Hackers are driven by various motivations, including financial gain, political and ideological beliefs, personal conflict, or the challenge of breaking into a system. They often target organizations with valuable data, weak security measures, or those that align with their specific goals.
Hackers employ several techniques to cover their tracks, such as clearing logs, using encryption to hide their activities, and employing tools like steganography to embed malicious code in innocuous files. They may also use proxy servers and VPNs to mask their IP addresses.
Early warning signs of a potential hack include unexpected system slowdowns, frequent crashes, unusual pop-ups, unauthorized password changes, and unfamiliar programs running on your device. Receiving emails about password resets you didn’t request can also be a red flag.
A targeted attack is meticulously planned and aimed at a specific organization or individual often for financial, political, or strategic reasons. In contrast, an opportunistic hack exploits any available vulnerability, without a specific target in mind, often for quick gains or disruption.
