As technology continues to advance in helping users stay secure, cybercriminals have gotten more sophisticated with their attacks. And so they do it through the use of spoofed dedicated servers to trick people into providing access to information cybercriminals can then use to steal and, in worst-case scenarios, cause harm to individuals who’re unaware the attack is coming from a server intended to appear like the true thing.
What’s a Spoofed Dedicated Server?
A spoofed dedicated server is one which pretends to be from a legitimate source with a purpose to stage malicious attacks.
Cybercriminals use spoofed dedicated servers to make you think that you are using the server you intended to make use of. As an alternative, you might be connected to a fake server they arrange. This enables them to steal your information, access your computer, and even track you down – all without your knowledge.
How Cybercriminals Use Spoofed Dedicated Servers
Say you receive an email that appears prefer it got here from a site you visit often. At first glance, the e-mail may look like from a reliable source. While you take a more in-depth look, nevertheless, there are things which are off. The domain is just not spelled accurately, or the e-mail address is barely different. And the e-mail design itself may look legitimate, however the links don’t take you to the trusted provider you understand. That’s because this email is definitely from a spoofed dedicated server, and the sender is hoping you’ll click the link provided in order that they can infect your system with malware.
Cybercriminals also arrange spoofed dedicated servers to attack your website. Attacks in your site could cause your bandwidth usage to spike and your site to decelerate. They may make features inaccessible to your customers.
One other example of cybercriminals using spoofed dedicated servers is launching distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, which restrict users from accessing web sites. This could cost organizations hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost sales and damages from downtime.
Or they might launch a man-in-the-middle (MiTM) attack. That is where the cybercriminal will intercept your communication with an internet site and redirect you to a fake site. This fake site mimics the true one with a purpose to capture data like login credentials and financial information.
Why Spoofed Dedicated Servers Are a Security Risk
When cybercriminals try to take your site down, the spoofed dedicated server makes it difficult so that you can track them down. If it’s difficult to find out where the attack is coming from, they will attack your site multiple times, with each getting more serious and causing more harm.
Cybercriminals often use spoofed dedicated servers to run phishing and fraud scams, email spamming, botnets, crypto mining, IP scanners, and other malicious, harmful activities. All these are detrimental to your organization, your employees, and your customers.
As you possibly can see, these are real threats and could cause serious harm to those that are unaware of the hazards these servers could cause.
Find out how to Protect Your Organization
To guard your organization, be certain your organization is running a firewall on each your network and any devices connected to your network. Most devices include basic firewall protection already built into the device’s operating system.
A step up is installing and configuring antivirus software. Antivirus software can scan your network and the devices connected to it consistently to observe possible attacks from IP scanners and spoofed dedicated servers trying to search out vulnerabilities.
Antivirus software often includes browser protection. So when employees hook up with your network or applications, they’ll get an alert stating the location they’re attempting to visit could also be a security risk. This alert will advise them to not proceed unless they’re positive it’s a trusted site.
You need to also implement phishing and fraud protection rules in emails and offer resource training to assist your employees understand what to search for and the best way to prevent attacks.
You need to not select a provider that gives spoofed dedicated servers as a part of their services. In the event that they’re willing to draw cybercriminals with these spoofed servers, imagine the service in the event you turn into one in every of their customers.
Proceed implementing resources, software, and other tools into your organization to stop spoofing attacks reminiscent of packet filtering, which might prevent an IP spoofing attack. This works by blocking packets that contain conflicting source address information.
Final Thoughts
A spoofed dedicated server is a dangerous, fake server created by cybercriminals to commit malicious activity. These servers are a security risk because they will steal sensitive information, distribute malware, and launch attacks on other systems.
To guard your organization from these servers, it is best to select a provider that doesn’t offer these services. You need to also proceed to practice preventative measures reminiscent of using strong passwords and installing anti-virus software.
On the very least, construct your network with a reliable provider like Liquid Web that gives dedicated servers and network resources to guard your site, application, email, and another services your organization must thrive. Contact us to debate your network.