Penetrating Networks: Man in the Middle Attack

Abstract

The world that we all belong to today; is so technologically advanced that computers have started to dominate our lives. Without us realizing, almost every second of the day we are sharing vital information with so many others which is exposed in ways we can’t imagine. Whether you are at home surfing the internet, at work, sitting in the park or on a subway, nine out of ten times you will find yourself using one of the smart devices. Further, the significance of the usage of technology increases with the increased use of the internet. In this fast moving world, it is more than important to stay alert when it comes to sensitive information. We as users follow the step by step strategy of using any tech gadget or technology but in the same world as ours, reside people excelling in intercepting our data. Access to your personal data to a third party can cost you a lot. One of the hacking techniques prevalent in the tech world is the Man in the Middle Attack, known to many as Session Hijacking or just Hijacking. This paper aims to provide a brief study of the attack listing its symptoms, the vulnerabilities caused to the systems, and the ways to detect the attack. This paper is built on the foundation of a project which comprises of understanding the attack, learning about information gathering tools, simulating the attack and detecting it thereafter.

Keywords: Cyber attack, Hijacking, MITM, Network security.

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