A cybersecurity threat is any circumstance or event that can adversely impact an information system through unauthorized access, destruction, disclosure, modification of data, denial of service or other malicious activities. This can include malware, phishing attacks, man in the middle (MitM) attacks, viruses and worms.
The cyber threats we face are more serious than ever before. They can steal confidential information for financial gain, disrupt critical services and threaten national security. And they’re growing fast—as the interconnectivity of our modern lives and technological infrastructure grows, so do the risks.
From nation states and their proxies, terrorist groups, to criminal hackers, the scope of these cyberattacks is staggering. China and Russia are among the most sophisticated, but they’re not alone. Hackers and cybercriminals are attacking everything from intellectual property to democracy, from the personal data of millions of individuals to the infrastructure that delivers our food, medicine and power.
Cyberattacks can cost businesses and individuals dearly. For example, when the Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack shut down gas and diesel supplies to New York City in 2017, it created gas shortages that impacted millions of people. And when companies or non-profits that provide essential services such as hospitals are forced to interrupt their operations because of a cyberattack, those costs are passed to the consumer.
A malware attack can cause all sorts of harm from stealing credit card information to deleting sensitive data. Trojans hide in apps, games and email attachments to trick users into downloading them. Spyware spies on user activity without their knowledge, and bots automate the process of spreading malware.