Pharming
Pharming is a type of online attack where hackers try to trick internet users into visiting fake websites that look like real ones. These fake websites are designed to steal personal information, such as passwords and bank account numbers.
Just like fishing, but with a “ph”: the attackers manipulate the internet traffic and send users to their website instead of the real one. They do this by exploiting weaknesses in the Domain Name System (DNS) infrastructure, which is what translates website names into IP addresses.
For example, if you type “www.mybank.com” into your web browser, the DNS system will translate it into an IP address (e.g. 192.168.1.1) so that your computer can connect to the correct server. In a pharming attack, the hackers would intercept this translation and send you to a fake website (e.g. “www.fakebank.com”) that looks just like the real one.
Once you enter your login credentials or other personal information on the fake website, the hackers can steal it and use it for their own nefarious purposes.
To protect yourself from pharming attacks, it’s important to be cautious when clicking on links or entering personal information online. Make sure you are on the official website by double-checking the URL and looking for security indicators such as a padlock symbol or “https” in the address bar. You can also use anti-phishing and anti-malware software to help detect and block these attacks.