Top 10 Network Security Threats

Introduction

Over the years, the overall number of network security vulnerabilities has increased by leaps and bounds. Today, there are a dozen network security threats you need to be focused upon. In this article, you will read about the top ten types of vulnerabilities in network security.

1. List of Network Security Threats

1. List of Network Security Threats

A) Computer Virus

The talk about “what are network security threats” always begins with the computer virus. There are plenty of network security examples in the past to help you understand the impact a powerful virus like the Trojan can have on organizations and personal machines. A study revealed that more than 30 percent of computers in traditional homes can be affected by malware, especially viruses. These are uniquely designed pieces of code that get distributed via emails and pen drives (or even hard disks). The virus is known for disabling features and stealing data from the target machine.

B) Rogue Security Software

The talk about the different types of network security threats will remain incomplete without the rogue security software. These are software programs, designed to mimic the role played by an antivirus solution. However, the actual purpose of the rogue software is extremely different. These programs do more harm than good. They are often advertised as software programs that can remove viruses. Yet, the actual job accomplished by these pieces of software is to steal user data, and even leave the machine in a much worse state than, to begin with. Moreover, the rogue software doesn’t come for free. Most of the time, users need to pay for these programs.

C) Trojan

As mentioned previously, the virus is one of the biggest network security threats and solutions have surfaced for years to fight powerful virus programs. Trojan is a famous virus that hides behind legitimate pieces of software. Many times, this virus spreads via email that is sent from known people. It can be in the form of an attachment that is immediately downloaded into your machine.

The moment a Trojan program enters into your machine, it runs along with the other programs. This allows the virus to extract crucial pieces of information from your system. The virus is known for hijacking the web camera, and even stealing account information.

D) Adware and Spyware

Another commonly found form of network security risk would be adware and spyware. By definition, the adware is considered as a piece of code that can monitor your online behavior. Pop-ups and advertisements are personalized with the data from the adware. However, it is strongly believed that adware has the consent of the user before it collects any piece of information. The adware that gets downloaded into your machine without your consent can be considered malicious. On the other hand, spyware follows the same lines as adware. But, the spyware is focused on stealing personal information like credit card numbers and passwords.

E) Worms

What are network threats without the famous computer worms? There was a time when every computer user daunted the presence of worms. These are malware programs with the ability to spread from machine to machine. Also, these are known for quick replication. Within a short span of time, the programs can infect numerous computers.

The worm works by accessing the contacts stored in your machine. This could be anything like a simple email address or a webpage. Fortunately, not all worms are designed to result in trouble. These are smart programs that rely on the vulnerabilities of the software to spread.

F) DDOS Attack

For many years, DOS and DDOS attacks have been recognized as active threats in network security. These are errors that portray the impression of an overloaded server. Many times, DDOS attacks surface when a group of people is awaiting something interesting online. This could be anything like the launch of a product. There have been occasions when famous search engines like Google have also become victims of the DDOS attack. Few other terms used to identify such attacks would be malicious traffic overload, denial of service, or the very famous DoS Attack.

G) Phishing

Phishing is categorized as a form of social media engineering attacks. Fortunately, some of the best network security software in the market can help your organization steer clear from phishing attacks. The goal of these attacks is to fetch your usernames, credit card numbers, and sensitive data like passwords. These attacks are often framed in the form of text messages or emails. These messages look and feel like legitimate requests.

They often trick the recipient into clicking a link or opening an attachment that can install the malware in the computer of the recipient. Security Trails are a great example of network security threat protection. These trails can help you uncover many phishing domains.

H) Rootkit

Rootkit is often categorized under external network security threats. This is a collection of tools that allow hackers to access computers and networks from different origins. The tool allows the hacker to serve as the administrator of the network or machine. This means they have the freedom and authorization to perform a range of malicious operations.

The Rootkit tool is often accompanied by password hackers, keyloggers, and even pieces of code to disable antivirus programs in the target machine. Just like many other forms of modern network security threats, the Rootkits hide behind legitimate pieces of software.

I) SQL Injection Attacks

Indeed, this is one of the most common network security threats in the industry. Why? Most companies rely on database services like SQL to store their data. The technology behind injection attacks has grown by leaps. Today, these threats are extremely advanced, forcing companies to have multiple layers of security and projection around their data. SQL Injection attacks are strong data-driven.

J) Man in the Middle Attacks

Finally, we have the Man in the Middle attacks. These are cyber security attacks where the hacker listens to conversations made over the internet. Conversations that are meant to be private become exposed because of this attack.

Conclusion

On the whole, network security threats are at the risk. Every now and then, targets fall for these threats. Moreover, the creation and deployment of protocols that can safeguard data, and networks from malware has become an integral part of organizations, both big and small.

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