Cyber attacks are cyber security for small businesses more prevalent, and the cost of protecting against them is skyrocketing. From criminals attempting to steal data for financial profit and extortion to state-sponsored contingents looking to disrupt operations overseas, most businesses face the threat of cyberattacks.

In the context of cybersecurity, a cyber attack refers to an offensive maneuver that exploits vulnerabilities in computer information systems or devices, networks, infrastructure, personal computer devices or smartphone apps. The attacks can be launched from anywhere in the world and can range in scope from stealing sensitive information to shutting down IT systems and everything in between. The perpetrators of a cyberattack are often called hackers, bad actors or cybercriminals and can operate individually or as part of organized crime groups.

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The most common cyberattacks include phishing, ransomware and denial-of-service (DoS) attacks. A phishing attack involves a cybercriminal sending emails to large groups of people with socially engineered messages crafted to entice them to click malicious links and enter their credentials on fake websites. Other types of cyberattacks include a man-in-the-middle attack in which an attacker creates a Wi-Fi login page to mimic the real one and eavesdrop on their activity to collect personal information, passwords or banking details. Credential stuffing is an attack in which a hacker acquires a list of usernames and common passwords, then attempts to log into accounts with those credentials. Denial of service attacks involve flooding a system with traffic to clog bandwidth and prevent legitimate requests from being fulfilled.