A man-in-the-middle attack is an attack in which data is intercepted, read or manipulated. The attacker stands between the victim and the data resource. This means that all data passes through the man-in-the-middle and is easy to intercept. A man-in-the-middle attack is a major threat to data protection.
Man-in-the-middle attack definition
The man-in-the-middle attack (MitM) is designed to intercept data. To do this, a hacker places software or himself between the victim and the resource of this data. This can happen, for example, in a network connection or processes on a computer. The positioning aims to intercept all communication between the resource and the victim. This makes it possible to intercept, read or even manipulate data. A man-in-the-middle attack is usually carried out using specially developed programs or devices. These are also used to keep the attack secret. After all, the victim should not find out that an unauthorized person is intercepting and reading the data. The man-in-the-middle is therefore either transparent or disguises himself as the actual communication partner. For example, attackers can pretend to be the source of the data and thus send manipulated data. Or they can imitate the victim and obtain the data from the resource. What happens to the data afterwards depends on the hacker’s goal. Anything is possible with a successful man-in-the-middle attack, from identity theft to the falsification of transactions.
Man-in-the-middle attack variants
There are different variants of MitM attacks. One example, which often occurs in areas with a high level of tourism, is the imitation of a WLAN router or an Internet access point. Hackers lure unsuspecting tourists into their networks and intercept their data. To do this, the fake Wi-Fi networks disguise themselves as free access points from restaurants or hotels. To disguise the attack, the hacker forwards the data to the actual target after intercepting it. This way, it is not even noticeable that a fake network has interposed itself. The Internet is generally a place where we cannot be too careful. A man-in-the-middle attack can also run via cookies. The attacker then reads the login data and gains access to the user’s accounts. With physical access to a network or data line, hackers can basically intercept, read, save and copy everything. By manipulating it, they can even redirect the data directly to their own devices. Then no data is safe at all. So always make sure that your access is secure and only log in to trustworthy sources.
Measures against man-in-the-middle attacks
The most effective measure against a man-in-the-middle attack is to encrypt the data transmission. End-to-end encryption is most suitable. This means that the data remains encrypted throughout until it reaches its destination. A simple example of this is Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS), which we are all familiar with from websites. Sites that continue to use only http are insecure. You should therefore not store any data there. In addition, multi-factor authentication (MFA) is of course a guarantee for secure data transmission. With the REINER SCT Authenticator, for example, you receive a new password every 30 seconds for logging into your accounts. The data is therefore protected by the time limit. Above all, hackers cannot do anything with your access data, as they do not have the additional security code that the Authenticator generates every 30 seconds. This means that your data is always secure and the man-in-the-middle is left standing in the middle with empty pockets.
Conclusion
A man-in-the-middle attack is a major threat to the protection of your own data. Important information reaches unauthorized persons through MitM, who can use it to cause considerable damage. An MFA is a good way to protect your own data. In general, however, you should only visit secure websites and use networks that you are confident are secure. After all, it is better to be safe than sorry.
