We all conduct most of our business online today including financial transactions and shopping. No one can deny the effect that technology has had on our lives, transforming every aspect of it significantly. However, with the increased use of technology in the society today, the threats associated with technology have also proportionally increased. For instance, now there are larger number of attacks, such as virus attacks, spam and other types of frauds and scams. One such method of an attack is a spoofing attack. A spoofing attack can be quite dangerous and therefore it is important to know what exactly it is and how to take steps to mitigate a spoofing attack. 

What exactly is a spoofing attack?

A spoofing attack, simply put is a type of technological attack where the fraudulent party disguises his or her identity and pretends to be an authentic individual or enterprise in order to defraud the target. Spoofing attacks are usually carried out for financial gains. However, it has become commonplace in the society that spoofing attacks are also carried on for other purposes such as obtaining personal and sensitive information, such as social security numbers and passwords. It therefore becomes important to assess whether the person you are interacting with is really who they say they are.

Today, spoofing attacks have become highly sophisticated and such fraudulent actors use of variety of methods to carry out such attacks. There are also various mediums through which the attacks are carried out. For instance, while earlier, people were limited to dealing with spam calls, now spoofing attacks are carried out through a variety of methods such as emails, websites, phone calls and even phone based applications. 

Given that the fraudulent actors have access to sophisticated technology and tools, sometimes, even the best of the security measures are bypassed by such fraudsters. The only sure fire method in this scenario to prevent a spoofing attack is to understand the interaction is not an authentic interaction, and be aware of the potential consequences at all times. 

What are the different types of spoofing attacks? 

Here are some of the most common types of spoofing attacks that one should watch out for. 

• Spoofing with fake caller numbers: Nowadays, for a limited amount of money, fraudulent actors are able to spoof their numbers in order to make it seem like the number they are calling from belongs to a legitimate business or a legitimate individual. However, it is extremely easy to obtain a reliable looking phone number for cheap. Therefore, it is suggested that a person should not engage with any number that they are not completely aware about, especially in relation to any personal or financial information. 
• Messages: Another common method that spoofing attacks utilise in order to capture their victims is through fraudulent messages. These messages may even redirect to a link which may end up downloading a virus on your phone or may give the fraudulent actor access to personal information. 

it is therefore important to be aware and cautious because that is the only method by which spoofing attacks can be completely prevented.

Paul Petersen