Cyber Attacks

 Vulerability,Threat and Risk

We all come across this three words in our daily life. But in Cyber World this three word have a great impact in our daily surfing in internet or managing our devices or server.

• Vulnerability
  
  
  
  
  

In Cyber Security, a vulnerability is a weakness(bugs, defect in software or hardware) which can be exploited by a  attack to gain unauthorized access to or perform unauthorized actions on a computer system. Vulnerabilities can allow attackers to run code, access a system's memory, install malware, and steal, destroy or modify sensitive data.
To exploit or take advantage of a vulnerability an attacker must be able to connect to the computer system. Vulnerabilities can be exploited by a variety of methods including SQL injection, buffer overflows, cross-site scripting (XSS) and open source exploit kits that look for known vulnerabilities and security weaknesses in web applications. 

• Threat
  
  
  
  
  

Cyber or Cybersecurity threat is a malicious act that seeks to damage data, steal data, or disrupt digital life in general. Cyber threats include computer viruses, data breaches, Denial of Service (DoS) attacks and other attack vectors.

Cyber threats also refer to the possibility of a successful cyber attack that aims to gain unauthorized access, damage, disrupt, or steal an information technology asset, computer network, intellectual property or any other form of sensitive data. Cyber threats can come from within an organization by trusted users or from remote locations by unknown parties. 

• Risk
  
  
  
  
  

Cyber risk is commonly defined as exposure to harm or loss resulting from breaches of or attacks on information systems. However, this definition must be broadened. A better, more encompassing definition is “the potential of loss or harm related to technical infrastructure or the use of technology within an organization.”

 Risk Management- How to be safe?

Risk Management is the key to Cyber Security.

Managing the risk factor is the main key to be safe in this Cyber world.

Risk = threat * vulnerability * consequences

Risk is threat multiplied with vulnerability with its consequences.
Now up course a intruder knows about your vulnerability and knows the consequences of using them.
Now let me explain all these with an example. As an android user you have downloaded an cracked or mod app from a malicious website instead of downloading it from google play store. Now u may not know that the app you have downloaded may contain a malicious code or let say a virus attached to it. It may merged with a tool that share your phone information to some listener server or a hackers server. These tools are hidden inside the apps as soon as u give them permission like for camera,storage,mic, call,recorder,etc.
Now without your knowledge your information which may contain us passwords, private file, important documents,call recordings are exposed to the hacker. They even can control your phone to send messages and as said u don't know what is going on a hacker's mind. He can use your device to attack other users that is known as DOS attacks.

Here the potential threat is the app you have downloaded, the vulnerabilities are permissions u have given to it and up course the consequences is getting hacked and if we multiply all these then there is a great risk in downloading those files or apk files.

Now the question is how to be safe from vulnerabilities. Sadly the answer to this question is no system is completely safe in other words there is no perfect System.But yes we can minimize the threat by keeping our knowledge updated.

There are also many malicious apps available on our play store.These apps are actually developed by fake developers and are also verified by google play store. But they are now identified and for more information follow this link

https://cybernews.com/security/secret-network-27-app-developers-in-play-store/

 Action or potential occurrence (whether or not malicious) to breach the security of the system by exploiting its known or unknown vulnerabilities. It may be caused by (1) gaining unauthorized access to stored information, (2) denial of service to the authorized users, or (3) introduction of false information to mislead the users or to cause incorrect system behavior (called spoofing).


Read more: http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/threat.html