Find your security flaws before hackers do

While companies still utilise conventional defences against cyberattacks, they are no longer sufficient to stop an intrusion by a knowledgeable operator. You have to learn to think like a hacker in order to give the strongest defence against them. This is particularly true for small- to medium-sized businesses (SMEs), which are most susceptible to a cyber assault due to financial limitations and a lack of knowledge.

When someone gets into a computer or system to steal information like credit card numbers or personal information, they are known as hackers. Identity theft or financial gain may be their driving force. Computer system attacks are reportedly on the rise, according to security researchers.

Securing cybersecurity infrastructure requires a thorough understanding of hackers’ motivations and techniques. To that aim, it’s critical to comprehend the hacker’s perspective and become acquainted with their strategies. To become a hacker, one must first learn to think like one.

3 fundamental Principles Of a Hacker’s Mindset 

1 — “Curiosity might have killed the cat, but it had nine lives.”

Hackers are motivated by curiosity to investigate and comprehend networks, structures, and software in order to find weaknesses. They continually employ freshly discovered approaches, tricks, and strategies in various systems in addition to seeking out fresh information and abilities to advance their understanding and stay one step ahead of security measures.

2 — “Move fast and break things”

An adversarial mentality is a method of thinking that constantly looks for ways to get around security measures, disrupt the status quo, and push the boundaries of what is possible.

Hackers frequently seek both to validate their own skills and to push the boundaries of networks and systems. Cybersecurity teams, on the other hand, are focused on protection, whereas hackers are always asking themselves, “How can I breach this?”, “How can I exploit this?,” and “How could I bend this to my will and cause utmost damage?” However, adopting an adversarial attitude is a critical thinking skill that can significantly strengthen the company’s cyber posture by anticipatorily identifying and patching vulnerabilities.

3 — “Of course I struggle, I just don’t quit”

Since hackers frequently need to try a variety of methods and strategies in order to gain access to a system, persistence is a key quality. Even though they may experience setbacks and disappointments, they refuse to give up easily. They’ll keep working till they succeed in their mission.

Hackers frequently tell themselves that security personnel must locate and fix all flaws, whereas they only need to find one. They are fundamentally driven by the continuous quest for weaknesses.

Why Hackers Love SMEs

When it comes to online security, SMEs are most at risk. Because it is considerably simpler to obtain information about smaller firms than it is about their larger counterparts, and because hackers don’t require as much information to break into smaller organisations, they are frequently a target for hackers. The greatest way to defend against hackers is to think like one since they are quick, inventive, and agile.

With these 7 steps, you can remain at the centre of any breach:

1. Pre-attack footprinting

A “pre-attack” action called “footprinting” entails the hacker conducting reconnaissance on the desired target. At this point, hackers seek to learn as many details as they can about your company and the intended system (for example, your personnel and the method by which communications are sent to the intended system).

2. Scanning

In the process of scanning, a hacker will look for details about the intended system. The hacker’s toolbox contains three scans: vulnerability, network, and port scans. Port scanning is a technique used by hackers to look for any “open doors” that would allow them access to a system or network. This comprises network scanning to find any hosts that are currently online and vulnerability scanning to determine whether a host or network has any flaws.

3. Enumeration

Hackers find usernames and details about user groups, file shares, and other features provided by network hosts through the process of enumeration. Obfuscating network information wherever possible is one technique to defend against enumeration. It is worthwhile to defend your network against a hacker’s effort to do a DNS zone transfer in order to get information about your network. Last, but not least, it’s a good idea to disable all default administrator accounts.

4. Hacking

The actual work starts with hacking. A hacker will carry out the hack and get access to the target system using the data collected through footprinting, scanning, and enumeration. In most cases, this leads to the hacker attempting to log into the target computer using a host and login that were previously unknown. The password for the user the hacker wants to use to enter the system is the first barrier of defence at this stage.

5. Escalate Privileges

The hacker is going to want to elevate their privileges, for example, to make sure they have enough power in the system to carry out their intended action, after gaining access to the target system. As a result, the hacker might try to acquire root or administrator rights. This is typically accomplished by a hacker taking advantage of a defect, oversight, or design weakness in some operating system or software. There are various techniques to prevent a hacker from trying to increase their level of access.

6. Delete tracks

A hacker will want to cover their tracks once they have gained access to the intended system and completed any operations. Since the hacker doesn’t want anyone to know they were there, this is a crucial step in the operation. Why? If a system admin learns of a breach, they will take action to correct the system’s flaw, potentially preventing the hacker from getting access in the future, barring any need for police enforcement.

7. Plant a back door

To guarantee future access, a hacker will want to leave a back door before leaving the target system. Hidden software that gets past the system’s default security measures is typically the back door. The backdoor may be utilised to convert the machine into an agent for additional objectives, such as DDoS or sending spam emails, in addition to granting access to the target system.

How We Can Help

There’s no doubt that cybercrime is on the rise.

If you’re prepared to improve your defence plan and Workplace Connect can help make your systems secure, robust, and effective. To find out how to protect your company, read more about our service offerings, which include managed security services, or get in touch with one of our security specialists!