In cybersecurity, an attack vector is a path or means by which an attacker can gain unauthorized access to a computer or network to deliver a payload or malicious outcome. Attack vectors allow attackers to exploit system vulnerabilities, install different types of malware and launch cyber attacks. Attack vectors can also be exploited to gain access to sensitive data, personally identifiable information (PII) and other sensitive information that would result in a data breach.

We all know about the type of attacker who leverages their technical expertise to infiltrate protected computer systems and compromise sensitive data. This breed of malicious actor makes news all the time, prompting us to counter their exploits by investing in new technologies that will bolster our network defenses. However, there is another type of attacker who uses different tactics to skirt our tools and solutions.

One of the greatest misconceptions about online safety is that home networks are somehow private. Unfortunately, this hasn’t been true since around the turn of the century when we started filling our home networks with Internet-connected boxes serving local web pages. The problem is that web browsers typically make little distinction between web sites on the public internet versus those on a home or office network.

The small country of Georgia was hit by a cyberattack on Monday, knocking the national TV station and 2,000 websites offline in the nation's largest-ever cyberattack. A local web-hosting provider, Pro-Service, took the blame, claiming one of its servers that powers websites for media organizations, state agencies, and the private sector, was the target of the attack. The attack resulted in roughly 15,000 subscribers of website servers on the Pro-Service server crashing.