With the rapid development of information technology in recent years, individuals’ opportunities to use the Internet have increased, and the system environments used by institutions and companies have diversified. At the same time, losses from cyber attacks aimed at stealing information and money are also increasing, and now not only large companies but everyone can be a victim of attacks. This article provides an easy-to-understand explanation of the methods and types of cyber attacks that are becoming increasingly complex and sophisticated. We will also take effective measures to reduce the risk of victimization.
What is a cyber attack?
A cyber attack is an action that destroys systems, steals data, or interferes with servers, computers, smartphones, etc. over the Internet. In recent years, the increasing popularity of digital devices and the increasing opportunities for companies and individuals to use the Internet increased the risk of becoming a victim of cyber attacks.
Moreover, with the advancement of IT technology, cyber attack methods are also becoming more complex and sophisticated. Countermeasures are becoming increasingly difficult, and reports of damage caused by cyber-attacks continue to pour in worldwide.
Purpose of cyber attack
Although the purposes of cyber attacks vary depending on the attacker, the most common attack is for financial gain. There have also been cases where stolen information was sold or money was demanded from the victim in exchange for information.
In addition, in the past, there were many criminals who carried out cyber attacks for entertainment purposes, such as illegally logging into websites or defacing web pages, to show off their skills.
In addition, there are cases where the purpose is to steal confidential information from organizations, companies, or countries, cases where criminal groups based on the same ideology or principles are trying to make social or political claims, and cases where criminal groups based on the same ideology or principles The purpose is to steal confidential information from organizations, companies or countries or to disrupt commercial activities or to damage the image of organizations/companies, the purpose of cyber attacks is broad in theory or principle.
Trends in cyber attacks in recent years
In recent years, with the development of information technology, the system environments used by institutions and organizations have diversified, and with the development of remote working environments that allow external access to internal company systems, cyber-attack methods have become more complex and complicated. Complicated. I
In the “Top 10 Information Security Threats 2024 [Organization Edition]” published by the IPA (Independent Administrative Agency for Information Technology Promotion), the damage caused by ransomware was ranked as the number one security threat. Specific examples include cases where unauthorized access was gained by exploiting vulnerabilities in remotely connected devices and cases where attackers infiltrated through a VPN with various intrusion paths.
In addition, supply chain attacks that steal confidential information from large companies have exploited cyberattacks on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and other organizations without security measures, and in some cases, I have experienced serious incidents due to information leakage.
In this case, the extent of damage caused by cyberattacks is increasing year by year. According to the FBI, the amount of damage caused by cyberattacks worldwide will exceed approximately 1.93 trillion yen ($12.5 billion / 155 yen per dollar) in 2023, almost double that of 2021. On the other hand, the increase in the number of casualties from 840,000 in 2021 to 880,000 in 2023, an increase of only 3.8%, indicates that the loss per incident has become significantly more expensive.
Current Situation of Cyber Attacks in Japan
Cyber attacks are also on the rise in Japan. According to the National Police Agency, the number of cleared cybercrime cases (crimes involving computers and electromagnetic recordings) increased from 563 in 2020 to 1,000 in 2023.
In particular, losses due to phishing, etc. are increasing in 2023, with the number of phishing reports reaching an all-time high of 1,196,390. In addition, losses from unauthorized use of credit cards totaled 40.19 billion yen, while losses from unauthorized transfers related to Internet banking reached 8.73 billion yen, both record highs. In addition, the number of ransomware cases remained at an all-time high of 197, while the situation is still dire.
Types of Cyber Attacks
There are different types and methods of cyberattacks; some target organizations and companies, while others target individuals. There are also many attacks that randomly attack an unspecified number of people. It is important to have a good understanding of the types and techniques of attacks in order to be able to take precautions against the increasing variety of cyberattacks.
Here we will introduce some common types of cyberattacks.
Targeted attack
A targeted attack is a cyberattack that targets a specific organization, company, or individual. Some techniques include seeking information about the attack target, impersonating a related party such as an acquaintance or business partner, and sending emails containing malware. If you accidentally open a file attached to an email, your PC or smartphone can become infected with malware, which can lead to information leakage or financial theft.
Depending on the malware, it can be difficult to detect anomalies even after infection, and some malware continues to send information for weeks or even months, so the damage is likely to be high.
