Man-in-the-Middle attacks allow attackers to secretly intercept and potentially alter communications between two parties who believe they are communicating directly.
Understanding MITM Attacks
In a MITM attack, the attacker positions themselves between two communicating parties, intercepting and potentially modifying traffic.
Common MITM Techniques
- ARP Spoofing - Associating attacker's MAC address with legitimate IP addresses on local networks.
- SSL Stripping - Downgrading HTTPS connections to HTTP to intercept traffic.
- Rogue Access Points - Setting up malicious Wi-Fi networks to capture traffic.
Defense Strategies
- HTTPS Everywhere - Enforce TLS for all connections and use HSTS.
- Certificate Pinning - Validate expected certificates to prevent impersonation.
- VPN Usage - Encrypt all traffic on untrusted networks.
Conclusion
Man-in-the-Middle attacks exploit unencrypted or improperly secured communications. By enforcing HTTPS, implementing certificate pinning, and using VPNs on untrusted networks, you can protect your data from interception.