It’s unfortunate, but nowadays, database breaches have become commonplace.
Even IT firms and governments – organizations that, one might think, are impregnable – have sustained breaches in recent months.
For instance, last June, JumpCloud, an IT firm with over 5000 customers that include big names like Cars.com, GoFundMe, and TapInfluence, experienced a major breach of its internal network. Fortunately, as per their Chief Information Security Officer, the impact on customers was minimal.
However, not all data breaches are victimless crimes. In July, the personal details of Indonesian citizens such as name, gender, passport number, etc., were put on sale on the dark web for $10,000 after the country’s Immigration Directorate General was hacked.
So, how can organizations secure their databases from malicious cybercriminals? By understanding how hackers and attackers gain unauthorized access to private databases by exploiting vulnerabilities, you can set up preventive measures.
Let’s dive into seven methods preferred by cybercriminals to break into databases and look at what you can do to turn the tables.
1. Weak Passwords and Authentication Methods
Easy-to-guess passwords and outdated authentication techniques are low-hanging fruits for cybercriminals.
Hacking methodologies such as brute force (checking all possible combinations) and dictionary attacks (using a list of standard passwords and phrases) simplify the process of gaining unauthorized access to databases.
Moreover, when it comes to IoT devices, sometimes users do not update their usernames and passwords from the default credentials, making the aforementioned hacking methods even more effective, as the factory preset login details are often well-known to or can be easily discovered by cybercriminals.
To mitigate these risks, organizations should enforce strong policies around password creation and refreshes, encouraging users to secure their accounts with unique codes that are changed periodically.
Additionally, implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA), where the user needs to verify themselves in two or more methods to gain access, can minimize the risks of unauthorized entries further.
2. Privilege Escalation
In essence, a privilege escalation attack occurs when a hacker gains access to resources or permissions that weren’t formally granted to them by the system administrator. Techniques including social engineering and exploiting software vulnerabilities or misconfigurations, are employed by cybercriminals to launch such attacks.
The objective, usually, is to execute system commands, access protected information, and run operations as a privileged user.
Privilege escalation attacks come in two primary forms: vertical and horizontal. Vertical privilege escalation, also known as privilege elevation, is when a hacker obtains higher levels of privileges or access to confidential data. For instance, going from a standard user level to a system administrator.
In the case of horizontal privilege escalation, cybercriminals try to gain access to other users’ privileges, often with identical permissions, by using techniques like session hijacking, whereby they take over the victim’s session for unauthorized activities.
Common vulnerabilities that allow these types of attacks include bugs in operating systems and software (buffer overflows, injection flaws), misconfigurations (overly permissive file permissions, exposed administrative interfaces), insufficient access controls (absence of least-privilege principle), and social engineering (phishing attacks, convincing users to run malicious code via deception).
Conducting regular audits of user roles and keeping a close eye on network activities for anomalies can help organizations detect privilege escalation attempts early, allowing security teams to proactively address these issues.
3. Misconfigured Firewalls
Improper setup of firewalls can make databases vulnerable to unauthorized access and can lead to breaches, manipulation, and loss of information, undermining the integrity and confidentiality of organizational data.
Misconfigurations can include overly permissive rules that allow more traffic than necessary, reliance on default settings that don’t address the specific requirements of your databases, and irregular updates of firewall rules.
Firewall management tools such as FireMon and AlgoSec can help businesses and enterprises protect their databases with company and customer information by streamlining configuration workflows.
Moreover, teams can adopt preventive measures such as setting a default-deny rule where only explicitly permitted traffic is allowed, which can help reduce the chances of data breaches.
4. Code Injection
Code injection attacks, like SQL injection, target the interaction between two applications through commands with inadequately sanitized input fields. After a harmful query is executed, attackers can perform operations such as manipulation and deletion at scale.
These kinds of hacks become a possibility when software fails to validate the user’s input properly, giving an opportunity to cybercriminals to insert or append malicious SQL code to queries.
Organizations should focus on input validation based on type, length, format, and range, and parameterizing queries that distinguish clearly between code and data can be pivotal in effectively neutralizing injected code.
Furthermore, implementing web application firewalls can help block known attack vectors by analyzing incoming traffic.
5. Unpatched Software and Outdated Systems
Hackers look for weaknesses in software and systems arising from coding errors, design flaws, or lack of security features to run malicious code and steal data. It is also not uncommon for cybercriminals to create backdoors in vulnerable systems for regular access.
These risks are particularly higher with end-of-life software, as these components no longer receive security updates or developer support, making them an easy target for cyber attacks.
Moreover, using outdated systems and unpatched software can violate cybersecurity laws, attracting hefty fines on top of data loss and declining brand reputation.
To mitigate these potential threats, organizations should assess their software systems periodically and upgrade their tech stacks to tools that meet the latest data security and compliance guidelines.
6. DNS Tunneling
The Domain Name System is what converts a website URL to an IP address that allows computers to interact with each other on a network. Since the system was originally built without strong security measures to examine the nature of DNS queries and traffic in depth, it is often exploited by hackers to sneak in malware or extract data from servers.
These attacks are known as DNS tunneling. In simpler terms, they involve disguising non-DNS traffic as DNS traffic to bypass network security measures, by hiding the communications to and from the hacker’s server.
Organizations can limit unnecessary DNS traffic, employ query whitelists, and adopt DNS Security Extensions (DNSSEC) to protect themselves against these threats.
Additionally, tools like DNSQuerySniffer and Fortinet can play a pivotal role in protecting private databases from misuse of DNS, including tunneling techniques.
7. Malware and Ransomware Attacks
Malware and ransomware attacks help hackers gain access to organizational databases through phishing emails by tricking unsuspecting users into clicking on sketchy links or downloading faulty attachments.
These links and attachments deploy codes and programs that infiltrate systems and encrypt databases, which are then held hostage under threat of deletion unless a ransom is paid.
Apart from disrupting regular business operations, malware and ransomware can also lead to significant financial losses without any guarantee of getting your database back to its original condition.
To mitigate risks associated with such attacks, organizations should invest in educating their employees to recognize and avoid phishing attempts, adopting anti-malware tools, backing up their databases regularly, and isolating critical systems to limit the spread of such infections if they occur.
Wrapping Up
Private organizational databases are prime targets for cybercriminals, as they contain valuable information about businesses and their customers. A breach or loss of data can lead to reputation damage, operational downtime, legal repercussions, and loss of capital.
Businesses and enterprises should employ the right security measures such as anti-malware software, multi-factor authentication, regular security assessments, firewalls, and data governance frameworks to ensure their information remains protected.
Finally, it is crucial to keep an eye on the evolving trends in the domain of cybersecurity and adopt your workflows as necessary to secure your database from all kinds of cyber attacks.
Disclaimer: The author is completely responsible for the content of this article. The opinions expressed are their own and do not represent IEEE’s position nor that of the Computer Society nor its Leadership.