Ransomware attack
Ransomware is a type of malware that encrypts data on your device without permission and demands a ransom in exchange for decrypting the data. In addition to encrypting data, it has been observed that a technique called double extraction is also used, where the attacker threatens to leak the stolen data and demands money.
If you are attacked by ransomware, there is no guarantee that your data will be decrypted even if you pay. In fact, if you make a threat, you will be seen as an organization that pays the price, and there is a risk of the attack escalating, so you need to be careful when responding.
Emote Attack
Emotet is malware that is primarily delivered via email and placed as attachments to files such as Word and Excel. The file contains text that prompts you to run a macro, and if you unknowingly click on the “Enable Content” option, the macro will start and infect the Emote.
If your device is infected with Emote, not only will your device’s data be stolen, but it will also be vulnerable to other malware and ransomware. There is also a risk that emails sent from devices infected with Emotet could already contain Emotet, so they could be used as a springboard for attacks on other organizations.
Emotet wreaked havoc on many organizations and companies from 2019 to 2020, and despite some respite, it continues to operate and be suspended, so continued vigilance is necessary.
Supply chain attack
A supply chain attack is a cyber attack characterized by exploiting the connections between organizations (supply chains).
Generally, large companies at the top of the supply chain often have tight security measures, making it difficult for attackers to infiltrate. Therefore, when targeting large companies, they attempt to attack the target company by launching cyber attacks on organizations with relatively weak security measures, such as related companies with business connections.
Companies with large supply chains are under pressure to implement security measures not only for themselves but also for the entire supply chain.
Business email attack
A business email scam is a cyber attack in which an attacker impersonates a company’s management or a business partner’s representative, sends emails, and defrauds employees through fraudulent wire transfers.
Attackers collect preliminary information by intercepting the target company’s business emails and checking SNS, and in most cases, it is difficult to tell whether an email is a scam based on the content of the email. In addition, the methods are becoming more sophisticated every year; in some cases, people use stolen email accounts to send fake emails from legitimate accounts.
It is important for all employees of an organization to fully understand the practices and take appropriate steps, such as properly managing account information and carefully checking email addresses and texts.
Phishing scam
A phishing attack is a cyber attack that steals the victim’s personal information through a fake website. Typically, emails are sent as if they are from banks, financial institutions, real companies, etc., and direct the user to a fake website that is difficult to distinguish from a legitimate service. Usernames, passwords, etc. are provided. There are many ways to steal credit card information.
Until now, phishing attacks were considered cyber attacks targeting an unspecified number of people, but in recent years, a technique called spear phishing, which targets specific targets, has become widespread. A technique called fragmentation, which uses the Short Message Service (SMS) on smartphones to direct users to malicious websites, is also used.
Zero-click scam
A zero-click scam is a cyber-attack where users are asked to pay money when they visit a website, even though they haven’t done anything else. Usually, right after opening a website on a smartphone or PC, a message pops up asking for payment, such as “Please transfer the fee” or “Registration complete.”
The message displayed may include a phone number, but if you call the number, you run the risk of being repeatedly asked to pay over the phone. In fact, it’s unlikely that you’ll be charged a usage fee just for accessing the website, so if a message does pop up, you can safely ignore it.
Juice jacking attack
A juice jacking attack is a cyber attack that exploits USB ports and cables in public places, such as hotels, cafes, and airports. A malicious attacker can insert a special component into the USB port and infect the device with malware when it’s connected, posing the risk of data theft or remote control of the device.
Juice jacking attacks are especially common in situations where you need to charge while on the go, such as when traveling. At first glance, a specially designed USB port or cable may seem ordinary, but it is possible that it has been compromised without you realizing it, so bring your own charger and charging cable.
DoS/DDoS attack
A DoS attack is a cyber-attack that sends a large amount of data from a single device to a target server. Its aim is to overload the server, causing system outages such as website inaccessibility or service interruption.
An attack that launches a DoS attack from multiple devices at the same time is also called a DDoS attack. In the case of a DoS attack, you can prevent damage by blocking the data sent from the same IP address. However, DDoS attacks are more difficult to deal with than DoS attacks because the data is sent from multiple IP addresses. Additionally, many of the devices used in the attack are likely to be third-party computers, making it difficult to identify the attacker.
