A cyber attack is an attack on the Internet.

People called hackers use the Internet to break into other people’s computer systems.

What for? To steal or erase data or exchange them for money.

But how do they do it?

Hackers are specialists in information technology.

To break into other people’s computers, they test passwords, send thousands of emails and set up fake websites.

Normally, computers are protected by a firewall filter plus an antivirus program that detects and destroys intruders.

But firewalls aren’t always fireproof! Hackers get past them by sending emails with a hidden virus that gets into the computer.

Once inside, the virus can invade other computers in a network or send emails to get into friends’ computers.

Viruses browse photos, emails, and top-secret files of a company or a state. They can also give orders to machines or banks!

Sometimes, hackers take information hostage and ask for money to give it back. That’s a ransom.

There are 3 ways to be protected: never open strange emails, install the latest programme updates, and backup all your files.

Hackers may be as strong as pirates, but we can resist!