4 Common Computer Hacking Techniques (and How to Prevent One From Happening to You!)

Computer hacking has been and remains a constant threat to both individuals and businesses. Hacking techniques are always evolving and it’s vital you stay updated with new threats. We’ll run through the four most common computer hacking techniques, and how you can avoid them. 

What Is Computer Hacking?

If you’ve never had your computer hacked before, you might be wondering what or why someone would do that, so we’ll cover that first.

Computer hackers are people who break into devices connected to the internet such as laptops, smartphones, computers, and tablets. The intent is usually to steal information, though it may also be to change or delete information. 

Motives for Computer Hacking

There’s a lot of different motives for hacking, almost all of them malicious in some way. 

The two main motivators are financial and data. Financial crimes are the most common for individuals as opposed to businesses. Hackers steal credit card numbers, account information, and more to use them for financial gain.

Companies also face a real threat from hackers as they hold huge swathes of data that can be sold on. Compromised data is an expensive business. IBM estimates the average cost of a data breach at 3.86 million globally, and this rises to an average of 8.64 million in the US.

Corporate espionage has also become more prevalent due to computer hackers. This is a concern for larger companies whose competitors may use it to gain a competitive edge. 

Though financial and data related motives are the most prevalent, other motives exist. Both vandalism and hacktivism remain popular motives.

Vandalism refers to vandalizing certain websites, just to show off to other hackers. While hacktivism is similar in execution, the motives are usually political. One of the more famous examples would be when hacktivist group Anonymous initiated a huge string of attacks on the Church of Scientology.

The exception to this malicious intent is white hat hackers. These are computer hackers who companies hire to break into their devices on purpose. This is to help them find weaknesses and prevent future attacks by addressing them. 

You can prevent yourself, and your business, from attacks by being informed about the most common types of computer hacking. We’ll run through them, and how to prevent them, below. 

1. Webcam Hacking

Webcam hacking is one of the most common ways malware is used to infiltrate your device.

Malware refers to any kind of harmful software, like viruses and ransomware. It’s top on our list because of the sheer extent of damage it can do once it’s installed on your device. 

Malware comes in many forms. It can be in an inconspicuous link in an email, or through a physical device like a USB stick. Once it’s on your device, hackers use it to remotely access your device and monitor your behavior through your webcam.

Hackers have used webcams to capture compromising images of victims. They then threaten to distribute the images online, or to friends and family, and demand a ransom.

The simplest way to avoid this ever being a problem is with a webcam cover. It’s a low-tech solution, but the most effective. Even Mark Zuckerberg has stated he uses a webcam cover!

2. Social Engineering and Phishing

Social engineering is a type of phishing. It’s when a hacker attempts to get the victim to share personal information. This is usually achieved by impersonating someone you know and trust.

It could come in the form of an email or a message on an app you use. Usually, the message will ask you to do something like click a link or download an attachment which is how the malware is installed onto your device. 

You can avoid this by always triple checking that messages you receive are from the sender you think they are. As well as being cautious about downloading or clicking anything sent to you even from a trusted sender. They may also have had their device compromised and not know the messages are being sent.

3. Cracking Passwords

A compromised password will cause you no end of issues. Not least because many people are guilty of using the same password for multiple accounts. 

Passwords are most commonly obtained through a practice known as keylogging. This is when your device has been compromised previously and has malware on it which records your keystrokes. Hackers then save your passwords and account names as you enter them. 

But this isn’t the only way hackers can obtain your passwords, there are also password cracking programs. These programs can run through hundreds of different combinations of letters and numbers in minutes. So the easier your password, the faster they’ll crack it.

The easiest way to your password from being compromised is with a password management tool. These tools generate new, long passwords that are difficult to guess, even with a password cracking program.

We’d also recommend using two-factor authentication so you’ll always know if someone else is trying to access your account. 

4. Denial of Service Attack

This is more of a concern for companies than for individuals. A denial of service attack is when computer hackers take down a site or server by flooding said site with traffic. The server or site is unable to process the traffic and crashes. 

It’s a very popular technique, which hacking group Anonymous uses frequently. Hackers use bots to create traffic. As these have become easier to create, the size of DoS attacks has become larger making them even more effective. 

For larger businesses that own multiple websites, hackers may use a distributed denial of service attack. It works the same way but attacks multiple servers and sites.

Your business can protect itself by using DDoS mitigation services or a cloud protection service. 

Stay Informed and Ahead

The best way to prevent computer hacking of any variety is by keeping informed of hacking techniques and staying vigilant. Hacks usually happen due to human error, so ensure you educate yourself and your employees to protect your data.

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