The number of cyber attacks throughout the world has increased drastically since the start of the global pandemic and the looming digital ID – 4th Industrial revolution, where everything will be only accessible online! What was already a big issue has become much bigger ever since millions of people worldwide were forced to switch to remote, online work. Many companies took their business online, which provided countless opportunities for cyber crime and extortion. Aside from business owners, hospitals and even governments are now the prominent targets of these attacks.

Hospitals everywhere have been under immense pressure to accommodate all the increasing numbers of sick people in addition to the regular patients, yet they are being repeatedly targeted by cyber attacks for profit. Hospital attacks have mostly been from ransomware, locking down systems and data and demanding payment. The result of these intrusions was a loss of $67 million in the case of Universal Health attacks last year. The hospital didn’t pay the ransom but the disrupted workflow resulted in a loss of patients, and huge financial expenses.

Evolution of Cyber Attacks

Cyber ​​attacks today are among the three main risk factors that can significantly shake the world economy. Chronologically, the evolution of these attacks can be divided into four generations.

Starting from the 1980s, the first viruses were inevitable with the first personal computers and were spread mostly via floppy disks. The second generation came in the early 1990s and the beginning of the era of mass networking. An increasing number of computers were now on the Internet in order to communicate with each other and share information, which also drastically increased the risks of getting a virus. The increased number of attacks made internet firewalls a necessary solution, that served as barriers protecting your computer.

In the 21st century, or the third wave of cyber attacks, the attacks became more malicious. Since making a profit through these attacks is now possible, they become more sophisticated and harder to defend against. At this point, applications and operating systems were also vulnerable and a security risk, and firewalls weren’t enough anymore. The 2010s mark the fourth generation, and the attacks are more sophisticated than ever. They are infiltrating regular files and documents that we regularly download, and some attacks are even sanctioned by governments and large organizations.

Increase in Cyber Crime in Australia

Back in June last year, Australia was the target of a coordinated state-based cyber attack. The scale and the sophistication of the attack imply that it is state-based, and not something that could have been done by an individual or a group. The Australian government believes that China was behind this attack, although there is no confirmation. The government is now implementing a $1.7 billion-dollar strategy regarding cybersecurity in order to prevent future attacks of this scale. Australians on average, report 164 cyber crime every day. Most of these crimes fall under fraud with misuse of information as a close second.

These attacks can be devastating for the Australian economy as well as for the individuals. Many people who have previously conducted business in person now have to take cyber security precautions, in a field they aren’t very familiar with. Even disregarding business, the onset of social media provides many risks and exposes your personal data. Considering the fact that many of these attacks can be easily prevented if you can spot the warning signs on time, computer training is becoming a necessity for online safety.

Most Common Types of Cyber Attacks

Cyber attacks can come in many forms and with different purposes, but the more you know about them the higher your chances are of defending yourself. These below are some of the most common types of attacks you can encounter online.

Ransomware

Malicious programs which encrypt and lock a system or computer, asking for a financial ransom in exchange for unlocking it. This usually isn’t a big problem for IT experts, it can be very dangerous for an average user. People behind these programs also prey on panic and try to intimidate people into paying the ransom as soon as possible. For a more advanced version, there is cryptoviral extortion. This version is far more difficult to counteract and it can lock your data behind a decryption key for good.

SQL Injection Attack

These cyber attacks aim to inject malicious code into the database and extract its information. When successful, these can read and modify data from the target machine, and even control it to a degree. They can issue certain commands to your computer like shut it down or control some of your data.

Denial of Service (DoS)

These attacks attempt to overwhelm a server in order to crash it and prevent it from functioning. They target the system’s resources and attack from multiple different host machines. These types of attacks have no benefit to the hacker, their whole aim is to bring someone else down. It’s common to see DoS and DDoS attacks between marketing competitors crashing each other’s websites.

Phishing

One of the most common types of attacks on social networks. They usually appear in the form of emails or links you can click on that lead to other websites. The goal is to get you to click on something as they can’t infect your computer otherwise, it requires action on your end. Phishing hacks can look like a great deal on some product, or something irresistible that many people will click on.

Cross-Site Scripting

It is an attack that affects a web page and that aims to steal user data. The attacker can infect the website database with dangerous malware, and hijack data. This form of cyber attack can steal info from the browser cookies and even screenshots. In the worst cases, it allows partial remote control of the target computer.

Ways to Protect Against Some Viruses and Attacks

• Avoid clicking on messages from social networks like Twitter or Facebook that look suspicious or where there are many people tagged. If you get tagged in one, ask the person who sent the message about what it contains;
• When you don’t know the sender of an email, don’t open the attachments inside. First confirm the information with that person to verify the validity of the email;
• Don’t visit suspicious websites or those that offer you to earn things for clicking on certain internet pages;
• Avoid downloading free music, videos, movies, or series illegally on the internet. The vast majority of these sites offer file downloads containing viruses that can infect your computer;
• Don’t click on suspicious advertisements that appear on web pages or arrive in your inbox;
• Analyze USB memory sticks and CDs before running them on your computer. It does not matter if it is from a friend or acquaintance, perhaps he does not know that some of these elements may be infected with viruses;
• The most important thing: keep the antivirus updated and active on all the devices you use to surf the internet.

What We Can Do for You

Whether you want in-person coaching face to face in your home or online, we are there for you. Our coaches now cover more territories in Australia than ever, including Sydney, Perth, Adelaide, Gold Coast, and the Melbourne areas. We can arrange in-person live coaching in many areas all over the country at your pace, place and time. Our team has years of experience in teaching computer, phone and tablet skills, including personal security from cyber attacks and also general usage. If you wanted to start an online business, but are afraid of the risks from these common attacks, we can give you the tools you need to secure your data. For online sessions, we are available at any time and can arrange coaching sessions whenever you are available.

At Computer Coach Australia we work with everyone on everything tech. It doesn’t matter whether you are a NDIS, Return to Work – Workers Compensation claimant, Professional Development, Work Place Training and Assessment, Senior or Student. We will help you to become empowered, motivated and independent using your technology.

Feel free to contact us if you feel the need to improve your personal cybersecurity. These attacks can be extremely risky and can endanger your personal data even if you are a cautious internet user, which is why you need all the help you can get! Our trainers can give you personalised, one-on-one training sessions and teach you how to keep an eye out for these malicious programs. If you’re not sure where to start you can see our session questionnaire for guidance.

Give Zoe a call or send us an email:

Phone: 0407 956 071

Email: computercoachaustralia@gmail.com