Common Types of Cyber Attacks

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Affected Roles: Administrators

Last Edit: March 23, 2026

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Defining Cyber Attacks

The cybersecurity industry as we know it was formed through a process of detection, analysis, and response. As a result, the establishment of response teams, which are now commonly referred to as computer security incident response teams (CSIRTs), has become increasingly relevant and basic user preparation a common practice.

This article lists common attack methods, and the evolving tactics and techniques that threat actors use, to help you to better protect your organizations and people.

Types of Attacks

Phishing

Phishing is the use of digital communications to trick people into revealing sensitive data or deploying malicious software.

An example of a phishing attack is when an email is received from a known user, or from something resembling the user’s profile, claiming an urgent need to forward sensitive information or to approve transferring finances for a sudden and unexpected purpose.

Some of the most common types of phishing attacks include:

Business Email Compromise (BEC) – A threat actor sends an email message that seems to be from a known source to make a seemingly legitimate request for information, to obtain a financial advantage.
Spear Phishing – A malicious email attack that targets a specific user or group of users. The email seems to originate from a trusted source.
Whaling – A form of spear phishing. Threat actors target company executives to gain access to sensitive data.
Vishing – The exploitation of electronic voice communication to obtain sensitive information or to impersonate a known source.
Smishing – The use of text messages to trick users, to obtain sensitive information or to impersonate a known source.

Malware

Malware is software designed to harm devices or networks. There are many types of malwares whose primary purpose is to obtain money or to gain an intelligence advantage that can be used against a person, organization, or territory.

An early example of malware was the Morris Worm, released on November 2, 1988. One of the first widespread computer worms on the Internet, this virus infected an estimated 6,000 Unix machines (10% of all computers connected to the Internet at the time) and caused massive disruption. Originally designed and intended to measure the size of the Internet, Robert T. Morris’s program was an aggressive self-replicating code that exploited vulnerable weaknesses in older Unix systems. It used a dictionary-based approach, testing common passwords to gain unauthorized access to user accounts.

Due to a coding error, the worm did not check if a machine was already infected, resulting in multiple infections on a single machine, which exhausted system resources and caused the system to crash by creating a denial-of-service (DoS) attack, crippling research and university systems at the time. As a result, one of the first CSIRT teams was quickly formed by researchers at UC Berkley and MIT to reverse-engineer the code and stop its spread within 12 hours of the infection’s discovery.

Some of the most common types of malware attacks include:

Viruses – Malicious code written to interfere with computer operations and cause damage to data and software. A virus needs to be initiated by a user (i.e., a threat actor), who transmits the virus via a malicious attachment or file download. When someone opens the malicious attachment or download, the virus hides itself in other files in the now infected system. When the infected files are opened, it allows the virus to insert its own code to damage and/or destroy data in the system.
Worms – Malware that can duplicate and spread itself across systems on its own. In contrast to a virus, a worm does not need to be downloaded by a user. Instead, it self-replicates and spreads from an already infected computer to other devices on the same network.
Ransomware – A malicious attack where threat actors encrypt an organization’s data and demand payment to restore access.
Spyware – Malware that’s used to gather and sell information without consent. Spyware can be used to access devices. This allows threat actors to collect personal data, such as private emails, texts, voice and image recordings, and locations.

Social Engineering

Social Engineering is an incredibly effective method of circumventing security. This is because people are generally conditioned to respect authority. It relies upon exploiting people’s trust and deception by using captured information such as photos or locations shared through social media or by exploiting general knowledge of everyday activities and routines.

An example of malware deployed through social engineering was the LoveLetter (aka the ILOVEYOU worm) that was released on May 4, 2000. The worm spread via an email with the subject line “ILOVEYOU” and an attachment used to deploy the virus. By exploiting social engineering and visual basic scripting, it relied on human curiosity and the desire to receive a “love letter” from a known contact. Upon opening, a VBScript file activated and overwrote various file types (files, images, audio, etc.) and spread itself to all contacts in the user’s Microsoft Outlook address book.

Within ten days, approximately 50 million computers were infected, causing roughly $10-$15 billion in damages. This attack forced corporations to disconnect email servers to curb the damage and learn how to better prepare employees against phishing attacks. Other methods of deployment via social engineering can include inserting unknown USB storage devices, running unfamiliar software, and accessing unidentified web URLs via social media.

