Spoofing
Using faked source information to lend authenticity
In computer security, 'spoofing' may refer to a variety of uses of faked information, but is particularly common in spam, where the data referring to the source of an email is regularly spoofed (faked) to hide the real origin of the message.
Spoofed header information, including the return path, 'from' and 'reply to' fields, is used to disguise the sender of spam email, either randomising it to reduce detection by anti-spam filters or inserting particular data to imply a source which may inspire more trust. Such techniques are used in phishing to suggest mails may originate from a bank or online auction site, and also in joe-job attacks to imply that a normally trusted source has become a spammer.
