Man-in-the-middle attack
Data theft positioned between sender and receiver
Man-in-the-middle attacks are a form of data theft, carried out by the attacker being positioned between the victim and wherever they are sending their data.
The most common implementation is where an attacker bypasses online banking security by receiving login and transaction information, passes it on to the banking site with any required alterations, and sends the banking site's details back to the victim, again with minor alterations so the victim is unaware of the attack.
Man-in-the-middle techniques are particularly difficult to detect and protect against, as they usually take place on a different system from the victim and their bank. It is also possible to bypass strong security measures such as two-factor authentication and one-time passwords using such techniques.
