5 Lesser-Known Cyber Threats That You Should Be Aware of in 2023

Following major cyber attacks in 2020 and 2021 and concerns over data privacy and security, cybersecurity solutions will continue gaining importance in 2023. Here’s a look at some prominent cyber security trends in 2022 and some of the more obscure cyber threats that you may not have heard of so far.

According to a report from INTERPOLOpens a new window , the Covid-19 pandemic has shifted cybercriminals’ focus from small businesses and individual targets to large multinational corporations, government organizations, and public infrastructure. As organizations worldwide opt for remote operations, cybercriminals plan to leverage the resulting security vulnerabilities for malicious objectives.

According to the report, some of the more common cyber threats following the pandemic include online scams, ransomware, data harvesting malware, phishing, DDoS, misinformation, and the widespread use of malicious domains.

See More: The Top Cybersecurity Trends to Be Aware of in 2023

Uncommon But Deadly Cyber Threats You Should Be Aware of in 2023

During crises like pandemics,  recessions, and wars, organizations must enhance their ability to detect intrusions while minimizing potential vulnerabilities that cybercrime actors can exploit. Cyber security is not a concern for the IT department alone. Every team member in an organization needs to be aware of potential cracks that cybercriminals can slip through. The following, albeit not very common, are potentially damaging to any business:

Cryptojacking

Cryptojacking is widely known as a cyberattack where criminals use their victim’s computing devices to generate cryptocurrency without the knowledge or consent of the device owner. This type of crime typically happens if the victim downloads malicious scripts onto their system. 

This is one of the more benign types of cybercrimes, as the only thing impacted is the victim’s computing power, harming the device’s performance. On the other hand, the enormous power requirement for crypto mining can potentially result in massive energy costs and problems with organizational productivity if left unchecked.

Slow device performance, overheating, frequent system crashes, and high electricity costs are symptoms that cryptojacking victims should be able to spot. Some practical prevention tips include regularly monitoring system resources, activating ad blockers, installing the latest patches and updates, and installing secure browser extensions.

Drive-by downloads

A drive-by download attack involves programs installed in a victim’s device without their consent. As such programs are usually masked, they can even be found on legitimate websites. Although all drive-by downloads are irritants, not all of them are malicious. 

Many drive-by downloads come in the form of unwanted programs, such as adware, that come hidden with otherwise legitimate applications. On the other hand, drive-by downloads can also include malware that can open vulnerabilities in a victim’s device, which hackers can exploit. 

Drive-by downloads can either occur by gaining the victim’s authorization by misleading them or just by infecting websites, then targeting visitors. These cyber-attacks can be extremely harmful as they disable devices, steal personal data, create botnets and more.

Ideally, website owners should keep all site elements up to date, filter potentially malicious advertisements, and practice digital hygiene. On the other hand, endpoint users should use security software solutions, avoid suspicious popups, and keep their systems up to date.

See More: Why Gig Economy Shouldn’t Take Sensitive Data for a Ride

IoT device cyberattacks

As per a recent Gartner reportOpens a new window , approximately a fifth of all organizations had experienced cyber-attacks on IoT devices by 2020. While IoT developments focus on improving connectivity, the lack of up-to-date security regulations to keep up with tech advancements has generated vulnerabilities for malicious actors. 

Kaspersky’s 2022Opens a new window report states that while more than 60% of organizations use IoT solutions, more than half have been forced to abandon projects due to a lack of resources to mitigate IoT cybersecurity risks. The report also states that cybersecurity breaches are among the most significant threats to businesses planning to use IoT. 

Organizations involved in IoT development and implementation need to standardize their processes to improve security and reliability. Government policies and bodies, such as the ITU, IEEE, and ETSI, can play a vital role in this.

Businesses must also incorporate encryption in their systems while maintaining strict security policies across the organization. Zero-Trust Security, AI, and quantum-based cryptography will likely play significant roles in IoT.

Cross-site scripting (XSS)

This cyber-attack involves the injection of malicious code into legitimate websites. These scripts then allow cybercriminals to target unsuspecting visitors to the website. Such malicious scripts give malicious actors access to tokens, cookies, and even personal information.

XSS vulnerabilities can be challenging to identify and eliminate. Usually, a full security review in terms of HTML is the only way to detect vulnerabilities. Website administrators must eliminate HTML traces on their web servers.

Further, escape and validation routines have to be developed to prevent the injection of malicious codes and tampering of website parameters.  

Zero-day attacks

Zero-day attacks are broadly known as those cyber-attacks that target vulnerabilities that have only just been discovered by developers. Since the creators of a software or system have not yet had time to rectify the flaw, the attacks are called ‘zero-day.’ Some notable victims of zero-day attacks are Microsoft, Word, Windows, Apple iOS, Google Chrome, and Zoom.

One of the key responsibilities of software or systems developers is to scan for vulnerabilities in the products and create appropriate patches. However, when cyber-attackers spot vulnerabilities before the developer, they can take advantage of this with exploit codes.

In many cases, it can take developers a long time to detect a vulnerability and create a patch. Consequently, zero-day attacks can be significantly dangerous to organizations. IT security professionals must use existing malware databases as a reference while observing interactions of code with the products. Also, AI and machine learning tools can be used as detection tools.

Below are some essential practices to prevent zero-day attacks:

• Regularly updating operating systems and software, 
• utilizing comprehensive cybersecurity solutions and firewalls, 
• limiting access to critical applications, and 
• conducting awareness sessions in the organization for team members to maintain digital security hygiene standards. 

See More: The CXO’s Security Service Edge (SSE) Checklist

In conclusion: Vigilance and awareness key for digital-first organizations

Despite substantial efforts and investments, cybercrimes will continue rising in the future. Vulnerabilities associated with remote work and the subsequent financial implications will encourage cybercriminals to act more frequently while using more sophisticated tools, techniques, and procedures. Being vigilant and aware of emerging cyber threats will be crucial for individuals and organizations to survive and thrive in the days ahead.

What kinds of cyber threats is your organization worried about the most? Share your thoughts with us on FacebookOpens a new window , TwitterOpens a new window , and LinkedInOpens a new window . We’d love to hear from you!

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