Cyberattacks can feel like a random, unjust string of bad luck, as if they appeared out of nowhere. However, cyber attackers frequently give themselves away ahead of time if you know what to look for in the first place. Product based companies generally involve best cyber security companies and penetration testing services & VAPT companies to detect these early signs as soon as it can be.
The fact that Cyber Attack is referred to as a “Digital Attack” occurrence demonstrates how many people are either not searching for red signs or don’t know what to look for in the first place. So let’s take a look at five of the early warning signs that you might be the target of a cyber attack, and what you can do about it.
1:- Small Isolated Attacks:
Small-scale, individual attacks spanning a few of machines are one way attackers will investigate your network perimeter defenses, appearing more as one-offs than components of a concerted attack. The attackers’ purpose with these test attacks is to determine how well their attack can be disseminated and truly enter their target’s system, how good their target’s protection software’s well as penetration testing is at fighting it.
On the one hand, these test attack scenarios give the hackers with vital knowledge on how to adapt their attack to better infect target PCs and networks, and on the other side, they can cut both ways. These dry-run attacks, on the other hand, are the clearest indication yet of an oncoming attack; it’s the closest thing to an attacker identifying themselves ahead of time.
Because the period between a test attack and a full-fledged attack can be as little as a few hours, it’s critical to respond quickly to both the test attacks and the broader attack response.
2:- Microsoft Process Explorer + MimiKatz
MimiKatz is one of the most often used tools for credential theft by hackers. To detect and disentangle logins and passwords, cyber attackers will employ Kamikaze in conjunction with Microsoft Process Explorer (supplied by Windows Sysinternals).
Although Microsoft Process Explorer is a valid application, cyber attackers can damage it by using it to dump LSASSE.exe run files from system memory and create a.dmp file. The hackers then take that.dmp file to their own test environment, where they’ll utilise MimiKatz to extract usernames and passwords, giving them greater access to your network. As a result, MimiKatz’s first clue should be investigated right away.
3:- Scanners for networks, such as AngryIP and Advanced Port Scanner
The presence of a network scanner on your system isn’t necessarily a bad thing if you can link it to a valid use or deployment by a member of your team. If not, this could be a sign that cyber criminals are conducting reconnaissance on your machine.
Attackers usually begin poking about your systems by gaining access to one machine and determining its operating system, domain and company name, admin rights, and other information. They’ll then branch out to see what else is available on the network. The network scanner is useful in this situation.
If you notice a network scanner, it’s a sign that cyber criminals are scouting your company in preparation for a strike.
4:- Security-Disabling Applications: GMER, PC Hunter, Process Hacker, IOBit Uninstaller
Again, the presence of these security-eroding programmers isn’t always a bad thing. That, however, plays to the cyber attacker’s advantage. Commercial tools like these are readily ignored as anything harmful because they serve genuine functions. However, their appearance of respectability conceals how dangerous they may be in the wrong hands.
If cyber attackers gain admin access to your network, they’ll use tools like these to force security safeguards to be disabled, leaving you susceptible. These apps don’t necessarily indicate that someone is trying to get into your network, but their presence warrants further study to confirm or rule out that possibility.
5:- Repeated Suspicious Activities
If your IT team is reporting on a daily basis that many detections occur at the same time, that’s a significant red signal. It’s not enough to eliminate any malware discovered during these scans. The recurrence is the most serious issue. Why does this malware return — and on similar (if not identical) timing patterns — even after it’s been removed?
The truth, and unfortunately, is that whatever is being eliminated isn’t actually getting to the base of the problem. And the longer that root problem is ignored, the more vulnerable your systems become to cyber attacks.
6:-Phishing and Spam Emails
It appears that no matter how much information about the hazards of spam emails is made public, people can still be duped into clicking on a harmful link in an email. A phishing email may appear to be from a reputable source, such as a bank, credit card company, or online service such as PayPal.
7:- Lateral Phishing Emails
A lateral phishing email is one that originates from within your school district’s domain. It signifies that a hacker has successfully taken control of one account and is now attempting to get access to more accounts and data.
A hacker might, for example, send an email from a teacher’s account to a payroll specialist, requesting that they click a link or download a file. If they can persuade the payroll specialist to do it, they will have access to significantly more sensitive information than a typical teacher’s account.
8:- Repeated Suspicious Login Activities
When someone forgets their password, for example, a few failed logins are common. However, if you notice an increase in failed logins, especially from various accounts, it’s possible that someone is attempting to break into your system.
Suspicious successful logins are another thing to keep an eye out for. Someone signing in from an odd location and/or IP address are examples of suspicious logins. Alternatively, someone logging in from the United States and then from China within a few hours of each other, which is physically impossible.
9:- Attempts to tamper with backups or disable antivirus software
In many cases, thieves encrypt live data and demand payment from the district in order for it to recover access.
Some people are looking for ways to tamper with backups or disable security measures. The district is unable to restore its data due to a faulty backup, while the hackers have complete access due to the disabling of security software.
10:- Device Encryption for a Limited Number of Users
Cybercriminals are well aware that the longer they take to infiltrate your networks, the more difficult it will be to track them down. When the odds are in their favour, they can move quickly.
Before launching a complete attack, they would frequently encrypt a small number of devices to see how well their strategy is working. This is a clear indication that a large-scale cyber attack is on the way.
To hide their attacks, attack authors frequently use genuine admin tools and procedures. That’s one of the reasons why cyber attack is such a dangerous threat: It’s not just that the attack is harmful; the signs and symptoms that should be obvious indicators of an oncoming attack can be readily mistaken for one-off instances or, worse.
Instead of becoming the latest cyber victim and wishing you had acted sooner when something odd caught your eye, it’s better to be regarded as maybe overreacting to something that is ultimately innocuous. Various IDS/IPS tools need to be implemented along with integrating with best security testing services providers.
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Conclusion
In this blog post, we’ve briefly explained 10 Warning Signs Of An Imminent Cyber Attack in 2022. We hope you enjoyed it! Stay safe from cyber-attacks!
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