A recent survey conducted by RiskIQ says that browser-based cyber attacks are on rising and getting on par with ransomware and phishing with regards to seriousness. Researchers say that such attacks are appearing in different forms such as Magecart, Cryptocurrency mining, FingerPrinters, Waterholing and such were injecting malicious scripts is seen as a common feature in such attacks.
RiskIQ feels that many organizations are either unaware of such attacks or do not know about their severity.
Technically speaking there is a lot of info which can be exploited from such attacks like emails IDs, passwords, credit card numbers, phone numbers, addresses and browsing history.
So, hackers are seen exploiting more in this field in order to increase their profit margin.
How the browser-based cyber attack takes place?
We all know that Browsers rely upon a lot of 3rd party tools such as flash, javascript, ActiveX to perform various tasks and this is where cyber crooks are seen exploiting them to make money.
For instance, a browser-based attack led to the data breach of British Airways which is reported to have earned the cybercriminals $1.2 million.
So how to avoid becoming a victim of such attacks?
1.) Just make sure that you have an appropriate anti-virus/malware software installed on your PC and ensure that it is up to date with the latest security updates. Such proactive measures often help in stopping the execution of malicious code in initial attacks.
2.) Never click on suspicious email links coming from individuals as the link can act as an entry point for cyber crooks to exploit your network.
3.) If you feel the email is from a genuine contact, but not sure about the link; then just hover your mouse on the link and make conformity of the actual URL.
4.) While entering personal info like passwords and banking credentials make sure that the website URL begins with HTTPS link.
5.) Finally, awareness is key in saving your self from such attacks. So, better keep an update of the latest developments happening in the cyber landscape from time to time.
