Definition:
Spoofing is a type of attack in which an attacker pretends to be another entity, such as a trusted website, email sender, or device, to trick victims into divulging sensitive information or performing malicious actions.
Use Cases:
- Used by attackers in phishing schemes to make fraudulent emails appear as if they come from legitimate sources.
- Employed in network attacks to intercept communications by impersonating trusted devices.
Related Terms:
Questions and Answers:
- How does spoofing work?
Attackers manipulate communication protocols or address fields to make their malicious actions appear to come from a trusted source, tricking victims into complying with requests or divulging information.
- What are the different types of spoofing attacks?
Types include email spoofing, IP address spoofing, DNS spoofing, and caller ID spoofing.
- How can spoofing be prevented?
Spoofing can be prevented by using authentication mechanisms such as DMARC for email, encrypting communications, and verifying the authenticity of communication sources.