Man-in-the-Middle attacks occur when an attacker secretly intercepts and possibly alters the communication between two parties, making them believe they are directly communicating with each other. This type of attack can lead to data theft, unauthorized transactions, and exposure of sensitive information.
Challenges
- Data Interception: Attackers can capture sensitive information such as login credentials, personal data, and financial details.
- Session Hijacking: MitM attacks can lead to the hijacking of active sessions, granting attackers unauthorized access to systems.
- Difficult Detection: Since communications appear normal to the end-users, detecting MitM attacks in real-time is challenging.
Protection Strategies
- Encryption: Utilize strong encryption protocols like TLS/SSL to secure communications, ensuring data cannot be easily intercepted or deciphered.
- Authentication: Implement mutual authentication mechanisms to verify the identities of both parties in a communication.
- Secure Networks: Avoid using unsecured public Wi-Fi for sensitive transactions; employ Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to encrypt internet connections.
