When dealing with cybersecurity, it is important to understand what vulnerabilities there are, the different types, and how they can be prevented. Sunaina Aytan – a cybersecurity analyst at e-secure, tells us how.
To begin, there are two types of vulnerabilities- software vulnerabilities and hardware vulnerabilities.
- Software vulnerabilities are usually when there is an error in the operating code and an attacker uses this error to find their way into the system. To combat these types of vulnerabilities, big companies release patch updates.
- Hardware vulnerabilities are usually not exploited through random attempts as the attacker needs direct access to the hardware and its design flaws.
Security vulnerabilities
These can also come in different shapes and forms. For example, we can come across non validated input when the data coming into the program could contain malicious content. Also, weaknesses in security practices and race conditions, where attackers can gain access when outputs do not occur in the correct order.
Malware
Malware is an important concept to consider when looking at vulnerabilities. What is Malware? It is a form of malicious code that attackers use to steal data, gain access, or cause problems.
Similar to security vulnerabilities, there are many types of malware. Below, you can find out about the different types of malware, as well as how to prevent them.
- Spyware such as keystroke loggers. To prevent these, check nothing is physically connected to your computer.
- Adware. To prevent these unwanted advertisements, pay close attention when downloading software.
- Ransomware. Making sure you steer clear of these payment demanding malware, make sure to only use supported operating systems.
- A Man in the Mobile attack is when the attacker gains access to a mobile to extract sensitive data. To prevent this, do not connect your mobile device to any public WIFI routers, as this is how these attacks are carried out.
As always, it is important to make sure that you have a trustworthy antivirus software installed on to your device.
