Cyber attacks can put our security at risk through very different methods. Hackers rely on vulnerabilities in our systems and devices, on malware, strategies such as Phishing and other techniques that ultimately compromise our computers. In this article we echo how the cloud is helping attackers carry out attacks on the network .
The cloud, increasingly important for attackers
There is no doubt that the cloud offers a wide range of possibilities both to private users and also to companies and organizations. Especially today, when remote work has gained a greater weight, there are many services and tools that we have available and that are based on the cloud.
Now, not everything is positive. In the same way that we can take advantage of the cloud for legitimate use, to be able to carry out interesting tasks in our day to day, it also works for cybercriminals. As we know, they tend to take advantage of what hosts more users or where they find possible vulnerabilities.
The cybersecurity company Trend Micro has presented a report where it warns of how hackers are using the cloud to carry out their attacks. It indicates that they have detected a large amount of data for sale on the Dark Web that includes services such as Google, Amazon or PayPal. What is striking here is that the logins are sold by accessing the records in the cloud where they are stored.
According to Trend Micro, this results in more accounts being monetized, and the time from compromise until the account is actually used for malicious purposes is shortened from weeks to days or hours.
They ensure that, in the same way that users take advantage of the utility that the cloud offers, so do hackers. They rely on these types of services to infect computers and steal information.
Ransomware as an end goal
Criminals who buy stolen cloud-based data logs often use the data for secondary infection purposes, and ransomware is one of the most popular options. As we know, it is the method through which cybercriminals encrypt files and systems to later ask for a financial ransom in return.
In addition, the report indicates that this trend may go further in the future. It could even rely more on machine learning to improve information theft and processing.
In short, we can say that the cloud is something fundamental in our day to day, but it also serves as an attack tool for hackers. It is essential that we take measures to prevent these types of problems and in general protect our privacy and security.
Something basic that we must always keep in mind is to correctly protect the services we use. This means creating passwords that are strong and complex, as well as enabling two-factor authentication whenever possible.
It is also essential that computers have the latest versions and security updates . There are many occasions in which vulnerabilities can arise that can be exploited. Thanks to these patches we can protect ourselves. In addition, we can also have security tools that help us prevent the entry of malware.
