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What are Cyber Security Threats? All You Need to Know

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srikanthbollu
What are Cyber Security Threats? All You Need to Know

What are Cyber Security Threats?

The term, ‘cyber’, in the 1950s used to refer to cybernetics, which involves the science of understanding the control and movement of machines and animals. Later on, it was used to refer to something computerized. With the start of the 90s, ‘cyberspace’ became a popular term that referred to a physical space that was believed to exist behind the electronic activities of computing devices. It was coined to set the online world as a distinct space. Nowadays, everyone likes to think of it as the global network of interdependent IT infrastructures.

A Cyber Threat or a Cyber Security Threat is a malicious act performed by hackers to intentionally steal data or other assets, misuse them, or simply cause disruption in digital life in general. Cyber Threats can come from remote locations by unknown parties or even within an organization by trusted users. While many cyberattacks are intended to be nuisances, some are actually quite serious, and can even potentially harm human lives.


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Types of Cyber Security Threats

Cyber threats can be classified into three broad categories of intent.

  1. Disruption espionage
  2. Corporate espionage (theft of patents)
  3. State espionage

Every Cyber Threat falls into one of the above three categories. Some common cyber security threats are:

Malware

Malware is software that performs malicious actions on a device or network such as data corruption or taking over a system. Malware makes its way into the system through a malicious link or email that a user clicks. Once malware is in the system, it can block access to critical components of your network, gather sensitive data, and damage the system.

Spyware

‍Spyware is a form of malware that stays concealed on a device and transmits real-time data like bank details and passwords covertly to its host.

Phishing

When a hacker attempts to bait individuals into disclosing critical information such as personally identifiable information (PII), banking details, and passwords, it is known as phishing. An email can trick the email recipient into providing confidential information or downloading malware into the system by clicking on a hyperlink in the email.

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