What is spoofing?
Spoofing describes techniques in which cybercriminals disguise their identity by impersonating trustworthy people or devices. Their goal is to entice users to take actions that can give the attacker an advantage and harm the victim. Historically, fraudsters have repeatedly used deceptive tactics to gain unlawful advantages. In the digital age, fraud has continued as a central element of criminal activity.
Mail spoofing
Mail spoofing is a common cyber attack that often aims to obtain personal information or trigger financial transactions. The fraudulent emails appear as if they came from trustworthy sources, such as colleagues or supervisors. In fact, they are sent by cybercriminals who aim to gain trust in order to trick victims into certain actions, such as transferring money or granting system access.
These emails often contain attachments that release harmful software, such as Trojans or viruses, as soon as they are opened. The malware aims not only to infect the individual computer but also to spread through the user's network.
IP spoofing
IP spoofing is primarily focused on network attacks. Cybercriminals send messages from a fake IP address to gain unauthorized access. They manipulate the data packets so that they appear to come from a trusted host on the victim's internal network.
Content spoofing
Content spoofing manipulates content to make the user believe that it came from the visited website, even though it actually comes from an external source. Spoofers change URL parameters to point to other content that appears at the original URL. Modern browsers and special plugins can help protect yourself from such attacks.
ARP spoofing
ARP spoofing, a special form of IP spoofing, uses the Address Resolution Protocol to redirect or change traffic on local networks. Cybercriminals manipulate the allocation of IP addresses to MAC addresses in order to intercept data traffic.
Protection measures against spoofing
Identifying spoofing is critical to protect yourself from cybercrime. If spoofing is suspected, the authenticity should be verified by contacting us directly. On websites, it is advisable to pay attention to unusual features and leave the page if suspected. Internet security programs can also provide protection against fake websites and block malware.
