Cybersecurity Unveiled: Understanding External and Internal Threats

External threats refer to cyber attacks that originate from outside an organization's network, typically from malicious actors or groups[1] who seek to exploit vulnerabilities and gain unauthorized access to sensitive data. Here are some examples of their attacks:

1. Malware attacks: Malware, short for malicious software, is a type of software designed to harm a computer system or network. Malware can come in many forms, including viruses, Trojans and ransomware, and can cause significant damage to an organization's data and reputation.
2. Phishing attacks: Phishing is a type of social engineering attack where an attacker poses as a legitimate entity, such as a bank or email provider, and sends fraudulent emails or messages to trick users into sharing sensitive information, such as login credentials. Phishing attacks are the most common way for attackers to gain unauthorized access to an organization's network.
3. DDoS attacks: A distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack involves overwhelming a network or website with traffic to make it inaccessible to users. DDoS attacks are often launched by botnets, which are networks of infected computers that can be controlled remotely by attackers.
4. Zero-day exploits: A zero-day exploit is a vulnerability in software that is unknown to the software vendor or cybersecurity community. Attackers can exploit these vulnerabilities to gain unauthorized access to an organization's network before a patch or fix is available.
5. Supply chain attacks: A supply chain attack involves targeting a third-party vendor or supplier to gain access to an organization's network. These attacks can be difficult to detect as they're often not directly launched against an organization. Instead, attackers will exploit vulnerabilities within a third-party vendor or supplier's network and use that access to launch attacks against the client organization.

Internal threats refer to cyber threats that come from within an organization, often involving authorized users who have access to the organization's network and data. Here are some examples:

1. Insider attacks: These are typically carried out by employees who intentionally or unintentionally cause harm to an organization's systems or data. For example, a disgruntled employee may intentionally damage systems in order to cause downtime or prevent an organization from doing business. Or that worker might steal and release sensitive information which could prove even more costly than system downtime.
2. Accidental data breaches: Breaches occur when employees unintentionally expose sensitive data, such as sending an email to the wrong recipient or failing to secure a device containing sensitive data. It's essential to provide training to employees to help them understand the importance of data security.
3. Poor password management: Weak or easily accessible passwords can compromise an organization's security. For example, an employee might use the same password for multiple accounts, which can lead to a cascading breach across multiple systems.
4. Privilege abuse: This occurs when an authorized user with elevated access misuses their privileges to harm the organization. For example, an IT administrator might abuse their access rights to install malware on the network.
5. Negligent behavior: Refers to employees who disregard security policies and engage in risky behavior that can lead to a data breach. For example, an employee might use an unsecured public Wi-Fi network to access company data or leave a device containing sensitive data in a public place.