External Cyber Attacks Targeting PII
External Cyber Attacks Targeting PII
SPEAR FISHING SELECTED FISH– Hackers and cyber attackers are using spear phishing of select organizations to enter databases and steal PII or create false identities with the information they retrieve. According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), this type of attack is on the rise and hackers are targeting more specific industries now (Holtfreter, 2014).
TARGETED BETA BOT MALWARE- IC3 claims that targeted beta bot malware is also on the rise. This type of attack targets the login credential and personal information from financial institutions, ecommerce sites, and online payment platforms(Holtfreter, 2014).
PIRATED MALWARE – The FBI warns against purchasing software from un vetted vendors. Once the bugged software is installed on a computer, malware can record your keystrokes (capturing sensitive usernames and passwords) and steal your PII (including Social Security numbers and birthdates), sending it straight back to criminals and hackers. It can also corrupt the data on your computer and even turn on your webcam and/or microphone(Holtfreter, 2014).
TROJANS – This is malware that hides itself inside legitimate applications like games or other programs to avoid detections. Trojans create a backdoor for hackers to access networks or computers and steal PII (Basatwar, 2020).
SQL INJECTION – Structured Query Language (SQL) is a programming language to communicate with databases. Hackers will send a malicious statement to trick a system into performing undesirable actions. They use this technique to steal information (Basatwar, 2020).
Internal Cyber Threats/Attacks Targeting PII
HUMAN ERROR – This is more of a threat than an attack. This is when an employee unwittingly causes damage to a system or network. Unwitting employees can download malicious software, click on spear phishing emails, and allow hackers to gain a backdoor access to sensitive information. The best defense for this threat is to have a strong cybersecurity awareness in the workplace. Periodical training and reminder emails can help employees stay sharp. My company even sends out fake spear phishing emails to see if anyone clicks on them. They then send an email to those who click on the spam explaining how they failed. It is a great deterrent.According to IBM’s 2015 Cyber Security Intelligence Index, 95% of all data breaches involve some type of error and a hacker exploiting it (Virtru, 2020)
DISGRUNTLED EMPLOYEE- The less common type of insider threats come from disgruntles employees who are angry with their work conditions, lack of promotion, or have personal issues. They can steal PII, or leak it, as a way of revenge.
PERSONAL GAIN: Some insider threats can come from an employee who wants to steal information for financial or personal gain. They can also steal PII from their workplace for identity theft. An example would be a hospital worker selling PII to criminals for cash.
