There are five stages through which a hacker attacks a company:

1. Recognition

2. Scan

3. Gaining access

4. Maintaining access

5. Covering the tracks

Let's dive in each of these steps.

Recognition: where every hack attack begins

The first phase of a hacker's attack is recognition. A hacker does research on the target to understand what security systems are in force, which employees use weak passwords, and how often staff change passwords. He may also conduct social engineering attacks to obtain information about the company's structure or processes

Scan: the second step of the hacking attempt

The hacker then scans the network for vulnerabilities. This can be done manually or automatically using a bot. Once a vulnerability is identified, he or she exploits it to gain access to the network. Common methods include brute-forcing weak passwords or exploiting default configurations in some software programs (such as unpatched Web servers).

Gaining access is the third major step

The ability of a cybercriminal to gain access to a target system depends on the architecture and configuration of the system, as well as the skill level of the criminal. Denial-of-service attacks are a common form of cybercrime, in which an attacker sends a distorted packet containing a bug to trigger a large-scale shutdown of services. Access is the most important phase of an attack in terms of potential damage. Hackers do not always need to gain access to the system to cause damage; they can use spoofing techniques to exploit vulnerabilities.

Maintaining access is the fourth operational step

When a cybercriminal gains access to a target system, he may select to use the system and its resources, either actively or secretly. Active use of the system can damage an organization in several ways. Hackers who remain undetected remove evidence of their entry and use backdoors or Trojans to gain open access. They can also install rootkits at the kernel level to gain access as a superuser. Both rootkits and Trojans depend on users to be installed: on Windows systems, most Trojans install as a service and run as a local administrative system. Hackers can also use Trojans to transfer usernames, passwords, and even credit card information stored on the system.

Trail coverage wraps up hacker attack

Hackers can use a range of tools to clean up their tracks, including deleting logs and files. They can also modify or overwrite key system configuration files to go undetected and prevent their disclosure.

Not many cybersecurity companies have a team that can recognize a hacker's modus operandi. Contact us, for a free consultation if you think you need us. In defense we believe we are ahead of others, because only attackers can really stand up for you!

bitCorp Team