Know all about the Man In The Middle attack and stay protected. As the name says it all, a Man in the Middle attack or MITM attack is when a hacker or cyber crook sits between the sender and the recipient and hinders the communication between the two. While both parties believe that they are directly sending messages to each other, their communication can be understood and taped by a third party.
Effects Of Man In the Middle Attack
With a Man in the Middle attack, the intruder can gain the way to your sensitive data including credentials and bank or credit card details. When the hacker has obtained command on the communication line, they can infuse their own controls to alter or withdraw the data in infiltration. The hackers may also inoculate malware into your data brook, especially if you are downloading content or updating an application. (Also read, HOW TO SAVE MONEY WHILE SHOPPING ONLINE WITH VPN)
The Man in the Middle attacks can also happen when you’re browsing the web. In this situation, the intruder will use browser vulnerabilities to get away into your system. With a MITM attack on your browser, an attacker can steal passwords and other critical data that’s on your browser.
How Attackers Carry Out the Man in the Middle Attack
Man in the Middle Attacks is pretty sophisticated. But there are various tools open in the market that will allow any neophyte cyber crook to attempt a successful attack. To execute an attack, the device should be able to direct data packets moving between a client and the server. If a hacker requires redirecting the traffic from a local network to their own computers, they will need to perform ARP spoofing.
Seldom attackers install malware on routers or modems, and this malware executes the Man in the Middle attacks. If they don’t have access to the router, MITM can also be done remotely with the cooperation of routing attacks.
The attacking tools perform the protocols of client and server sides. The intervention tool acts as a server to the client and as a client to the server. This way it transmits a connection and lifts the data.
How To Remain Safe
To efficiently beat a Man in the Middle Attack, you must encrypt the information shared between you and the server so that even if somebody lies in the middle, they get fail to intercept the data packets. (also see, How to Install ExpressVPN Chrome Extension?)
Method: Https Everywhere
HTTPS Everywhere is a Chrome, Firefox, and Opera extension that encrypts your conversations with many influential websites; making your browsing more protected. It is issued and developed as a partnership between The Tor Project and the Electronic Frontier Foundation. The extension primarily requires your browser to use HTTPS alternatively to the less secure HTTP protocol. This makes the likelihood of being targeted by a Man in the Middle attack far less likely.
Method 2: VPN
A VPN encrypts your data so when a hacker gains access to it; they cannot decode it. If you use a reliable VPN with 256-bit encryption, your data will become nearly impossible to hack. There are several VPN companies that provide this kind of encryption. When your data is encrypted, it’s as if it is passing through a secure tunnel that cannot be broken. So even if the hacker gets a hold of your data packets, they will not be able to read or edit them because they will be securely encrypted.
A Big No To Free VPN
When you use a VPN, make sure you don’t go for free options. Since they are free, they don’t come with a lot of features. For example, their encryption will not be 256-bit. Also, they will not be reliable. If you’re using a VPN and the connection drops, you will not get to know, and your connection might become unprotected. All good VPNs come with a kill switch that will drop your internet connection if the VPN drops. This way, you’ll always be secure.
Conclusion:
Make sure you read our recommendations for the best VPNs and stay safe from hackers and MITM attackers. More than 65% of people use a VPN to stay safe. It’s best to start using one now.
