Man-in-the-Middle (MITM)
MITM intercepts communications between two parties to steal or alter data.
Updated: 2026-03-05
Definition
A MITM attack occurs when an attacker positions themselves between two communicating parties to eavesdrop or modify traffic.
Examples include rogue Wi-Fi, ARP spoofing, and DNS spoofing.
Key points
- Targets confidentiality and integrity
- TLS helps prevent many MITM attacks
- Network segmentation reduces attack surface
Common mistakes
- Assuming encryption at rest prevents MITM (need TLS in transit).
- Trusting unknown Wi-Fi networks without protection.
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