ManintheMiddlehyökkäys

Man-in-the-middle (MITM) hyökkäys, also known as MitM or asimmuutushyökkäys, is a cyber attack where an attacker secretly relays and possibly alters the communication between two parties who believe they are directly communicating with each other. This can be achieved by the attacker intercepting the network traffic between the two parties and then forwarding it on. The attacker can then eavesdrop on the communication or modify it without either party knowing.

There are several ways a man-in-the-middle attack can be carried out. One common method is through ARP spoofing, where the attacker sends falsified ARP messages onto a local area network. This causes the attacker's MAC address to be associated with the IP address of another node on the network, typically the default gateway. Once this is done, traffic intended for the legitimate gateway is sent to the attacker instead. Another method involves DNS spoofing, where the attacker redirects traffic intended for a legitimate website to a fraudulent one.

Man-in-the-middle attacks can have serious consequences, including data theft, financial loss, and identity theft. Sensitive information such as usernames, passwords, credit card numbers, and confidential messages can be intercepted and exploited. To protect against such attacks, users are advised to use secure network connections like VPNs, avoid public Wi-Fi for sensitive transactions, and ensure websites use HTTPS encryption. Implementing strong authentication methods and keeping software updated are also crucial preventative measures.