Reasons why social engineering attacks are effective include:

Authority – Threat actors impersonate individuals with power. This is because people, in general, have been conditioned to respect and follow authority figures with little to no scrutiny.
Intimidation – Threat actors use bullying tactics. This includes persuading and intimidating victims into doing what they’re told.
Consensus/Social Proof – Because people sometimes do things that they believe many others are doing, threat actors use others’ trust to pretend that they are legitimate. For example, a threat actor might try to access private data by telling an employee that other people at the company have given them access to that data in the past.
Scarcity – A tactic used to imply that goods or services are in limited supply.
Familiarity – Threat actors establish a fake emotional connection with users that can be exploited.
Trust – Threat actors establish an emotional relationship with users that can be exploited over time. They use this relationship to develop trust and gain personal information.
Urgency – A threat actor persuades others to respond quickly and without questioning.

Defensive Methods and Best Practices

The following defensive measures can help protect your organization against the attack types described above.

Phishing Defense

Security Awareness Training – Train users to recognize suspicious emails, links, attachments, and unexpected requests for sensitive information and how to properly report and dispose of such breaches in security.
Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) – Require MFA for all critical systems. Even if credentials are compromised, MFA can prevent unauthorized access by creating multiple points of verification.
Audit and Monitor User Access – Use security features to monitor login activity and access patterns. Unusual login times or access locations may indicate compromised credentials.
Limit Credential Exposure – Avoid sharing login credentials across users. Assign unique accounts to ensure accountability and traceability.
Email Filtering and Anti-Phishing Tools – Deploy email security solutions that detect and block malicious messages before they reach users.
Verify Requests for Sensitive Actions – Establish procedures to confirm financial transactions or credential requests through a separate, secondary communication method (e.g., phone call).
Link and Attachment Caution – Encourage users to avoid clicking links or downloading attachments from unknown or unexpected sources.

Malware Defense

Endpoint Protection / Antivirus Software – Install and maintain reputable antivirus or endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions on all devices.
Regular Software Updates and Firmware Management – Keep operating systems, applications, and device firmware up to date to mitigate known vulnerabilities.
Network Segmentation – Limit the spread of malware by separating critical systems from general user networks.
Monitor Device Health and Status – Use health monitoring tools to detect offline devices, abnormal behavior, or unexpected configuration changes.
Least Privilege Access – Ensure users only have access to the systems and data necessary for their role.
Regular Data Backups – Maintain secure, offline backups of critical data to recover from ransomware attacks.
Application Whitelisting – Restrict systems to only run approved software.

Social Engineering Defense

User Education and Awareness – Train users to recognize manipulation tactics such as urgency, authority, and intimidation.
Clear Security Policies and Procedures – Define and enforce procedures for handling sensitive requests, including identity verification.
Access Control Policies – Limit access to sensitive data and critical systems, based on job roles and responsibilities.
Incident Reporting Culture – Encourage users to report suspicious interactions without fear of punishment.
Verification Protocols – Require verification of identity before sharing sensitive information, even internally.
Leverage Video for Incident Review – In the event of a suspected social engineering attempt, recorded video can provide valuable context for investigating unauthorized access or suspicious behavior.

Additional Best Practices

Understanding attack methods is only the first step. Implementing layered security controls, when combined with centralized monitoring and visibility, can help reduce risk and improve response times.

Strong Password Policies – Enforce the use of complex passwords and discourage password reuse.
Use of Password Managers – Encourage secure storage of credentials, and discourage the use of analog methods (e.g., sticky notes, notepads, etc.).
Firewall and Network Security Controls – Use firewalls and intrusion detection/prevention systems (IDS/IPS) to monitor and control network traffic.
Logging and Monitoring – Continuously monitor systems for unusual activity and respond quickly to potential threats.
Regular Security Audits and Assessments – Periodically evaluate your organization’s security posture and address identified risks.
Physical Security Integration – Combine cyber security practices with physical surveillance and safeguards (locked racks, protective cases, locked access points, etc.) to limit personnel access to critical systems.

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