Introduction:
Through this guide, we will look at 10 of the most Common Hacking Techniques, how to know if you are hacked, and also will share some safety tips.
Being Hacked is quite common nowadays, in fact with the advancement in Technology, the Gadgets and Us are getting smarter. We are so much exposed to the Internet that it is almost impossible to live without The Internet. With much exposure, there comes a great risk of Data as nearly everything we do is through our Devices, which have Loopholes. The Hacker can easily exploit them and make us a victim of Cyber-Bullying. But Hey, we have got you covered. We promise to make you safer online to some significant extent. We have prepared a list of 10 Methods Hackers use and also How you can be Safer and More Private in the Online World. Also, you can find a Video guide from here.
#01 – Spywares
As the name suggests, this technique involves Spying on the Target. This comes coated in an executable file (mostly .exe and .apk) that is installed by itself and invades the Privacy on the Target Device. It works without any trace and is thus hard to locate. It trades your data like your Photos, Location, Call Logs, Files, and basically, most of your Files to the Hacker.
This is the Nightmare you never want to witness especially if you use Netbanking, have a Sophisticated Profile, or are even a Privacy Concerned Person. But don’t worry, you have a Safety Guide at the end which will ensure you a safer web.
#02 – KeyLoggers
KeyLogger is another form of Spyware that simply tracks your keyboard, which means every single letter you type is recorded and sent to the one who desires it. Every password, website, login detail can be traced easily because no matter what the site is, you log into it by typing with the keyboard and if that keyboard is tracked, it won’t be something you to would like to encounter. Since it is a form of Spyware, it can be masked into software or hardware like Pendrives undetectably that can track everything you type. Stay till the end to learn how to be safe from KeyLoggers!
#03 – Man in the middle attack
As it goes with the name, this method involves a third person who can Intercept and Modify the data between two or more parties while pretending to be the Legitimate Parties. They can intercept and modify an existing conversation, an ongoing Data Transfer and can easily track your Activity.
This is easier if everyone’s connected to the same Wifi network. Thus, it is advised not to enter any personal login details while you are on Public Wifi. They can easily redirect you to a Phishing Website that is capable enough of Stealing your Login details easily and knowing how you can be safer, be with us till the end.
#04 – DDoS Attack
Well, this might not seem very intense, but it really is. It implies creating unusual traffic on your website which would, in turn, make it go down. In simple wordings, if you have a website, there is a limit to the number of users it can handle at one time. For personal uses, it could handle around a hundred users at a time, and talking about the bigger sites like Amazon, it can handle up to lakhs of Customers at a given time.
If the traffic increases than the limit, the server will not be able to handle it and which would lead to a Server Down issue. This is done using Botnets and Zombie Computers. Botnets are the ones who create an unmanageable amount of traffic on your website and Zombie Computers have only One task and that is to bombard your Website with so many data requests which would lead to the Server sinking down.
#05 – Social Engineering
This technique helps execute Brute Force, Phishing attacks which will be discussed later on in this article. It implies a gathering of the data of Target like the daily routine of a person, His Habits, his favorite Political Party, his thinking, his Social Media Usernames, contact details, emails, etc. This helps in Phishing Attacks.
#06 – Phishing Attack
A phishing Attack implies a fraudulent gateway that is coated like the Legitimate and Reputed Sites/ Apps.
Also, this technique uses the Data of the Target which is gathered through Social Engineering. For example, Our Target uses Facebook and also supports ABC Political Party. Now the Hacker will tell give a Phishing link identical to Facebook and also a URL which will make Target believe that it is legitimate and will ask him to log in to support ABC Political Party. As soon as he enters the login details, He has been Hacked.
If the same method is followed on Voice Call, it is Vishing and if it is done on SMS, it is called Smishing
#07 – Brute Force Attack
A Brute force Attack is basically craking the Target’s Password by using a specific Set of Words, Sentences, Patterns, Etc. It has the ability to crack simple passwords within minutes or even seconds
Again, this attack uses the Data of the Target gathered through Social Engineering. It uses the Username of Social Media accounts of Target. The Hacker will use a Brute Force attack to start cracking the password. During this process, his computer will automatically generate random passwords and eventually will crack the password. However, if the password is too easy or not complex, it would hardly take an hour to crack it. Wait till the end to know about Powerful Password Generation.
#08 – Dictionary Attack
It works similarly like the Brute Force Attack, but it works Alphabetically ina n order. It contains all the letters from a dictionary and unlike Brute Force, it does not contain special characters.
Middle-aged people who do not care much about Privacy, tend to have simpler passwords. This loophole is exploited by Dictionary Attack.
#09 – Cookie Stealing
Before understanding Cookie Stealing, Let’s know what The Cookies are.
In simple terms, Cookies are the site data stored into your device in text format which consists of the Logo, Your Username, and Passwords which would help in faster loading of the page the next you revisit. For example, you have opened Amazon and Logged in, and surfed it. Now If you reopen Amazon another time, you will see a faster loading, and also you would be logged in. This is done with the help of Cookies.
Cookie Stealing Implies the Hacker stealing those cookies which contain your Login details to Hack you.
#10 – Ransomware
Ransomware blocks the Data from being accessed by its Original Owner. This part can encrypt various important files which will be decrypted at a cost of good amount of money.
Ransomware is another malicious file masked into Software. I recall an incident where my known was trying to install Windows 11 Cracked File. After installing the wrong one, his very data was encrypted, meaning that it was locked by the Hacker. The Hacker also demanded Money in return for his own Files! So beware of all types of Third Party, Cracked files!
How to know if you have been Hacked?
Well, there are a few signs you can watch out for to know whether you are hacked or not.
- Check out for unsual Battery Drains.
- Watch out for unsual Internet/ Wifi usage.
- Make sure you do not see any unsual Login Acvtivities.
How to be Safe?
Well, there are plenty of things that you can take care of to be Safer on the Web. Here’s a listing of the same:
- Please go for Genuine/ Legitimate Softwares even though it might cost you some bucks, it will be worth your data.
- Never click on suspicious links which do not have an SSL Certicifate or basically prefer Https site over Http one.
- Never install an Apk which you find without a logo aur name.
- Never hand your device to unknown person, or if you do so, make sure He/ She do not insert a pendrive or intsall any Softwares into your Device.
- Do not attempt to download any unknown Custom Roms or OS.
- Consider Clearing Cookies at regular intervals.
- For passwords, do not use your Name, Number, Useername, 123456 etc. Instead, use a combination of Numbers, Letters and Symbols with mixture of Capital and Small Letters which would make your password stronger.
- Create a fake dummy account if you really want to download or log in into a ssuspicious Site/ App.
- Run multiple Antivirus Scans weekly to make sure you do not have any Unwanted Stuffs, or even if you do have them, delete them right away and enjoy being Safer.
Bottom Line
Well, most of the hacking involves carelessness, so being careful will ultimately save you from getting Hacked. Be aware, don’t do Piracy nor use Pirated Materials, and changing Passwords from time to time are a few more tips to make you safer.
Check out this Video for Simpler Explanation:
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