The Digital Shield - Cybersecurity Principles

Common Attacks: Malware and Social Engineering

Cyberattacks generally fall into two categories: technical attacks that exploit software vulnerabilities and psychological attacks that exploit human trust.

• Malware (Malicious Software)

  Malware is any software intentionally designed to cause disruption, steal data, or gain unauthorized access to a computer system. It is a broad category that includes many types.

  • Viruses: A piece of malicious code that attaches itself to a legitimate program or file. It requires human action (like opening the infected file) to spread and cannot replicate on its own without a host program.
  • Ransomware: A particularly nasty form of malware that encrypts a victim's files, making them completely inaccessible. The attacker then demands a ransom payment (usually in cryptocurrency) in exchange for the decryption key to restore the files. It's a form of digital kidnapping.

• Social Engineering: Hacking the Human

  Social engineering is the art of manipulating people into performing actions or divulging confidential information. It relies on psychological tricks rather than technical exploits.

  • Phishing: This is the most common form of social engineering. Attackers send deceptive emails, text messages, or instant messages that appear to be from a legitimate source (like a bank, a tech company, or a colleague). The message often creates a sense of urgency or fear (e.g., "Your account has been compromised, click here to reset your password immediately!") to trick the victim into clicking a malicious link and entering their credentials on a fake login page.