Spoofing definition
Spoofing is the act of disguising a communication from an unknown source as being from a known, trusted source. It can apply to emails. Phone calls and websites can be more technical, such as a computer spoofing an IP address, Address Resolution Protocol (ARP), or Domain Name System(DNS) server.
however, it can be used to gain access to a target’s personal information, spread malware through infected links or attachments, bypass network access controls or redistribute traffic to conduct a denial-of-service attack, spoofing is often the way a bad actor gains access in order to execute a larger cyber attack such as an advanced persistent threat or a man-in-the-middle attack.
How does it works?
Spoofing can be applied to a number of communication methods. It employ various levels of technical know-how it can be use to carry out phishing attacks.
thus, Which are scams to gain sensitive information from individuals or organizations. The following different examples of spoofing attack methods gives more details on how different attacks work.
Types of spoofing
1. E-mail Spoofing
E-mail spoofing occurs when an attacker uses an email message to trick a recipient into thinking it came from a known and/or trusted source. These emails may include links to malicious websites or attachments infected with malware, or they may use social engineering to convince the recipient to freely disclose sensitive information.
however, Sender information is easy to spoof and can be done in one of two ways.
- Mimicking a trusted email address or domain by using alternate letters or numbers to appear only slightly different than the original.
- Disguising the ‘From’ field to be the exact email address of a known and /or trusted source.
2. Caller ID Spoofing
With caller ID spoofing, attackers can make it appear as if their phone calls are coming from a specific number-either one that is known and/or trusted to the recipient or one that indicates a specific geographic location.
Attackers can then use social engineering-often posing as someone from a bank or customer support-to convince their targets over the phone, provide sensitive information such as passwords. so, Account information, social security numbers and more.
3. Website Spoofing
Website spoofing refers to when a website is designed to mimic an existing site known and/or trusted by the user. Attackers use these sites to gain login and other personal information from users.
4. IP Spoofing
Attackers may use IP(Internet Protocol) spoofing to disguise a computer IP address, thereby hiding the identity of the sender or impersonating another computer system. One purpose of IP address is to gain access to networks that authenticate users based on IP addresses.
More often, however attackers will spoof a target’s IP address in a denial-of-service attack to overwhelm the victim with traffic. The attacker will send packets to multiple network recipients, and when packet recipients transmit a response, they will be routed to the target’s spoofed IP address.
5. ARP Spoofing
Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) is a protocol that resolves IP Addresses to Media Access Control(MAC) addresses for transmitting data, ARP is used to link an attacker’s MAC to a legitimate network IP address so the attacker can receive data meant for the owner associated with that IP address.
6. DNS Server Spoofing
DNS (Domain Name System) servers resolve URLs and email addresses to corresponding IP addresses, DNS spoofing allows attackers to divert traffic to finally a different IP address, leading victims to sites that spread malware.
How to protect against its attacks?
The primary way to protect against spoofing is to be vigilant for the signs of a spoof whether by email, web or phone.
Do:-
When examining a communication to determine legitimacy keep an eye out for:
- Poor spelling.
- incorrect/inconsistent grammar.
- Unusual sentence structure or turns of phrase.
Don’t:-
Click on unfamiliar links or download unfamiliar/unexpected attachments. If you receive this mail in your email send a reply to ask for confirmation.
Written By: Abhishek Kumar
Reviewed By: Sayan Chatterjee
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