📘 09-02: Common Attacks¶
📌 Denial of Service¶
| Attack | Description |
|---|---|
| DoS | Overwhelm a system so it's unavailable |
| DDoS | DoS from many distributed sources (a botnet) — harder to block |
📌 On-Path & Spoofing¶
| Attack | Description |
|---|---|
| MITM / on-path | Secretly intercept/relay traffic between two parties |
| ARP spoofing/poisoning | Map victim/gateway IP to attacker's MAC to intercept LAN traffic |
| Spoofing | Forge source identity (IP, MAC, email sender) |
| DNS poisoning | Corrupt DNS answers to redirect users |
📌 Social Engineering¶
Attacks that target people, not machines:
| Attack | Description |
|---|---|
| Phishing | Deceptive email/message to steal credentials or deliver malware |
| Spear phishing | Targeted phishing at a specific person |
| Pretexting | Invented scenario to extract info |
| Tailgating | Follow someone through a secure door |
Best defense: user awareness training.
📌 Malware Types¶
| Type | Behavior |
|---|---|
| Virus | Needs a host file + user action to spread |
| Worm | Self-replicates across networks, no user action |
| Trojan | Disguised as legitimate software |
| Ransomware | Encrypts data for extortion (harms availability) |
| Rootkit | Hides deep in the OS |
| Logic bomb | Triggers on a condition/date |
A zero-day exploits a flaw before a patch exists.
Tip
Key idea — Know DoS/DDoS, MITM/ARP spoofing, phishing/social engineering, and malware types (virus vs. worm vs. trojan vs. ransomware). A zero-day has no patch yet.
See also: Security Concepts, Switch & Port Hardening
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