Man-in-the-Middle Attacks Defined
A Man-in-the-Middle Attack (MITM) is a form of cyber eavesdropping in which malicious actors insert themselves into a conversation between two parties and intercept data through a compromised but trusted system. The targets are often intellectual property or fiduciary information. MITM aggressors will also use malware to open the communications channel to create zombie machines or build vast networks of comprised systems. Man-in-the-Middle Attacks can be used as a way into systems to execute an advanced persistent threat (APT).
Organizations often are unaware that their session and data have been tampered with until it is too late. If a MITM attack is successful, organizations experience negative brand perception, reduced customer confidence, and a damaged bottom line.
How Man-in-the-Middle Attacks work
MITM attacks can be executed in several ways that exploit other parties’ communications. Whether by passive or active means, a MITM attack finds a way between a user and an entity and attempts to conceal the breach and information theft. Below are common ways Man-in-the-Middle Attacks manipulate communication systems.
Types of Man-in-the-Middle Attacks
Email Hijacking – attackers gain access to a user’s email account and watch transactions to and from the account. When the time is right, the user exchanges funds with another party. The attacker takes advantage of the situation by attempting to intercept the funds by spoofing one or all conversation members.
Wi-Fi Eavesdropping – a passive way to deploy MITM attacks, Wi-Fi eavesdropping involves cyber hackers setting up public Wi-Fi connections, typically with an unsuspecting name, and gaining access to their victims as soon as they connect to the malicious Wi-Fi.
Session Hijacking – session hijacking is when an attacker gains access to an online session via a stolen session key or browser cookies.
DNS Spoofing – an attacker engages in DNS spoofing by altering a website’s address record within a DNS (domain name server) server. A victim unknowingly visits the fake site, and the attacker will attempt to steal their information.
IP Spoofing – similar to DNS spoofing, IP Spoofing sees an attacker attempting to divert traffic to a fraudulent website with malicious intent. Instead of spoofing the website’s address record, the attacker disguises an IP (internet protocol) address.
How to Prevent Man-in-the-Middle Attacks
Implement a comprehensive Email Security Solution – an email security solution is a vital tool in an organization’s security architecture that will help minimize the risks associated with MITM. It secures email activity proactively while staff focuses efforts elsewhere.
Implement a Web Security Solution – a robust web security tool that provides visibility to web traffic generated by the system and end-user at the protocol and port layers. Like an email security tool, this implementation protects your organization’s web traffic so the security team can cover more ground.
Educate Employees – Making training relevant to the employee is critical to training effectiveness. Prepare your workforce for these advanced attacks by educating them on the dynamics, patterns, samples, and frequency of attack methods attempted on other organizations. Case studies are valuable when putting together educational materials and awareness programs.
Keep credentials secure – Check your user credentials often. Make sure your passwords are secure, complex, and updated every three months at a minimum. This will aid your company’s protection by keeping credentials fresh and challenging to crack.
