// THREAT DETECTION AND DATA PRIVACY TERM
Man in the Middle
A Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) attack is when a cybercriminal secretly intercepts and relays communications between two parties who believe they are talking directly to each other. The attacker can then eavesdrop on or alter the messages without either party knowing.
TECHNICAL DEFINITION
A Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) attack is a sophisticated cyberattack where an adversary clandestinely intercepts, relays, and potentially alters real-time communication between two legitimate entities, thereby compromising data confidentiality and integrity without their direct knowledge. Common attack vectors include ARP spoofing, DNS spoofing, and rogue Wi-Fi access points, targeting secure communication protocols.
BACKGROUND
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, is a component of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) responsible for cybersecurity and infrastructure protection across all levels of government, coordinating cybersecurity programs with U.S. states, and improving the government's cybersecurity protections against private and nation-state hackers.
READ MORE ON WIKIPEDIASYNONYMS & ALIASES
- MitM
- eavesdropping attack
- session hijacking
- relay attack
- interception attack
- man-in-the-middle attack
USAGE NOTE
MitM attacks are particularly dangerous in unencrypted communication channels, often targeting Wi-Fi networks, and are a core component of many advanced persistent threats.
DEVELOPERS
Organizations developing technology related to Man in the Middle.
Develops next-generation firewalls and security platforms that detect and prevent various network attacks, including those that leverage man-in-the-middle techniques, through deep packet inspection, threat intelligence, and secure access solutions.
Offers a broad portfolio of security solutions, including next-generation firewalls, intrusion prevention systems (IPS), VPNs, and identity management that protect against network eavesdropping, session hijacking, and other MITM attack vectors.
Provides comprehensive, integrated, and automated cybersecurity solutions, including FortiGate next-generation firewalls and FortiClient endpoint protection, which help detect and prevent MITM attacks by securing network traffic and verifying connections.
A cloud security platform offering Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) and Secure Web Gateway services that inspect encrypted traffic, enforce security policies, and secure connections, thereby preventing man-in-the-middle attacks on corporate resources.
Its Falcon platform provides endpoint detection and response (EDR) and cloud workload protection, which can identify anomalous network activity, credential theft attempts, and other indicators of compromise related to MITM attacks at the endpoint level.
Offers a suite of services including Web Application Firewall (WAF), SSL/TLS encryption, and DNS security to protect websites and applications from MITM attacks by ensuring secure, authenticated connections and detecting malicious traffic.
Delivers web application and API protection, secure internet access, and CDN services that help defend against MITM attacks by ensuring traffic integrity, encrypting communications, and detecting malicious redirects or altered content.
Provides comprehensive network and endpoint security solutions, including next-generation firewalls and advanced threat prevention, designed to detect and block MITM attempts through deep inspection and secure connectivity.