Detecting Cyber Attacks

Cyber attacks are among the biggest threats to modern businesses. From simple phishing emails to targeted ransomware attacks – here’s how to identify threats early and respond correctly.

1. Warning Signs of an Attack

• Unexpected logins or administrator activities
• Unusual CPU or network usage spikes
• Unknown processes running on devices
• Suspicious email attachments or links
• Unexplained system crashes or strange log entries

2. Analysis with Security Tools

Use SIEM systems such as Wazuh, Splunk, or Security Onion to centrally collect and analyze suspicious activity. With Sysmon, you gain visibility into processes, registry access, and network connections.

3. Immediate Actions When Suspicious Activity Is Detected

1. Isolate affected systems from the network
2. Start forensic analysis and secure all logs
3. Change credentials and privileged account passwords
4. Patch vulnerabilities and update affected systems
5. Document and review the entire incident

4. Prevention Through Monitoring

Continuous monitoring with Wazuh or OSSEC ensures early detection of threats. Use Sysmon event codes 1, 3, and 11 to visualize real-time attack activity.

Tip: Employee training is critical – human error remains one of the top causes of cyber incidents.