Interesting Facts About Hacking

[Myz Headlee]

Consideringthe growth in the Internet-of-Things (IoT), perhaps one of the most concerning items on our list of cyber security facts involves the vulnerabilities of cloud computing. Nearly half of all data breaches (45%) occur in the cloud, but organizations with a hybrid cloud model which is a mixed computing model that combines public and private clouds had lower average costs per breach, at $3.80 million, than those with public ($5.02 million) or private ($4.24 million) cloud models.

One common thread running through the cyber security threat landscape is the undeniable fact that humans make mistakes. Research indicates 19 out of 20 breaches are the result of human error in some form. This includes a range of human behaviors like downloading infected software, weak or irresponsible password management or failing to install software updates that contain critical security patches.

As the lead federal agency for investigating cyber attacks, the FBI leverages its capabilities, authority and partnerships to impose consequences against cybercriminals who attempt to exploit vulnerabilities in information security networks. The FBI maintains an operations center and watch floor that provides around-the-clock support and tracking of cyber incidents. They also leads a task force of more than 30 law enforcement and intelligence agencies called the National Cyber Investigative Joint Task Force (NCIJTF). Established in 2008 to address the evolving cyber challenge, the NCIJTF synchronizes the joint efforts of its member agencies that focus on identifying, pursuing and defeating cybercriminals

Phishing continues to hold its place at the top of the cybercrime leaderboard and next on our list of cyber security facts. With email continuing to be the leading access point for cybercriminals, the number of phishing attacks increased by 34% in 2021 and, according to APWG, 2022 was a record-setting year with more than 4.7 million phishing attacks.

Repeated warnings about possible malicious cyber activity against the United States has encouraged the White House to launch both public and private-sector action plans to fortify cyber security and promote cyber security awareness.

Considering the role of human error in the frequency of cyber attacks, organizations are responding with cyber security training to help employees spot and avoid phishing and malware attacks. In a 2022 cyber security awareness study, 97% of organizations reported implementing some type of cyber security awareness training in the past year, with most say they are using a combination of phishing simulations and security awareness training.

Despite our heavy reliance on the internet, it is still a relatively new technology. For example, Gen Xers are able to clearly recall a time when there was no public internet, email or Facebook (although government and military computers did use an early form of internet in the 1970s). Many likely even remember the first hackers. There is a large population of people out there who have seen the emergence of the internet in their lifetime.

Kevin Mitnick is often referred to as the first cybercriminal. From 1970 until 1995, Mitnick managed to access some of the most guarded and secure networks in the world, including Motorola and Nokia. He used complex social engineering schemes that tricked key personnel in the companies into providing him with passwords and codes which he used to penetrate the internal computer systems. He was arrested by the FBI and faced a number of federal charges. After prison, Mitnick became a cybersecurity consultant and author.

Cybersecurity is big business these days, especially now that the internet is a major part of our everyday lives and most businesses, as well as governmental agencies, rely on it for everything from record storage to operations. Cybersecurity professionals are employed or contracted with most corporations and government agencies and a majority of mid-to-large sized businesses. It has become a necessity. As the internet has grown so, too, have the threats.

Cybersecurity professionals are the rockstars of the computer world today. There are many different positions in the field and can be found in businesses, voluntary agencies, government agencies, and for individuals. They can work as:

By the 1980s and into the 1990s, personal computers became more popular and more widely used. Computer programs were used to store confidential records and personal information which caught the interest of hackers with not-so-great intentions.

White hat hackers emerged to combat the nefarious intentions of black hat hackers. These ethical hackers act as security specialists, exploring the system to identify security holes and areas that are vulnerable to hacking.

The biggest data breaches in history have occurred since 2005. As businesses and governments made the move from paper to digital records and information, data breaches increased in frequency and intensity.

In 2005, the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse reported 136 data breaches. Since then, more than 4,500 data breaches have been announced publicly. However, experts estimate that the numbers are actually much higher.

To date, the award for the largest data breach of all time goes to Cognyte. They reported a data breach was in excess of 5 billion records. Over a four day period, the database was exposed, leaving 5,085,132,102 records vulnerable that contained information including:

Unfortunately, data breaches are expected to continue to increase. This is unsettling to say the least, especially when considering the growing reliance on computer systems to store data. Some experts say that not only will the breaches be more prevalent, they will be more devastating.

Are you interested in learning more about cybersecurity and computer science degree programs at Monroe College? We have several programs that will help you get started in a career in cybersecurity, whether you are just starting out, want to increase your skill set, or make a career change. Talk with us and request more information, or apply today!

6.Interestingly enough, the average age of hackers is 40+ years old, which represents 58% of the population but the youngest known hacker Kristoffer von Hassel was born in 2008 making him 15 years old in 2023.

8.According to industry data only four to five percent of hackers are actually caught, but high-profile cases showcase how even the most skilled can make simple mistakes which lead to them being apprehended.

9. Most hackers target small and medium business enterprise because smaller companies generally do not have the knowledge or the resources to protect their data, which can come in handy to cybercriminals.

Do you know other facts about hackers that you might like to share or a question about them? Kindly drop them on the comment section. Don't forget to like this article for more insights into the mind of hackers.

AI as we know performs tasks that are commonly associated with intelligence which by extension means that it has significant role to play in cybersecurity. Its capabilities can be leveraged to enhance the security of networks, systems, and applications as in and also not limited to social engineering and any suspicious cyber attack.

Threat Detection: AI can detect anomalies and patterns that can indicate a security threat, such as a cyberattack or unauthorized access. This is possible because it maintains data on user behavior and then uses pattern recognition to identify high-risk activities on the network and create effective signals in threat detection. By analyzing vast amounts of data in real-time, AI can quickly identify security breaches and alert security teams as soon as it notices irregularities.

Malware Analysis: Malware is today one of the major threats faced by the digital world. Most modern malware types are complex, and many possess the ability to change code as well as the behavior in order to avoid detection. Instead of relying on traditional defense mechanisms, typically comprising the use of signature-based techniques, there is a need to have a broader spectrum of techniques to deal with the diverse nature of malware. AI can be used to analyze and identify malware, including unknown and zero-day threats, which are difficult for traditional antivirus software to detect. By using machine learning algorithms, AI can learn to identify new types of malware and take appropriate action to mitigate the threat.

Vulnerability Management: AI can help identify vulnerabilities in an organization's systems and applications, allowing for proactive measures to be taken to prevent attacks. This is because AI-powered solutions include threat and vulnerability management features that can scan and predict the risk across thousands of attack vectors and threats. AI can also prioritize vulnerabilities based on their severity, enabling security teams to focus on the most critical threats thereby making the work easier.

User Behavior Analysis: AI can be used to analyze user behavior and identify anomalies that could indicate a potential threat. By monitoring user activity, AI can detect abnormal behavior, such as attempts to access unauthorized resources or unusual login patterns.

Fraud Detection: AI can be used to detect fraudulent activities, such as phishing scams, and prevent financial losses. By analyzing user behavior and network traffic, AI can identify suspicious activity and alert security teams.

In all of the ways in which AI is used to aid cybersecurity, one thing is glaring and it's the fact that AI uses behavioral analysis mostly to detect anomalies. Even though AI can significantly enhance the capabilities of cybersecurity systems by detecting and responding to threats faster and more effectively than traditional methods it is important to note that AI is not a silver bullet, and human expertise is still necessary to interpret the data and make informed decisions. AI does not replace the need for human intelligence however it makes detection faster which can go a long way to aid the mitigation of risks.

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