Access Attacks

Access attacks, as the name implies, are those involving the unauthorized use of a target machine or machines. The means by which an intruder gains access to infrastructure are typically specific to the exploitable vulnerabilities present in operating systems, application software, or physical protection mechanisms. Often these vulnerabilities are discovered by hackers during previous reconnaissance attacks.

Access attacks can be manual or automated and may be composed of unstructured or structured threats. Generally, access attacks can be categorized into three forms of unauthorized activity, as follows:

• Data Retrieval

• System access

• Privilege escalation

The sophistication of access attacks has increased as hackers have become more proficient with tools and more knowledgeable about vulnerabilities. Often, these forms of attack are combined to enlarge the scope and severity of an assault. We discuss each of these attacks in this section.