Malware, phishing attacks, and other hacker methods could lead to data exfiltration that puts your privacy and security on the platforms at risk.
Cybercriminals use a variety of tools to create new ways to affect devices. It doesn’t matter if you have a Windows PC, macOS, or even a Linux distribution such as Ubuntu, because from these operating systems to those of mobiles such as Android and iOS, there are numerous viruses that can bypass security.
On previous occasions, the Police have warned about the increase in phishing cases that are impacting millions of victims. Therefore, knowing the terms and ways of acting in the face of the different circumstances that may arise is crucial so that they do not become something serious for you, such as exfiltration.
Surely you have already heard about how dangerous spyware or ransomware can be, as they are often used to steal your information and extort threats of all kinds. In fact, once they manage to do things like spear phishing or malicious SPAM calls, they could gain access to your social media accounts and other platforms.
How does data exfiltration work, and what causes it?
Knowing exactly what type of attack you are receiving is of utmost importance to determine what type of actions to take in order to eliminate them. In this case, data exfiltration is one of the most common tactics among hackers and consists of stealing your data to be transferred between computers.
This process is also known as data extrusion or export, as cybercriminals obtain an amount of information with their malware or attacks and make an intentional unauthorized transfer to pass it from your PC to another “system, network, or device,” according to IBM experts.
This data collection is received by the attacker from the aforementioned external sources, and from there they can make use of them to apply ransomware, steal bank accounts, and get your money without you noticing or even replace your identity.
Exfiltration can be carried out in a variety of ways, either by manual and specific methods or through automations on platforms. The affected victims can be both average users and large-scale corporations, so extreme caution must be exercised.
Some people confuse the concept with data leakage or data breach, but they are different things. The first is “accidental exposure,” when things are leaked that you don’t want in some way, and the other occurs when there is a “technical security vulnerability” where they are exploited to infiltrate, raising alerts.
Extrusion works as a direct stealth attack and is intentional, requiring the two processes mentioned above, as they are the ones that generate this result. For example, ransomware, phishing, and other ways to obtain sensitive information are not exfiltrated until that data is copied and exported to another site.
What to do to prevent your data from being stolen?
Most of the time when this happens, it is because there are hackers who create ways to get into computers, either through viruses or through phishing. However, specialists say that it also happens because there are “negligent internal users” who allow there to be oversights or vulnerabilities.
Some of the actions that make things easier for hackers are downloading infected files from unknown sources, clicking on links to unofficial and malicious websites, or giving the information when filling out forms or logging into unsafe sites.
Employees of large companies are the ones who should be more careful because sometimes they are the direct targets. For example, in 2022, cybercriminals managed to exfiltrate up to 1 TB of Nvidia data, putting the confidentiality of its deep learning project at risk. In 2020, Microsoft and Facebook went through something similar.
While common users and corporations often use cybersecurity methods, IBM states that the best protection is to “educate users on best practices for remote work, password hygiene, the use of personal devices at work, and data storage.”
So, the best defense barrier is to prevent this from happening from the beginning by being very careful with the information that is put on pages, logins on various platforms, or accessing SMS messages and deceptive SPAM emails. Being aware of all this makes it less likely to be affected.
FAQ
Q1: What is data exfiltration and how does it work?
A1: Data exfiltration is the unauthorized transfer of data from your device to another system, often by hackers using malware or phishing. It involves intentionally stealing data, which is then sent to an external source for malicious use like identity theft or ransomware.
Q2: Are all operating systems vulnerable to cyberattacks and exfiltration?
A2: Yes, cybercriminals target all operating systems, including Windows, macOS, Linux (like Ubuntu), Android, and iOS. Viruses and malware are designed to bypass security on any platform.
Q3: How can phishing lead to data exfiltration?
A3: Phishing tricks users into giving away sensitive data or installing malware. Once access is gained through methods like spear phishing or malicious SPAM, hackers can extract and transfer your information without your knowledge.
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