A man-in-the-middle attack occurs when a cybercriminal inserts themselves into communications between you, the targeted victim, and a device in order to steal sensitive information that can be used for a variety of criminal purposesâmost notably identity theft, says Steve J. J. Weisman, founder of Scamicide.
“A man-in-the-middle-attack can also occur when the victim believes he or she is communicating with a legitimate app or website,” says Weisman, “when the truth is that the victim is communicating with a phony website or app and thereby providing sensitive information to the criminal.”
Ways a MITM attack can happen
- Attacking a WiFi router that is not properly secured: This typically occurs when someone is using public WiFi. “While home routers might be vulnerable, it’s more common for criminals to attack public WiFi networks,” says Weisman. The goal is to spy on unsuspecting people who are handling sensitive information, such as their online bank accounts, he adds.
- Hacking email accounts of banks, financial advisers, and other companies: “Once [the criminals] have hacked these email systems, they send out emails that appear to come from the legitimate bank or other company,” Weisman says. “[They ask] for personal information, such as usernames and passwords, under the guise of an emergency. The targeted victim is lured into providing that information.”
- Sending phishing emails: Thieves might also send emails pretending to be legitimate companies that the targeted victim does business with, asking the recipient for their personal information. “In many instances, the spear-phishing emails will direct the victim to a counterfeit website that appears to be that of a legitimate company with which the victim does business,” says Weisman.
- Using malicious code in legitimate websites: Attackers can also place malicious codeâusually JavaScriptâinto a legitimate website by way of a web application. “When the victim loads the legitimate page, the malicious code just sits in the background until the user enters sensitive information, such as account login or credit card details, which the malicious code then copies and sends to the attackers’ servers,” says Nicholas McBride, a cybersecurity consultant. Read More
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