Man-in-the-middle

The man-in-the-middle attack involves intercepting communications between two entities without either being aware that the communication channel has been compromised. By interfering with the exchange of data, the attacker can both read and modify the data.

Most often, a cyber-attacker uses this type of attack to retrieve data. The main reasons for such an attack are data theft, identity theft and the illegal transfer of funds to a foreign account.

These attacks usually start with the distribution of malware. This gives the attacker access to a user’s web browser and to data sent or received during transactions and conversations. Once in control, the hacker can redirect users to a fraudulent site that looks exactly like the one they’re looking for.