Hackers are constantly trying new tactics to gain access to corporate data. Test yourself and see if you can name these seven common types of attacks. Then check your answers against the key at the bottom.
- A program that generates passwords based on commonly used combinations of words, numbers, and characters. It relies on raw computing power to test those combinations.
A. Phishing
B. Brute force attack
C. Man in the middle
D. Traffic interception - A program that impersonates a website or an application, capturing the information the user enters: usernames, passwords, and possibly also other sensitive information.
A. Spear phishing
B. Distributed denial-of-service
C. Man in the middle
D. Social engineering - Messages, usually in the form of emails or texts, which attempt to trick users into providing their usernames and/or passwords. Or to click a link that will install malicious programs.
A. Phishing
B. Quid pro quo
C. SQL injection
D. Dictionary attack - A program that uses a list of common words and tries them, in various combinations and with various capitalization and number combinations, to generate passwords to use with usernames against accounts.
A. Dictionary attack
B. Quid pro quo
C. Social engineering
D. Traffic interception - Software that monitors a network seeking passwords being sent (encrypted or not) or other sensitive information.
A. Baiting
B. SQL injection
C. Traffic interception
D.Distributed denial-of-service - Well-crafted, tailored messages with some personal information. They are designed to trick people into giving up sensitive information such as passwords or account numbers. This attack relies on the fact that people often assume that only a valid entity would have personal information.
A. Phishing
B. Zero day exploit
C. Man in the middle
D. Spear phishing - A program installed on a user’s device (usually by tricking the user into clicking a link) which tracks the user’s every keystroke on that device.
A. Quid pro quo
B. Key logger
C. Traffic intercept
D. Baiting
Answers:
- B) Brute force attack
- C) Man in the middle
- A) Phishing
- A) Dictionary attack
- C) Traffic interception
- D) Spear phishing
- B) Key logger