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Spoofing is where an unknown person disguises communications as a trusted and known source. It is a form of cyberattack that criminals employ to meet specific malicious ends.
When it comes to cybersecurity, spoofing is where something or someone pretends to be something else in order to:
A spoofing attack comes in various forms, mainly:
So, how do cybercriminals fool you? They often simply invoke the name of large, trusted companies to get people to take some type of action or give up information. For instance, a spoofed email from Amazon or PayPal may inquire about a purchase you never made. Then, after raising concerns about your account, you may click on the link they include in the email.
After you click on the malicious link, you are sent to a fake login page with a spoofed URL and a familiar logo, where you are prompted to provide your username and password. They may also use a malware download in an attempt to harvest your information.
There are numerous types of spoofing attacks, including:
Some ways of protecting yourself against a spoofing attack are:
In many ways, spoofing is worse than phishing since spoofing could be an attempt to steal data. Spoofing tricks the person into believing they are doing something right, but it is actually the opposite. The person will part with the data unwittingly, thereby causing harm to the company and its safety.