Methods of Data Interception
Computer Science: OCR GCSE, topic 1.4.10
Methods of Data Interception
There are three main methods of data interception: insider attacks, man-in-the-middle attacks, and packet sniffing.
Insider attacks
- An insider attack is where someone with privileged access to information (e.g. an employee) uses their access to steal information from the company, and gives it to others.
- Attackers often have financial or ethical motivations.
- The risk of insider attacks can be reduced using:
- Firewalls.
- User access levels.
Man-in-the-middle attacks
- A man-in-the-middle (MITM) attack is where an attacker will intercept a device's connection to the Internet.
- This is often done by tricking users into signing into a fake WiFi hotspot.
- The man-in-the-middle can then see all of the victim's traffic, such as personal information.
- This is one of the reasons why users should be very careful if they join a public WiFi network.
Packet sniffing
- Packet sniffing is where a hacker will intercept data as it is being transmitted across a network.
- Sniffing software reads and displays the content of all packets being sent on a network.
- Packet sniffing is a form of passive attack.
- One of the best ways to protect against packet sniffing is to use encryption so that packets cannot be decoded.
Test yourself on Methods of Data Interception
A Man-in-the-Middle Attack