Common threats and attack types
There are many reasons why attackers may target a system, many ways to attack targets, and multiple possible consequences for the operator of the compromised system. Let’s examine them in detail.
The motivation of attackers and the possible consequences
The picture of an attack on computer systems that movies, literature, and video games tend to show is usually an attack on a carefully selected target with a specific goal – most often, to steal some valuable information, modify it, or perhaps destroy it.
Such attacks certainly exist in the real world and they are a huge concern for high-profile companies and government agencies. However, that popular depiction often misleads people into believing that security is not important for them because they do not have any valuable information and are not high-profile targets.
That perception might have been correct in the early days of the internet but, these days, it is a very dangerous...