Emerging Cybersecurity Threats
Emerging Cybersecurity Threats
With each new and exciting piece of technology that is released in this world, there also comes the risk of criminals taking the joy out of it. Cyber criminals get creative with every device on the market to hack into private information – whether that be personal identifying information or data from large corporations. Some of the most common cybersecurity threats that are well known are phishing scams, malware, and insecure public Wi-Fi networks. However, there are emerging cybersecurity threats that many cyber criminals are now implementing.
MFA Fatigue
Multi-Factor Authentication has been utilized more recently as a way to combat cyber-attacks on confidential information. However, cyber criminals, of course, are finding ways to even exploit a seemingly fool-proof way of keeping data safe.
With Multi-Factor Authentication Fatigue, cyber criminals already have access to their victim’s username, passwords, and security/recovery credentials – usually taken from a larger breach or phishing attack. The cybercriminal will sign into the account with stolen credentials and puh the MFA notifications to their victim’s secondary device (like their phone, for example). In this case, however, they don’t just do it once. They do it over and over to “fatigue” their victim into eventually pressing yes. They do this hoping to confuse their victim and think it may be a glitch and just press yes to get rid of the notifications out of frustration. Cyber criminals will pose as their victim’s IT support to say that it is part of normal procedure, as Beyond Trust describes.
Juice Jacking
Cyber criminals like to prey on the vulnerable – and a traveling victim with a device in need of a charge is one of the most vulnerable by today’s standards. Juice Jacking is an emerging threat where hackers are exploiting the need to stay charged and connected in society.
Juice Jacking got its name from the colloquial term of energy being “juice” and shortened version of “hijacking.” The Federal Communications Commission describes the process as “bad actors can load malware onto public USB charging stations to maliciously access electronic devices while they are being charged.” In this way, cyber criminals are putting malware in public charging stations, like the ones in airports and hospitals, to download personal identifying information from their victims.
Vishing
Nowadays, it isn’t uncommon to receive several spam calls in a day. And many of these spam calls are most likely phishing attempts to gain access to the victim’s personal information.
Vishing, as defined by Proofpoint, is a phishing attack that uses voice-altering software, text messages, and fraudulent phone numbers to trick their victims into giving up their private information. In many of these fraudulent calls, cyber criminals will disguise their voice or use “robocalls” to sound like an official business. Many start with a text that involves a number that you should call to rectify something wrong. For example, many will pose as an automated Amazon service through text and when you call, the scammer will answer the call as if they were Amazon support services.
The University of Fairfax and Cybersecurity
At the University of Fairfax, we have over 20 years of educating today’s cybersecurity leaders. We have both graduate and doctoral degree programs for those looking to stop cybersecurity threats and criminals in their tracks. Learn from our career-experienced professors to provide you with the ins-and-outs of the field. We incorporate The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework into our curriculums so that you are learning the practices the US government uses in their cybersecurity defenses. To learn more about our programs, go to ufairfax.edu.
The University of Fairfax – Secure Your Future
