If you want to beat your enemy, you first have to understand how they think. Protecting yourself from cybercriminals is like trying to outsmart an opponent in chess. What is their next move? What do they think your next move is? To understand the hacker’s process and how to better promote data breach prevention, let’s look at this diagram from Axiom:
The Process of a Hacker
1. Target Acquired
The hacker process starts with the targeting stage. This is when hackers identify their target and begin to research what type of information they can gain access to. They will use tools like search engines, dark web forums, and social media to learn more about the system and vulnerabilities. It’s essential for organizations to stay on top of threat intelligence trends so that any potential attack is caught early on.
2. Scanning & Exploitation
Hackers use automated systems or manual processes to identify weak points in an organization’s network defenses. They typically exploit these weaknesses through malicious code, or malware attacks such as ransomware, phishing, botnets, and trojan viruses. To encourage data breach prevention, organizations must update their security software regularly, apply patches to systems as soon as new vulnerabilities are discovered, and ensure that all employees are educated on the latest threats.
3. Exfiltration & Encryption
In this phase, hackers will steal data using techniques like SQL injection attacks or other malicious code. They may also use encryption to disguise the stolen data, so it cannot be easily detected by security teams. Organizations should have a strategy in place to monitor networks for any suspicious activity such as unusual spikes in network traffic or unknown processes running on the system.
4. Data Access & Destruction
This is a crucial step in the hacker process and is where the data can be accessed and used for malicious purposes, like ransom or unauthorized sharing. For successful data breach prevention, organizations should have advanced security measures in place such as two-factor authentication or biometric identification. They should also ensure that all access points to the system are secure, and that all passwords are difficult to guess or decode.
How Can You Protect Yourself?
By understanding the hacker process and utilizing effective security solutions, such as those offered by Axiom, organizations can protect themselves from malicious cyber threats and ensure their data remains safe. Taking proactive steps now to secure your organization’s systems will save you time and money down the road when it comes to data breach prevention.
By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can ensure that your organization is well-protected against any potential cyber threats. Partnering with a cybersecurity firm like Axiom will give you the best possible data protection and peace of mind when it comes to data security. Together we can work towards making sure our systems remain secure and our data stays safe. Reach out to us today to schedule a consultation and let us help you improve your company’s cybersecurity posture.