analyse the scope of the breach

Where to find up to date information about current cyberattacks?

For up-to-date information on cyberattacks, threat intelligence platforms offer real-time threat intelligence, analysing global data across industries. Other reliable resources that businesses can rely on for up-to-date information around cyberattacks include threat intelligence feeds, industry-specific reports from cybersecurity research firms and government alerts from relevant agencies. It is also important to keep up to date with industry news outlets who report on cyberattacks frequently. Monitoring these resources ensures that organisations stay informed of evolving threats​.

FAQs

What is a cyberattack in simple terms?

A cyberattack is an attempt from hackers or cybercriminals to damage or steal information from a computer system or network. Cyberattacks are malicious and intentional and target individuals, businesses or governments. They are typically motivated by financial gain.

What is an example of a cyberattack?

A cyberattack can be exemplified whenever a malicious individual group or collective seeks to unlawfully access or damage computers, networks and computing systems to inflict harm. A common example of a cyberattack is a ransomware attack, in which a type of malware locks a victim’s data, files or system and renders them inaccessible until a victim pays a ransom fee.

What are the 4 common types of cyberattack?

The four most common types of cyberattack are:

  • Malware – Victims of malware attacks are targeted by malicious software designed to harm systems or steal data
  • Phishing – Phishing attacks attempt to trick individuals into revealing sensitive information
  • Ransomware – A type of malware attack that encrypts data and demands a ransom for its release
  • SQL injection – These attacks that exploit vulnerabilities in web applications.

What happens if there is a cyberattack?

If a cyberattack takes place, there are a range of potentially severe consequences for individuals or organisations. Consequences of cyberattacks commonly include financial loss, reputational damage and the loss of sensitive data including personal, financial and medical information.

How do cyberattacks start?

Many cyberattacks are opportunistic, where hackers find weaknesses in a system’s defences and take advantage of them. They might discover flaws in a website’s code, allowing them to insert their own and bypass security checks. Another method is installing malicious software through a vulnerable third-party site.

Cyberattacks and Silobreaker

Silobreaker’s threat intelligence platform helps organisations tackle the threat of cyberattacks by providing powerful insights on emerging risks and opportunities in real-time. This enables global enterprises to make intelligence-led decisions to safeguard their business against cyberattacks.

Silobreaker provides a comprehensive understanding of vulnerabilities through synthesis of structured feeds, vendor reporting, research, open-source reporting and underground chatter to support risk evaluation and patch prioritisation. This prevents disruption for organisations, ensuring resilience and business continuity through effective and timely resource allocation to proactively address risks posed by security weaknesses.

Find out more about how Silobreaker can empower your organisation to identify emerging threats and make intelligence-led decisions to safeguard the business from cyberattacks here.