F5 Attack
An F5 attack is a variation of the previously mentioned DoS attack and is an attack that overloads the server by repeatedly loading multiple websites. It is called pressing F5 repeatedly to refresh the page.
Password list attack
A password list attack is an attack in which an attacker uses a list of user IIDsand password combinations that have been obtained in some way to attempt unauthorized logins to various systems and services.
This attack exploits the tendency of many users to reuse the same ID and password across multiple web services. It is important to set a different password for each service to prevent theft of personal information and money through unauthorized login.
Zero-Day Attack
A zero-day attack is a cyberattack that exploits a vulnerability in an operating system or application and is characterized by executing before the developer has deployed a fix or patch to address the vulnerability.
It is difficult to take basic countermeasures or to quickly detect and respond to attacks because developers and users exploit vulnerabilities that they are not aware of. Countermeasures against zero-day attacks include immediately stopping the use of software in which the vulnerabilities are discovered.
Farm stealing attacks
A form stealing attack is a cyberattack that places malicious scripts to modify forms on e-commerce sites, etc., and steal personal information and credit card information.
This is a method where the content submitted from a form is illegally sent to a third party and is likely to be uploaded to a legitimate website or web service. Even if the information is stolen, it is difficult to see that an attack has occurred until the stolen information is misused because the transaction is successful.
Operating system command injection
Operating system command injection is a cyber attack that exploits vulnerabilities in applications. Attackers exploit vulnerabilities in applications to send malicious operating system commands from outside, causing the system to execute commands that the user does not expect. This can cause damage such as infection of the system, unauthorized manipulation, or file tampering.
Cross-site Scripting (XSS)
A cross-site scripting (XSS) attack is a cyber attack in which an attacker creates a scripted link on a website and tricks the user into clicking on the link, thus redirecting the user to another website.
For example, there is a risk of stealing passwords entered by redirecting to fake login forms, stealing cookies that store user information, and fraudulent use of SNS accounts or online banking.
This is an attack that occurs primarily on Internet bulletin boards and e-commerce sites, and sometimes on legitimate websites and web services through cross-site scripting, so anyone who uses the Internet can be a victim of cyberattacks. Call it an attack.
Cyber attack prevention measures
Check your email security.
Email is often used by attackers to infiltrate organizations. Common techniques include attaching files containing malicious programs or sending URLs that redirect to malicious websites.
Strengthening your email security is an effective way to prevent these types of attacks. It may be possible to detect suspicious emails and malicious attachments. You can also reduce the risk by filtering high-risk emails or opting out of receiving them.
Checking web browser security.
There are many cyberattacks that exploit web browsers. For example, techniques include redirecting users to a fake website that closely resembles a real company website or interfering with legitimate web services to steal account information.
Strengthening web browser security, such as introducing URL filtering, is effective against these types of cyberattacks. You can restrict access to high-risk websites and reduce the risk of malware infection through websites.
Check malware protection.
Taking precautions against malware is also crucial to preparing for cyberattacks. When installing software, precautions must be taken against malware infection on the computer or malware infection on the computer via storage media such as USB memory sticks.
An effective measure against malware is to install antivirus software. In addition, the risk of malware infection via USB memory sticks, etc. can be reduced by restricting the use of storage media.
It is also important not to ignore software vulnerabilities and to apply updates quickly. Keeping your operating system and applications up to date is very important as a basic preparation against any cyber attack.
“SKYSEA Client View” to Prepare for Cyber Attacks
The client operations management software “SKYSEA Client View” is equipped with functions that can collect and centrally manage information about IT assets such as PCs and software, as well as computer transaction logs and information. It helps organizations prevent leaks and manage IT securely. Assets
In addition to effectively collecting information about the targets of cyber attacks and supporting the application of security patches, it also monitors the status of updates to the latest versions of the operating system and software used on PCs within an organization. Your IT environment is always up to date.
It also has functions that restrict the use of work-related applications, browsing websites, and using USB devices. We also reduce risks through layered defenses, including support for hardening endpoint security to tightly protect endpoint IT devices in the unlikely event that a threat infiltrates your organization.
We offer on-premises and cloud versions, and you can choose the one that suits your usage environment and needs, such as the number of computers you manage and your work style. To prevent information leakage and increase IT asset management efficiency, please consider implementing the “SKYSEA Customer View” application.