Navigating the Evolution of Cyber Threats

As a marketer, I’m all about connecting with people and using data to create those “they get me” moments. But lately, I’ve been diving into the not-so-glamorous side of our tech-driven world: cybersecurity. Why? The more we rely on digital channels, the more vulnerable we are to attacks that could upend everything we’ve worked to build with our customers. Understanding cyber threats is my way of learning how to keep those connections safe—and believe me, this world of digital security is as intriguing as it is. Also, if we don't learn from the past, we'll make the same mistakes again (and not new ones!)

Before “Cyber” Was a Thing: Old-School Fraud 101

Before hackers and DDoS attacks, businesses dealt with some pretty inventive frauds, what we now call “pre-IT fraud.” Back then, scammers might create fake employees on the payroll to grab extra cash. In one case from 2012, a woman in Hawaii faked two employees and tried to pocket over $200,000—talk about dedication to deception! Then there was “salami fraud,” named for the way fraudsters took a tiny “slice” off the top of each transaction, slowly piling up a small fortune. Think about it: shaving just a few cents from thousands of transactions can add up quickly.

Another classic scam was the “payment for non-existent goods” trick, where people would set up fake purchase orders, collect payments for things that didn’t exist, and disappear with the cash. It’s old-school, but guess what? This principle is behind many online scams today, just wrapped up in newer tech.

Enter the Computer Age: The Hackers Arrive

With the arrival of computers and modems, a new type of threat emerged—hackers. These weren’t your usual fraudsters; they were more like kids with a puzzle to solve, breaking into systems to prove they could. This early generation of hackers wasn’t out for money; it was about the thrill and recognition.

But it didn’t take long for things to get serious. The internet brought along cybercrime and espionage, showing how complex things could get. As more people went online, hackers found new playgrounds—defacing websites, leaving “gotcha” messages, or hacking for a cause (what we now call “hacktivism”). For some, hacking became a way to make a political statement, turning the internet into their soapbox.

The Rise of DDoS Attacks and Digital Mayhem

Soon, the attacks ramped up. Enter the denial-of-service (DoS) attack, where hackers could flood a site’s server with requests until it shuts down. And, in a dangerous twist, this evolved into distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, using whole networks of compromised computers, called botnets, to launch attacks so large they’d cripple sites. One of the most significant DDoS attacks happened in 2014, where attackers sent continuous data packets to targeted businesses worldwide, taking down sites across entire countries. Imagine millions of messages hitting a server simultaneously—like a digital tsunami.

What This Means for Us as Marketers

Every one of these attacks threatens the trust we’ve built with customers and the experiences we’ve worked hard to create. Here’s what I’ve learned from all this:

1. Security = Trust: People want to feel safe interacting with our brands. Making security part of our message doesn’t just protect them—it makes them want to stay.
2. Being Ready for the Unexpected: All our channels, from social media to websites, are vulnerable. Knowing the risks helps us plan for the worst and bounce back faster if things go sideways.
3. Collaborating for Cyber Resilience: Working with IT to understand security basics doesn’t just make us more intelligent—it means we can help keep our brands resilient, especially when things go wrong.

Understanding the history of cyber threats—from simple fraud to today’s sophisticated attacks—demonstrates that security is everyone's job as we embrace digital spaces. As marketers, we’re right at the front lines.