Tag Archive for: difference

What’s The Difference? – Forbes Advisor INDIA

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It is no surprise that due to the increase in corporate cyberattacks many are turning to proxies and VPNs to avoid digital crises. While these two approaches share similar functions, understanding their differences can allow you to determine which tool best suits your browsing needs. 

To help, we set up a proxy vs. VPN comparison guide to better understand how each works.

Proxy vs. VPN: Similarities and Differences

If you aren’t familiar with a VPN or proxy, it could be easy to confuse the two based on their functions. For instance, both tools hide your internet protocol (IP) address, making it seem you are in a different location. However, it is crucial to distinguish the two to get the most out of their security and privacy-related offerings.

What Is a VPN?

A virtual private network (VPN) is a digital tunnel that takes your data from one point to another. When your information enters the tunnel, it gets encrypted (typically with AES 256-bit encryption). To anyone not approved to view it, the information would be extremely difficult to understand. The data only becomes legible again once it reaches the intended destination.

VPN usage aims to protect your identity, obscure browsing behaviors from watchful eyes and shut down most hacker antics. The system encrypts your information, making it easy to visit the web from various locations without concern about who might have access to your online activity. VPNs can be used on desktop computers and mobile devices.

Pros and Cons of Using a VPN

Although virtual private networks are for internet security, they have drawbacks. The following chart features the benefits…

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Know the difference, defend against the danger: DoS vs DDoS attacks

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Key differences between DoS and DDoS

Here are some detailed differences between DoS and DDoS attacks:

Source of Attack

The primary difference between DoS and DDoS attacks is the source of the attack. In a DoS attack, the attacker uses a single device or network to carry out the attack, while in a DDoS attack, the attacker uses a network of compromised devices (botnet) to flood the target with traffic.

Scale

The scale of the attack is another critical difference between DoS and DDoS attacks. In a DoS attack, the attacker can only generate a limited amount of traffic, which may not be enough to bring down a well-protected website or network. In contrast, a DDoS attack can involve thousands or even millions of devices, generating massive amounts of traffic that can overwhelm even the most robust defenses.

Complexity

DDoS attacks are generally more complex than DoS attacks. The attacker needs to infect a large number of devices with malware to create the botnet, which requires advanced technical skills and knowledge. Additionally, DDoS attacks may use different techniques to evade detection and mitigation, such as IP spoofing, amplification attacks, and randomization of attack patterns.

Duration

DoS attacks are typically shorter in duration than DDoS attacks. A DoS attack may last a few minutes to a few hours, while a DDoS attack can last for days or even weeks. The longer duration of a DDoS attack makes it much more challenging to mitigate and recover from.

Impact

DoS attacks and DDoS attacks can both have a significant impact on the target website or network. However, DDoS attacks can be much more damaging, as they can result in extended periods of downtime, data loss, and financial losses.

Motivation

DoS attacks are usually carried out by individuals seeking attention or revenge, while DDoS attacks are often carried out by organized criminal groups, hacktivists, or state-sponsored actors seeking to disrupt or damage a target website or network.

Also Read: Role Of Cyber Security In Compliance: A Comprehensive Guide

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Attack Vector vs Attack Surface: The Subtle Difference

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Cybersecurity discussions about “attack vectors” and “attack surfaces” sometimes use these two terms interchangeably. However, their underlying concepts are actually different, and understanding these differences can provide a better understanding of security nuances, allowing you to improve your organization’s security by differentiating between these terms.

This article guides you through the distinctions between attack vectors and attack surfaces to help you better understand the two concepts and establish a more mature security posture.

Attack vector vs. attack surface

Most simply, an attack vector is any means by which an attacker can infiltrate your environment, whereas attack surface refers to the collective vulnerability that these vectors create. Any point that allows data to pass into your application or network represents a potential attack vector. Identities, networks, email, supply chains, and external data sources such as removable media and cloud systems, are all exploitable channels that a malicious actor may use to compromise your sensitive data or personal information. This also means that any system update or release could create new attack vectors.  

Common attack vectors

Rapid technological change means that some of these attack vectors will fall out of favor with hackers and become less common. Nonetheless, some choices have been consistently common and will likely remain so.

Social engineering via email
Email attachments remain one of the most common vectors of the last 30 years. 

Consider a situation in which you receive an email with the subject: “Please correct your tax form to receive your next paycheck.” This sender’s address seems to be from your boss or HR department, and the email contains an attachment called W2.pdf. 

This type of email originates from an attacker using a spoofed return address to appear legitimate and trustworthy. However, what appears to be a PDF file may in fact be an executable file (W2.pdf.exe) containing a Trojan horse virus. If you open the file using an insecure PDF reader, you might execute the Trojan, infecting your system. 

An attack like this is an example of a social engineering attack, which…

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Spoofing vs hacking: What’s the difference?

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SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — On January 23, 2023, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem announced via news release that her personal cell phone had been “hacked.” The release in question states: “Governor Noem’s personal cell phone number has been hacked and used to make hoax calls.”

It is unclear from the release whether Noem’s personal device itself has been compromised, which would constitute a “hack”, or whether someone has simply posed as Noem using her number, which would not.

A request for clarification on the nature of the “hack” described in the release was not answered by the Governor’s Office. Regardless of this specific situation, what is the main difference between hacking into a device and simply using someone else’s phone number, an act known as ‘spoofing’?

To find out, we spoke with Arica Kulm, Director of Digital Forensic Services at Dakota State University.

“It’s kind of two different things,” said Kulm. “Your identity can be compromised — we put our information out there on social media; we put our information out there online in a lot of different forms — it’s really hard to protect all of your information.”

Kulm says that data breaches can reveal your birth date, phone number, social security number or other identifying info, all of which can be packaged and sold online.

“The other side of that is your phone can be compromised,” Kulm continued. She says this can be the result of downloading an app, clicking on a link or using unsecured internet connections.

The key difference between spoofing and hacking comes down to this: “If your device is compromised, that would be considered your device has been hacked — if it’s your identity that has been compromised, you’ve been spoofed or impersonated,” said Kulm. “If I make a phone call and use your phone number, I haven’t compromised your phone — I’m spoofing your phone number.”

Spoofing, it turns out, isn’t difficult. “There’s online services you can use to do that,” Kulm said. “There’s ways to make prank phone calls doing that — businesses use that…

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