What is MITM?
A Man-in-the-Middle attack occurs when an attacker secretly positions themselves between two communicating parties, intercepting and potentially altering the communication.
mitm-visualization
[YOU] <---> [ATTACKER] <---> [SERVER]
^-- reads/modifies --^
Common MITM Techniques
- Evil Twin WiFi - Fake access point mimics legitimate one
- ARP Spoofing - Redirects network traffic
- SSL Stripping - Downgrades HTTPS to HTTP
- DNS Spoofing - Redirects to fake websites
- Session Hijacking - Steals active sessions
Public WiFi Danger
Coffee Shop = Danger Zone
Public WiFi is the perfect environment for MITM attacks. Anyone on the network could be intercepting traffic.
Protection Methods
- Always use HTTPS - Look for the padlock
- Use VPN - Encrypts all traffic
- Verify certificates - Check for warnings
- Avoid public WiFi - Use mobile data instead
- Enable HSTS - For website operators