15 Most Common Types of Cyber Crime / Cyber Attacks

  Types of Cyber Crime

 Now a days with increasing usage of internet and communication technology there is also growth in cyber crimes. Computer crime or cyber crime encompasses a broad range of activities, from financial crimes to scams, through cybersex trafficking and ad frauds^.

 

Various types of Cyber Crime are explained as below-

1. Financial fraud crime

Computer fraud is any dishonest misrepresentation of fact intended to let another to do or refrain from doing something which causes loss. This requires little technical expertise and is a common form of theft by employees altering the data before entry or entering false data, or by entering unauthorized instructions or using unauthorized processes. Altering, destroying, suppressing, or stealing output, usually to conceal unauthorized transactions. This is difficult to detect; Altering or deleting stored data.

Other forms of fraud may be facilitated using computer systems, including bank fraud, carding, identity theft, extortion, and theft of classified information. These types of crime often result in the loss of private information or monetary information.

2.     2. Cyber-terrorism

A cyber-terrorist is someone who intimidates or coerces a government or an organization to advance his or her political or social objectives by launching a computer-based attack against computers, networks, or the information stored on them.

Cyber-terrorism, in general, can be defined as an act of terrorism committed through the use of cyberspace or computer resources. There are also hacking activities directed towards individuals, families, organized by groups within networks, tending to cause fear among people, demonstrate power, collecting information relevant for ruining peoples' lives, robberies, blackmailing, etc.

3.     3. Cyber-extortion

Cyber-extortion occurs when a website, e-mail server, or computer system is subjected to or threatened with repeated denial of service or other attacks by malicious hackers. These hackers demand money in return for promising to stop the attacks and to offer "protection". An example of cyber-extortion was the attack on Sony Pictures of 2014.

Ransomware is a kind of cyber-extortion in which a malware is used to restrict access to files, sometimes threatening permanent data erasure unless a ransom is paid.

With Ransomware remaining one of the fastest growing cyber crimes in the world, global Ransomware damage is predicted to cost up to $20 billion in 2021.

4.     4. Cybersex trafficking

Cybersex trafficking is the transportation of victims and then the live streaming of coerced sexual acts and or rape on webcam.Victims are abducted, threatened, or deceived and transferred to 'cybersex dens.The dens can be in any location where the cybersex traffickers have a computer, tablet, or phone with internet connection.

An example of cybersex trafficking is the 2018–2020 Nth room case in South Korea.

5.   5. Cyber-warfare

Cyberspace has emerged as a national-level concern through several recent events of geostrategic significance. Among those are included, the attack on Estonia's infrastructure in 2007, allegedly by Russian hackers. In August 2008, Russia again allegedly conducted cyber attacks, this time in a coordinated and synchronized kinetic and non-kinetic campaign against the country of Georgia. Fearing that such attacks may become the norm in future warfare among nation-states, the concept of cyberspace operations impacts and will be adapted by warfighting military commanders in the future^.

6. Hacking

Hacking is an act committed by an intruder by accessing your computer system without your permission. Hackers (the people doing the ‘hacking’) are basically computer programmers, who have an advanced understanding of computers and commonly misuse this knowledge for devious reasons. They’re usually technology buffs who have expert-level skills in one particular software program or language. As for motives, there could be several, but the most common are pretty simple and can be explained by a human tendency such as greed, fame, power, etc.  

Some of the most famous computer geniuses were once hackers who went on to use their skills for constructive technological development. Dennis Ritchie and Ken Thompson, the creators of the UNIX operating system (Linux’s predecessor), were two of them. Shawn Fanning, the developer of Napster, Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook fame, and many more are also examples.

 

 SQL Injections: An SQL injection is a technique that allows hackers to play upon the security vulnerabilities of the software that runs a web site. It can be used to attack any type of unprotected or improperly protected SQL database.

 

Theft of FTP Passwords: This is another very common way to tamper with web sites. FTP password hacking takes advantage of the fact that many webmasters store their website login information on their poorly protected PCs. The thief searches the victim’s system for FTP login details, and then relays them to his own remote computer.

Cross-site scripting: Also known as XSS (formerly CSS, but renamed due to confusion with cascading style sheets), is a very easy way of circumventing a security system. Cross-site scripting is a hard-to-find loophole in a web site, making it vulnerable to attack. In a typical XSS attack, the hacker infects a web page with a malicious client-side script or program. When you visit this web page, the script is automatically downloaded to your browser and executed. Typically, attackers inject HTML, JavaScript, VBScript, ActiveX or Flash into a vulnerable application to deceive you and gather confidential information. If you want to protect your PC from malicious hackers, investing in a good firewall should be first and foremost. Hacking is done through a network, so it’s very important to stay safe while using the internet.

7. Logic bombs

A logic bomb, also known as “slag code”, is a malicious piece of code which is intentionally inserted into software to execute a malicious task when triggered by a specific event. It’s not a virus, although it usually behaves in a similar manner. It is stealthily inserted into the program where it lies dormant until specified conditions are met. 

Malicious software such as viruses and worms often contain logic bombs which are triggered at a specific payload or at a predefined time. The payload of a logic bomb is unknown to the user of the software, and the task that it executes unwanted. 

