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Showing posts with the label cyberattack

Password spraying attack

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      A password spraying attack is a type of brute-force attack where an attacker tries a single password against multiple usernames. The goal of a password spraying attack is to gain access to a target's account by guessing the correct password. Unlike traditional brute-force attacks that try multiple passwords against a single username, password spraying attacks try a single password against multiple usernames. Password spraying attacks are effective because many users tend to use weak passwords or reuse the same password across multiple accounts. Attackers can use tools to automate the process of trying a single password against multiple usernames, making it a relatively easy and low-risk attack to carry out. To execute a password spraying attack, an attacker first gathers a list of usernames, typically by scanning social media profiles, company directories, or other public sources. Once the attacker has a list of usernames, they will use a tool to automate the proces...

WannaCry ransomware attack

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The WannaCry ransomware attack was a worldwide cyberattack by the WannaCry  ransomware cryptoworm, which targeted computers running the Microsoft Windows operating system by encrypting data and demanding ransom payments in the Bitcoin cryptocurrency. The attack started on Friday, 12 May 2017, and within a day was reported to have infected more than 230,000 computers in over 150 countries. Parts of Britain's National Health Service (NHS), Spain's Telefónica, FedEx and Deutsche Bahn were hit, along with many other countries and companies worldwide. WannaCry spreads across local networks and the Internet to systems that have not been updated with recent security updates, to directly infect any exposed systems. A "critical" patch had been issued by Microsoft on 14 March 2017 to remove the underlying vulnerability for supported systems, nearly two months before the attack, but many organizations had not yet applied it. Those still running exposed older, unsupported op...