Many people mistakenly believe they are not a target for cyber attackers: that they, their systems, or accounts do not have any value. This could not be further from the truth. If you use technology in anyway, at work or at home, trust us – you have value to the bad guys. But, you are in luck. You already have the best defense there is against these cyber attacks – you.
There are lots of different cyber attackers on the Internet today, and they all have different motivations. So why would any of them want to attack you? Because by hacking you they help achieve their goal. Here are two common examples of cyber attackers and why they would target you.
Okay, so I’m a target, not a problem. I’ll just install anti-virus and a firewall on my computer and I’m protected, right? Well unfortunately, no. Many people feel if they install some security tools then they are secure. Unfortunately, that is not entirely true. Cyber attackers continue to get better and better, and many of their attack methods now easily bypass security technologies. For example, they often create special malware that your antivirus cannot detect. They bypass your email filters with a customized phishing attack or call you on the phone and trick or scam you out of your credit card, money, or password. Technology plays an important role in protecting you, but ultimately you are the best defense. Fortunately, being secure is not that hard; ultimately common sense and some basic behaviors are your best defense. If you get an email, message, or phone call that is extremely urgent, odd, or suspicious, it may be an attack. To ensure your computers and devices are secure, keep them current and enable automatic updating. Finally, use a strong, unique passphrase for each of your accounts. Staying cyber-aware is ultimately your best defense.
Matt Bromiley (@mbromileyDFIR) is an incident responder and digital forensic expert with
over 8 years’ experience and has worked with organizations and incidents around the world.
Matt is also a Digital Forensic and Incident Response instructor, teaching both SANS FOR508
and FOR572 courses.
Resources
Stop That Malware: https://www.sans.org/u/L1J
Social Engineering: https://www.sans.org/u/L1O
Phone Call Scams: https://www.sans.org/u/L1T
Passphrases: https://www.sans.org/u/L1Y
Poster – You Are a Target: https://www.sans.org/u/L23