How Cyber Criminals Plan Attack? A Simple Guide
Alright, lemme be honest with you here and describe how cyber criminals plan attack.
When people hear the word cyber criminal, they usually think of some hoodie guy smashing the keyboard, surrounded by blinking monitors and weird green code flying around. Total movie stuff.
But the reality? Nah. Most of the time it’s just someone sitting in a quiet room, maybe sipping chai or coffee, poking around the internet and planning their next move with way more patience than you’d expect.
So how do these people actually plan a cyber attack?
It isn’t magic. There’s a pattern. A process. And yeah, it’s kinda scary how simple it can be sometimes.
How Cyber Criminals Plan Attack? Know the Steps
Hackers train for these kinds of attacks and use a step-by-step plan to get what they want.
First, they pick a target (and no, it’s not always a big one)
This is where it all starts.
Sometimes they target a big company. Other times it’s a small startup or just a random individual who left their digital window open. You don’t gotta be rich or famous to land on someone’s radar.
Honestly, a lot of these attackers don’t even care who you are. They just care if you’re easy to break into.
Then they start snooping around (this part is slow)
We call it reconnaissance. Sounds fancy, but it’s basically just stalking.
They’ll Google your company.
Scan your website for weaknesses. Look at your LinkedIn profiles to see who’s who.
And if they’re really committed, they’ll even check social media for stuff like “my first pet’s name” or your birthday.
Why? Cos every bit of info helps them blend in or guess your passwords or trick you better.
Time to find a way in (this is where stuff gets real)
Now they’re looking for that one small crack.
Maybe your server’s running outdated software.
Maybe someone reused their old password from 2015.
And maybe you clicked on some email from “IT support” asking you to log in again. Boom. That’s the entry point.
They don’t always need to hack anything. Sometimes they just ask politely with a fake face and wait for someone to hand it over.
Once inside, they stay low (and quiet)
They don’t start stealing stuff right away. Nah, smart attackers take their time.
They move slowly through systems, watch traffic, and sniff around for sensitive data or credentials.
Some of them chill in networks for weeks or even months. You wouldn’t even notice them unless you’re seriously paying attention.
They’re just… watching. Waiting for the right moment.
Then they strike (and it’s messy)
Now they’re ready.
They lock files.
Steal data.
Sell access.
Crash systems.
Install backdoors.
Sometimes it’s loud like ransomware. Sometimes it’s quiet like data exfiltration that you won’t even notice for months. Either way, they get what they came for. And yeah, they try to clean up their mess.
Good ones will erase logs, delete traces, use VPNs, bounce their IPs through five different countries.
You’ll be scratching your head trying to figure out where it even started from.
And by the time you do, it’s often too late.
Real talk: this stuff isn’t going away
You don’t need to be a tech expert to understand how cyber criminals plan attack.
Cyber attacks start with people. With mistakes. With habits we don’t even realize are risky. And the scary thing? Attackers are just people too. They’re learning, improving, getting creative.
But so can we.
Read Also: Internal vs External Penetration
Final thoughts
If you think you’re too small to be attacked, you’re already a perfect target.
If you think you’d “never fall for that,” trust me, everyone thinks that till they do.
The goal here isn’t fear. It’s awareness.
Know how cyber criminals plan attack, and you’ve already taken the first step to stop it.
Ever spotted something shady before it turned into something worse? Or maybe didn’t, and learned the hard way?