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  • A supply chain attack is a type of cyberattack in which threat actors target less secure elements within an organization’s supply chain, typically by compromising a trusted third-party vendor, supplier, or service provider that has access to the organization’s systems or data. The attacker exploits the trust relationship between the target and its suppliers, often inserting malicious code or hardware during manufacturing, software development, or distribution processes. There are two main types:• Software supply chain attacks: Attackers inject malicious code into software or updates distributed by a trusted vendor. When organizations or individuals install the compromised software, attackers gain access to their systems. A notable example is the SolarWinds attack, where malware was distributed to thousands of customers through a legitimate software update.• Hardware supply chain attacks: Attackers tamper with physical components, such as adding spying devices or malware during manufacturing or distribution, to compromise systems once the hardware is deployed. Supply chain attacks are particularly dangerous because they can bypass robust security measures by exploiting trusted relationships, and a single compromised vendor can lead to widespread impact across many organizations.
  • A supply chain attack is a type of cyberattack in which a threat actor targets a less secure element within an organization's supply chain—typically a trusted third-party vendor, supplier, or service provider—in order to gain unauthorized access to the primary organization's systems or data. How it works: Attackers compromise a third-party that provides software, hardware, or services to the target organization. Once the third-party is breached, attackers can use that established trust or access to infiltrate the target organization, often bypassing its direct security controls. This method allows attackers to potentially impact not just one company, but all organizations that rely on the compromised supplier or product. Types of supply chain attacks: Software supply chain attacks: Malicious code is injected into legitimate software or updates, which are then distributed to all users. The 2020 SolarWinds attack is a prominent example, where malware was distributed via a trusted software update to thousands of organizations. Hardware supply chain attacks: Physical components are tampered with during manufacturing or distribution, embedding malware or vulnerabilities before reaching the end user. Service provider attacks: Managed service providers (MSPs) or other vendors with network access are compromised, giving attackers a pathway into customer environments. Why are they effective? Organizations often have strong internal security, but their vendors or suppliers may not, making these third parties the "weakest link" in the security chain. The interconnected nature of modern business means a single breach can have widespread, cascading effects across multiple organizations.
  • A symmetric key is a cryptographic key used for both encrypting and decrypting information within a symmetric encryption scheme. In this approach, the same key is shared between the sender and the recipient, and both must possess this secret key to securely exchange information. When data is encrypted with a symmetric key, only someone with that exact key can decrypt and access the original information. This method is also referred to as secret key encryption, private key cryptography, or symmetric cryptography. How Symmetric Key Encryption Works • Key Generation: A secret key is generated, often as a random string of bits, numbers, or characters.• Encryption: The sender uses this key and a symmetric encryption algorithm (such as AES or DES) to convert plaintext (readable data) into ciphertext (scrambled, unreadable data).• Decryption: The recipient, who also possesses the same key, uses it to decrypt the ciphertext back into its original readable form. Key Characteristics • Single Key Use: Both encryption and decryption use the same key, unlike asymmetric encryption, which uses a public/private key pair.• Shared Secret: The key must be kept secret and shared securely between parties. If an unauthorized person gains access to the key, they can decrypt all protected data.• Efficiency: Symmetric key algorithms are generally faster and less computationally intensive than asymmetric algorithms, making them suitable for encrypting large volumes of data. Common Algorithms • Block ciphers: Encrypt data in fixed-size blocks (e.g., AES, DES).• Stream ciphers: Encrypt data one bit or byte at a time (e.g., RC4, ChaCha20)
  • A SYN flood attack is a type of denial-of-service (DoS) or distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack that targets servers by exploiting the TCP protocol’s three-way handshake process, which is essential for establishing a reliable connection between a client and a server. How the Attack Works • In normal TCP communication, a client initiates a connection by sending a SYN (synchronize) packet to the server.• The server responds with a SYN-ACK (synchronize-acknowledge) packet.• The client then completes the handshake by sending an ACK (acknowledge) packet back to the server.• This three-step process establishes a connection, allowing data transfer to begin.In a SYN flood attack:• The attacker sends a large number of SYN requests to the target server but deliberately does not respond to the server’s SYN-ACK replies with the final ACK.• Alternatively, attackers may spoof the source IP address in the SYN packets, causing the server to send SYN-ACK responses to nonexistent or unwilling hosts, which never reply.• As a result, the server keeps these connections in a “half-open” state, waiting for the final ACK that never arrives Key Characteristics • SYN flood attacks are sometimes called “half-open” attacks because they leave connections incomplete.• They often use spoofed IP addresses to make mitigation harder and detection more difficult.• These attacks operate at Layer 4 (the transport layer) of the OSI model, specifically targeting TCP services like web servers, email servers, and other infrastructure.