8.   Denial-of-Service attack

A Denial-of-Service (DoS) attack is an explicit attempt by attackers to deny service to intended users of that service. It involves flooding a computer resource with more requests than it can handle consuming its available bandwidth which results in server overload. This causes the resource (e.g. a web server) to crash or slow down significantly so that no one can access it.

Using this technique, the attacker can render a web site inoperable by sending massive amounts of traffic to the targeted site. A site may temporarily malfunction or crash completely, in any case resulting in inability of the system to communicate adequately. DoS attacks violate the acceptable use policies of virtually all internet service providers.

 9. Phishing

This a technique of extracting confidential information such as credit card numbers and username password combos by masquerading as a legitimate enterprise. Phishing is typically carried out by email spoofing. You’ve probably received email containing links to legitimate appearing websites. You probably found it suspicious and didn’t click the link.

10. Email bombing and spamming

Email bombing is characterised by an abuser sending huge volumes of email to a target address resulting in victim’s email account or mail servers crashing. The message is meaningless and excessively long in order to consume network resources. If multiple accounts of a mail server are targeted, it may have a denial-of-service impact. Such mail arriving frequently in your inbox can be easily detected by spam filters.  

“Spamming” is a variant of email bombing. Here unsolicited bulk messages are sent to a large number of users, indiscriminately. Opening links given in spam mails may lead you to phishing web sites hosting malware. Spam mail may also have infected files as attachments. Email spamming worsens when the recipient replies to the email causing all the original addressees to receive the reply.

Spammers collect email addresses from customer lists, newsgroups, chat-rooms, web sites and viruses which harvest users’ address books, and sell them to other spammers as well. A large amount of spam is sent to invalid email addresses. 

11.  Web jacking

Web jacking derives its name from “hijacking”.Here, the hacker takes control of a web site fraudulently. He may change the content of the original site or even redirect the user to another fake similar looking page controlled by him. The owner of the web site has no more control and the attacker may use the web site for his own selfish interests. Cases have been reported where the attacker has asked for ransom, and even posted obscene material on the site.

The web jacking method attack may be used to create a clone of the web site, and present the victim with the new link saying that the site has moved.

 

12.   Cyber stalking

Cyber stalking is a new form of internet crime in our society when a person is pursued or followed online. A cyber stalker doesn’t physically follow his victim; he does it virtually by following his online activity to harvest information about the stalkee and harass him or her and make threats using verbal intimidation. It’s an invasion of one’s online privacy. 

Cyber stalkers harass their victims via email, chat rooms, web sites, discussion forums and open publishing web sites (e.g. blogs). The availability of free email / web site space and the anonymity provided by chat rooms and forums has contributed to the increase of cyber stalking incidents.

 

Cyber stalking has now spread its wings to social networking. With the increased use of social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and YouTube, your profile, photos, and status updates are up for the world to see. Your online presence provides enough information for you to become a potential victim of stalking without even being aware of the risk. With the “check-ins”, the “life-events”, apps which access your personal information and the need to put up just about everything that you’re doing and where you’re doing it, one doesn’t really leave anything for the stalkers to figure out for themselves. Social networking technology provides a social and collaborative platform for internet users to interact, express their thoughts and share almost everything about their lives. Though it promotes socialisation amongst people, along the way it contributes to the rise of internet violations.

 

13.   Identity Theft and Credit Card Fraud

Identity theft occurs when someone steals your identity and pretends to be you to access resources such as credit cards, bank accounts and other benefits in your name. The imposter may also use your identity to commit other crimes.

 “Credit card fraud” is a wide ranging term for crimes involving identity theft where the criminal uses your credit card to fund his transactions. Credit card fraud is identity theft in its simplest form. The most common case of credit card fraud is your pre-approved card falling into someone else’s hands.

14.. Software Piracy

Thanks to the internet and torrents, you can find almost any movie, software or song from any origin for free. Internet piracy is an integral part of our lives which knowingly or unknowingly we all contribute to.

Software piracy is the unauthorised use and distribution of computer software. Software developers work hard to develop these programs, and piracy curbs their ability to generate enough revenue to sustain application development.

 

The following constitute software piracy:

        

Loading unlicensed software on your PC

Using single-licensed software on multiple computers

Using a key generator to circumvent copy protection

Distributing a licensed or unlicensed (“cracked”) version of software over the internet and offline

 

15.   Others

So far we’ve discussed the dedicated methods of committing cyber crimes. In a nutshell, any offence committed using electronic means such as net extortion, cyber bullying, child pornography and internet fraud is termed as cyber crime. The internet is a huge breeding ground for pornography, which has often been subject to censorship on grounds of obscenity. But what may be considered obscene in India, might not be considered so in other countries.

However, according to the Indian Constitution, largely, pornography falls under the category of obscenity and is punishable by law. Child pornography is a serious offence, and can attract the harshest punishments provided for by law.  Pedophiles lurk in chat rooms to lure children. The internet allows long-term victimisation of such children, because the pictures once put up, spread like wild-fire, and may never get taken down completely. Internet crimes against children are a matter of grave concern, and are being addressed by the authorities, but this problem has no easy solution.