Understanding the Anatomy of an Attack

There are almost as many ways to attack a network as there are hackers, but the majority of attack methods can be categorized as one of the following: manual attacks or automated attacks. Manual attacks are generally still performed by a piece of code or other script, but the attack itself is initiated at the request of a live user who selects his or her targets specifically. Automated attacks cover the kinds of attacks made by self-propagating worms and other viruses. There’s also the question of the competence of an attacker or the complexity of an automated attack, which we’ll discuss here as well.

The Three Phases of a Hack

Most hack attacks follow a series of phases: