What is a MITM Attack and How to prevent it?

Man-in-the-middle (MITM) attack is a type of cyberattack where an attacker secretly interferes, relays or alters the communication between a client (browser) and the server (website). In MITM, the client assumes that it has established an encrypted connection with the server, but actually, the server and the client are connected to the hacker who could read and modify the data that is being transmitted. During a MITM attack, the hacker breaks into the Wi-Fi connection or the Internet provider’s network and interrupts the sent data. Once the data has been stolen by the hacker, it can be easily read (since it isn’t encrypted) and sorted to access sensitive information. All the information travels to the internet provider’s network or Wi-Fi connection from the user’s device and then reaches the server through HTTP protocol. Since this protocol is not secured, the data sent through it is easily accessible as it is not encrypted.

Detection of MITM Attacks

Generally, MITM Attacks can be detected or prevented in the following ways:

1. Authentication– Authentication assures the user that the message has come from a legitimate source. A mutual authentication method can be adopted in order to exchange the information over a secured channel in which both the server and client can validate each other’s communication. For example, the use of Asymmetric Cryptography or public key cryptography.
2. Tamper Detection– In order to detect a MITM attack, differences in response time can be checked. If one party takes an abnormal length of time to reach the other party, there may be a possibility of interference from the third party or the hacker.

How do SSL Certificates help you Defend from these Attacks?

In order to encrypt information or data, Asymmetric Cryptography also known as public key cryptography is used. It makes use of a public key (shared with everyone) and a private key (kept secret) pair to encrypt and decrypt data. Asymmetric cryptography is being widely used by many protocols such as SSH, OpenPGP, S/MIME, and SSL/TLS for encryption and digital signature functions. SSL Certificates comprise two elements: SSL Protocol and SSL Certificate. The SSL protocol provides mitigation to HTTPS which is responsible for securing all web and electronic communications. The private key associated with the corresponding certificate establishes a valid connection. While on the other hand, based on the infrastructure of the Certificate Authority (CA), an SSL certificate authenticates the identity and reliability of the owner. Thus, if the server has an SSL Certificate installed, MITM attacks can be prevented. Although, the hacker can intercept the data the hacker cannot decrypt it because he does not own the private key.

Using Haltdos to Protect Against MITM

Deficient implementation of SSL/TLS attracts attackers to perform MITM attacks on vulnerable websites. To counter this, Haltdos offers its customer-optimized SSL/TLS encryption along with in-depth HTTP/S traffic monitoring which is all included in the Haltsos – Web Application Firewall Security Solution. Haltdos WAF protects its customers against IP spoofing, DNS spoofing, HTTPS spoofing, SSL hijacking, etc. And it also provides an inbuilt website security scanner that can protect websites against complex security threats. Read More: Why You Need a Web Application Firewall?