Threats, attacks & vulnerabilities
Network Attacks
Overview
Network attacks attempt to access, monitor, alter, disrupt, or misuse data traveling across a network.
Key concepts
- Availability: DoS, DDoS
- Interception: MITM, ARP spoofing, DNS poisoning
- Recon: port scanning, packet sniffing
- Credential attacks: password spraying, credential stuffing, brute force
How it works
Availability attacks
| Type | What it does |
|---|---|
| Denial-of-service (DoS) | Overwhelms a system or network so legitimate users can't access it. |
| Distributed DoS (DDoS) | The same idea, launched from many compromised devices at once — usually a botnet. |
Interception & manipulation
| Type | What it does |
|---|---|
| Man-in-the-middle (MITM) | Secretly intercepts or alters communication between two parties. |
| ARP spoofing | Uses false ARP messages to redirect local-network traffic through the attacker's device. |
| DNS poisoning | Changes DNS information so users are sent to a fraudulent or malicious site. |
Reconnaissance
| Type | What it does |
|---|---|
| Port scanning | Checks a device for open ports and exposed services. |
| Packet sniffing | Captures and inspects network packets traveling through a network. |
Credential attacks
| Type | How it works |
|---|---|
| Password spraying | Tries one common password against many accounts, to avoid triggering lockout controls. |
| Credential stuffing | Uses stolen username/password pairs to try logins on other sites or services. |
| Brute-force attack | Repeatedly guesses passwords, PINs, or keys until the correct one is found. |