How to avoid man in the middle attack (mitm)

When you use a computer to send data or talk to someone online , You must have taken some measure of security and privacy .

But if a third party eavesdropping without your knowledge , Even pretend to be a business partner you trust to steal destructive information ？ Your personal data is thus placed in the hands of dangerous elements .

This is the infamous Man-in-the-middle attack (man-in-the-middle)（MITM）.

What exactly is man in the middle attack ？

Hackers sneak into the communication between you and the victim or some device , Stealing sensitive information （ Most of them are identity information ） And then engage in various illegal acts , It was a man in the middle attack .Scamicide Company founder Steve J. J. Weisman said ：

“ A man in the middle attack can also occur between the victim and a legitimate app Or in the middle of the page . When the victim thinks he is facing normal app Or web page , Actually Ta Working with a fake app Or web interaction , He disclosed his sensitive information to the lawless elements .”

Man in the middle attack was born in 1980 years , Is one of the oldest forms of cyber attack . But it is more common .Weisman explains , There are many scenarios for man in the middle attacks ：

• Capture an unencrypted WiFi Router ： This scenario is often seen when people use public WiFi When .“ Although home routers are vulnerable , But hackers attack the public WiFi The network is more common .”Weisman say ,“ The target of hackers is to steal sensitive information such as online bank accounts from unsuspecting people .”
• Capture the bank 、 E-mail accounts of institutions such as financial advisers ：“ Once hackers have captured these e-mail systems , They would pretend to be banks or such companies and send emails to the victims ”,Weisman say ,” They ask for personal information in the name of an emergency , Such as user name and password . Victims can easily be tricked into handing over this information .”
• Send phishing emails ： Thieves may also pretend to be companies that cooperate with victims , Ask for personal information .“ In many cases , Phishing emails can lead victims to visit a fake Web page , This fake Web page looks exactly like the legitimate company web pages that victims often visit .”Weisman Say .
• Embed malicious code in legitimate Web pages ： Attackers will also send malicious code （ Usually JavaScript） Embedded in a legitimate Web page .“ When the victim loads this legitimate Web page , The malicious code first stands still , Until the user enters the account login or credit card information , Malicious code will copy this information and send it to the attacker's server .” Network security expert Nicholas McBride said .

What are the famous cases of man in the middle attacks ？

Lenovo as a mainstream computer manufacturer , stay 2014 To 2015 The consumer notebook computers sold in were pre loaded with a model called VisualDiscovery Software for , Block users' web browsing behavior . When the user's mouse passes over a product page , This software will pop up an advertisement for a similar product from a partner .

The key to this man in the middle attack is ：VisualDiscovery Have access to all the user's private data , Including ID number 、 Financial transaction information 、 Medical information 、 Login name and password, etc . All these access behaviors are carried out without the user's knowledge and authorization . The federal Exchange Commission （FTC） This incident is considered as fraud and unfair competition .2019 year , Lenovo agrees to pay 8300 A $million class action fine .

How can I avoid being attacked by middlemen ？

• Avoid using public WiFi：Weisman Suggest , Never use public WiFi Financial transactions , Unless you install a reliable VPN Client and connect to a trusted VPN The server . adopt VPN Connect , Your communication is encrypted , Information will not be stolen .
• Always pay attention ： Be alert to emails or text messages that require you to update your password or provide personal information such as your user name . These methods may be used to steal your identity information . If you are not sure which party the received email is from , You can use tools such as phone check or email check . Check by telephone , You can find out more about the identity of unknown senders . Check by email , You can try to determine who sent you this message . Generally speaking , If you find something really wrong , You can listen to someone in the company you know or trust . perhaps , You can also go to your bank 、 School or some other organization , Ask for their help face to face . All in all , Important account information should never be disclosed to unknown people “ Technical personnel ”.
• Don't click on the link in the email ： If someone sends you an email , Say you need to log in to an account , Don't click on the link in the email . contrary , Visit by yourself in the usual way , And pay attention to whether there is alarm information . If you do not see the alarm information in the account settings , When I call the customer service, I also Don't Contact the phone number left in the email , Instead, contact the contact information in the site page .
• Install reliable security software ： If you're using Windows operating system , Install open source anti-virus software , Such as ClamAV. If you use other platforms , Keep your software installed with the latest security patches .
• Take warning information seriously ： If you are visiting a page with HTTPS start , A warning message may appear in the browser . for example , The domain name of the site certificate does not match the domain name of the site you are trying to access . Never ignore such warning information . Follow the warning advice , Quickly close the page . Confirm that the domain name is not entered incorrectly , If the situation continues , To contact the site owner immediately .
• Use ad screening software ： Pop up ads （ Also called adware attack ） Can be used to steal personal information , So you can also use ad blocking software . For individual users , Man in the middle attacks are actually very difficult to prevent , Because when it was designed , To keep the victim in the dark , Not aware of anything unusual . There is a good open source advertising shielding software called uBlock origin. Can support at the same time Firefox and Chromium（ And all based on Chromium Browser , for example Chrome、Brave、Vivaldi、Edge etc. ）, Even supported Safari.

Remain vigilant

Always remember , You don't need to click on certain links right away , You don't have to follow the advice of a stranger , No matter how urgent the information may seem . The Internet is always . You can leave the computer first , To verify the real identities of these people , Look at these “ Extremely urgent ” Is your page true or false .

Although anyone can be attacked by a man in the middle , Just figure out what a man in the middle attack is , Understand how man in the middle attacks occur , And take effective preventive measures , You can protect yourself from becoming a victim .