Spoofing as a form of cybercrime
Along with the development of technology, which gives us more and more opportunities, the risk of cyber-attacks on our personal data is also growing. Hackers are using more and more sophisticated methods of compromising security to achieve their goal. One of the forms of cybercrime is spoofing, i.e. a group of attacks on ICT systems consisting in impersonating another element of the IT system, the effect of which is achieved by placing prepared data packets on the network or incorrect use of protocols.
Spoofing definition
The term “spoof” dates back over a century and refers to any form of trickery. However, today it is mostly used when talking about cybercrime. Spoofing is the act of disguising a communication from an unknown source as being from a known, trusted source, which can apply to emails, phone calls, and websites, or can be more technical, such as a computer spoofing an IP address, Address Resolution Protocol (ARP), or Domain Name System (DNS) server. It can be used to gain access to a target’s personal information, spread malware through infected links or attachments, bypass network access controls, or redistribute traffic to conduct a denial-of-service attack. Also it is a good way to gains access to someone’s device in order to execute a larger cyber-attack. Successful attacks can lead to infected computer systems and networks, data breaches, and loss of revenue – all liable to affect the organization’s public reputation. In addition, spoofing that leads to the rerouting of internet traffic can overwhelm networks or lead customers to malicious sites aimed at stealing information or distributing malware.
