What are cybersecurity threats?

A cybersecurity threat is a malicious act intended to steal or damage the data, spying to gather any information, block or damage the computer networks, or any intervention to disrupt the digital life is included in a cybersecurity threat.

Types of cybersecurity threats

There are many types of cybersecurity threats. Some of the most common and generic types are given below.

1. Malware
   Malware is a type of cyber threat which is activated when a user clicks on some malicious link or attachment, which leads to installing malicious software. Viruses, worms, and spyware are some common examples of malware.
   

   Malware can lead to many consequences; some of them are given below.

   • Block network access or some of the network components, this type of malware is known as ransomware.

   • Obtain information secretly. This type of malware is known as spyware.

   • Malfunctioning the system and even making it inoperable.

   • Installing other malicious software.

   The recent most famous malware is wannacry ransomware, which targeted Microsoft Windows systems. This malware affects around 200,000 systems in 150 different countries.

2. Denial of service (DoS)
   DoS is a cyber security threat that can make a network or system unresponsive to new requests by sending massive requests until it overflows or by sending it some information that makes it crash.

3. Emotet
   Emotet is considered the most costly cybersecurity threat. Emotet is a banking trojan that steals banking credentials.

4. Man in the Middle (MITM)
   In a MITM cybersecurity attack, a hacker secretly intervenes in a two-party transaction. In this situation, the hacker can easily alter and steal the data.
   The below illustration describes the MITM attack.

5. Phishing
   The phishing cybersecurity threat is used with some communication medium. This attack aims to trick someone into stealing his information or installing malware. The most common example of phishing is to trick someone via emails to steal their bank credentials.

6. SQL Injection
   In SQL injection, malicious code is injected into a server using SQL, resulting in an information leak. Through an SQL injection, the attacker might get access to critical information of other users, such as the username and password of all the users.