When browsing the Internet we can come across many types of attacks that put our security at risk. It is also true that there are many tools that we can use to protect ourselves, but hackers constantly improve their techniques. Today we echo a report warning of the large increase in targeted attacks . We are going to talk about it and also give some tips to avoid falling victim to this problem.
Targeted attacks on the rise
What does targeted attacks mean? It stands to reason that any attack is going to be aimed at a target. You will try to achieve something. However, when we talk about targeted attacks, we refer to those that are specifically targeted at a particular user. This means that it is not a generic attack that seeks to infect with a certain malware, for example.
Targeted attacks are those that we can receive in our name in the e-mail and that for example is a Phishing attack . It is aimed at trying to steal our credentials and passwords.
It should be mentioned that cybercriminals increasingly know their victims. They have more and more data related to users . More information they can use to carry out their attacks and ultimately be more successful.
Now a report has shown that targeted attacks have increased significantly in recent months. But not only that, but they are also more dangerous precisely because of what we mentioned earlier: hackers know their victims better and have more data available.
According to this report, this type of attack has grown by 20% compared to the previous year. They also indicate that it affects very varied sectors, both organizations and private users.
Among the targeted attacks we can highlight ransomware . The researchers indicate that it has a great weight and that it has also grown in recent months. We already know that it is a type of attack through which they can encrypt files and render us unable to use our systems normally.
How to protect ourselves from targeted attacks
Fortunately, it is in our power to prevent targeted attacks. Something very important is common sense . Most attacks will require user interaction. This means that we are going to have to open a certain link or download a file. For example, the Phishing attacks that we can receive by email will require us to enter our data. It is therefore vital to always be alert and not make mistakes.
The use of security tools is also very important. A good antivirus can prevent the entry of malware that puts our security at risk. It is important that we always have this type of software regardless of the type of devices or operating systems we use.
Finally, something that cannot be missed is the fact of correctly updating our systems. It is very important that we always have the latest patches and updates. Sometimes vulnerabilities arise that can be exploited by hackers to carry out their attacks.
We leave you an article about everything related to firewalls and how they maintain security.
