In the current context, where information represents one of the most precious resources, the cyber attacks they have become a constant threat to companies and individuals.
These attacks not only cause operational disruptions but also put the security of sensitive data. Understanding the types of attacks, their objectives, and data recovery and prevention strategies is essential for every modern organization.
Examples of cyber attacks on companies
Cyber attacks can take many forms and strike with devastating consequences. Some notable examples include:
- Ransomware: One of the most famous examples is the 2017 WannaCry attack which affected hospitals, companies and private users in over 150 countries, encrypting data and demanding Bitcoin payments to unlock it.
- Phishing: The attack on Ubiquiti Networks in 2015, where cybercriminals stole approximately $46 million through a phishing campaign targeting employees, is a clear example of how costly fraudulent emails can be.
- APT (Advanced Persistent Threat) based attacks: Software giant Adobe suffered an attack in 2013, which resulted in the theft of personal data of millions of customers, as well as the source code of some of their most popular products.
- DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service): In 2016, Dyn's DNS service was targeted, leading to the collapse of sites like Twitter, Amazon, and Netflix. This attack leveraged millions of infected IoT devices to overwhelm servers with excessive traffic.
Each of these attacks required not only immediate action to mitigate the damage, but also a long process of recovery and strengthening security measures. Companies must recognize that prevention and preparation are just as crucial as post-attack response and recovery.
What do bad actors target?
Cybercriminals focus on different types of data and systems within an organization. THE main targets They include:
- Financial data: Company banking information, customer credit card information, and any other information that can be exploited for financial fraud or extortion.
- Sensitive customer data: Personal information such as names, addresses, Social Security numbers, and health information that can be sold on the black market or used in targeted phishing campaigns.
- Intellectual property: patents, product designs, research and development data and other confidential documents that can give a competitive advantage if they fall into the wrong hands.
- Critical infrastructures: Industrial control systems and operational networks that, if compromised, can lead to significant disruptions to business operations and even physical damage.
- Employee login credentials: Username and password that can be used to further infiltrate company systems and gain privileged access.
- Communication networks: corporate emails and internal messaging systems, essential for daily operations, which if intercepted, can reveal strategic information or be used to launch internal attacks.
How professional data recovery works
After an attack, the professional data recovery becomes a priority. Cybersecurity specialists use advanced software and techniques to:
- analyze the extent of the damage;
- isolate uncompromised systems;
- remove malware;
- restore data from secure backups.
Recovery often requires in-depth knowledge of not only the attacks but also the damaged systems, with a forensic approach that can help prevent future incidents.
For more information on the services of professionals in the data recovery from media such as hard disk, NAS or RAID see also the site File Recovery.
How to make a business prevention plan
Every company should develop a prevention plan robust, including:
- continuous training of employees,
- the updating and maintenance of IT infrastructures,
- the implementation of security policies,
- developing an incident response plan.
This plan should be reviewed regularly to ensure it is updated with the latest security threats and technologies.
Conclusions
In conclusion, cyber attacks are a constant danger that can affect any company. Awareness is the first step to protection: knowing the attackers' methods, protecting your assets and having a data recovery and prevention plan can make the difference between a small inconvenience and a business catastrophe.
Cyber resilience must be integrated into corporate culture, as only then can organizations aspire to effective security in the digital age.
