by • This article discusses the anatomy of a cyberattack, and the stages involved in phishing and ransomware attacks.
• Cyberattacks involve reconnaissance, weaponization, delivery, exploitation, installation and command & control stages.
• Understanding the anatomy of a cyberattack helps individuals, businesses and governments to develop effective cybersecurity strategies.
Anatomy of a Cyberattack
Cyberattacks have become increasingly prevalent in today’s digitally connected world. A cyberattack is a malicious attempt to exploit vulnerabilities in computer systems, networks or software for nefarious purposes. To understand the changing environment of cyber threats, this article will discuss the essential elements of a cyberattack.
Stages Involved in a Cyberattack
Reconnaissance: The attackers gather data on the target during the reconnaissance phase by employing tactics such as active or passive reconnaissance. Active reconnaissance involves scanning networks for prospective access points while passive reconnaissance involves gathering information about the target without directly engaging with its systems or networks.
Weaponization: After locating their targets and weak points, attackers weaponize the attack by writing malicious code or taking advantage of already-known weaknesses. This entails developing malware such as viruses, trojans or ransomware.
Delivery: Once the malicious payload has been developed it must be delivered to the target system through means such as phishing emails, harmful links or infected attachments.
Exploitation:
Attackers use security flaws, unpatched software or shoddy authentication procedures to access their target system.Installation : < / Strong > Once access has been gained , attackers install viruses and malware to keep their target persistent under their control . They also increase their credentials to get more advanced network access . < H 2 > Command & Control : < / H 2 > Attackers create an infrastructure for communication between them and their target system . This allows them to monitor activity , issue commands , steal data , encrypt files , etc .
