Cyber Security

Do you know how easily a scammer can disguise themselves as someone you trust? It’s a piece of cake for them, especially via an attack called spoofing.

Spoofing is a fraud tactic where an attacker pretends to be someone or something familiar to trick you. This type of scam occurs in many forms, from fake emails to fraudulent websites. The result? Your data is at risk!

Ready to learn how spoofing works and how you can be one step ahead of those attackers? Let’s explore the ways to detect and avoid these dangerous scams!

What is Spoofing?

In cybersecurity, spoofing is an act by cybercriminals to disguise themselves as a trusted entity, gain the victim’s trust, and access their data. This attack is usually carried out via text messages, email, and phone calls.

Even though people are more aware of online crimes, the daily complaint count in 2023 for phishing/spoofing attacks reached 298,878 complaints, according to an FBI report. This number highlights how common this attack is on a daily basis.

Types of Spoofing Attacks

Caller ID Spoofing Attacks

One way scammers reach out to you for spoofing is via phone calls, often manipulating caller ID information to appear legitimate. They make it appear like the call is from a familiar number or a trusted organization number. In some neighbor spoofing cases, they even use numbers with the same area code as yours.

Once you answer the call, they will impersonate a representative staff of an organization and persuade you to reveal your data. Later on, the data will be used for malicious purposes.

IP Address Spoofing Attacks

An IP spoofing attack involves attackers sending IP packets from a spoofed IP address to hide their true identity. As a result, the owner of the real IP address will be flooded by sudden responses, which potentially cause a network service disruption.

Email Address Spoofing Attacks

A scammer fakes an email’s “From” field to appear as a trusted source. This email spoofing trick is often used in phishing scams, including spear phishing that targets a specific person from a company, to steal information.

They will disguise their emails as legitimate—whether banks, government bodies, or colleagues—convincing you to click malicious links or share private details.

ARP Spoofing Attacks

Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) spoofing targets network communication by altering the ARP cache, making the attacker’s device appear trusted. Then, they will intercept or manipulate data between devices on the network.

Defending against this attack involves using encrypted communication protocols and deploying intrusion detection systems (IDS) to monitor and protect network traffic.

Website Spoofing Attacks

Attackers create a fake website that looks almost identical to a legitimate one, with similar domain names and designs. Then, they use these sites to trick you into entering your personal information.

These spoofed websites often mimic banking, e-commerce, or social media sites.

DNS Server Spoofing Attacks

Also known as DNS cache poisoning, this attack tricks users by redirecting them from a legitimate site to a malicious one. Attackers alter DNS records to disguise a harmful site as a trusted one, leading to data theft or malware infection.

This attack occurs without the user noticing, as the URL may look correct.

Preventing DNS spoofing requires implementing DNSSEC to secure DNS records and routinely monitoring DNS servers to detect and fix vulnerabilities.

How Does Spoofing Work?

A successful spoofing attack requires two well-executed aspects: the spoof and social engineering. Without excellent social engineering, attackers cannot only rely on their fake websites or fake emails—no one will buy them anyway.

Thus, they first need to prepare the spoof, whether an email, text message, fake website, or phone number. Then, it’s time to craft personalized social engineering that targets human vulnerabilities, from fear to curiosity, all without raising suspicion.

Once the material is done, it’s time to launch the attack, which may involve spreading malware to compromise systems.

How to Detect Spoofing Attacks

As a user, being aware of spoofing attacks is the utmost important thing to not fall victim. The easiest way to detect one is by looking at any weird signs in the spoof itself.

For instance, upon receiving an email, take a look at the spelling, grammar, language, or even the attached image. If it’s awkward and unnatural, it is most likely a spoof. Usually, attackers also incorporate unnecessary urgency in their messages that ask you to do an act right away.

You can also look at the sender’s email. If the spelling is off, it is most likely a spoof.

If you’re still unsure whether or not it is a spoof, you can directly ask the legitimate organization about the email and confirm if it’s truly their message.

How Can I Protect Against Spoofing?

Turn On Your Spam Filter

Turning this feature on can keep away those pesky spam emails, even before they reach your inbox, by verifying the sender’s address and filtering out suspicious content. This makes it easier for you to filter out messages.

Don’t Click on Links or Open Attachments in Emails

Upon receiving an email, don’t rush to open the attachment or click a link. Instead, look again at the sender’s email and its content. If you’re still unsure, contact the sender via another channel to confirm if the email is really from them. 

Log In Through a Separate Window or Tab

If the email wants you to click a link to log into a certain page, don’t do it. Instead, open a separate tab or window and type the link manually and enter the site.

Pick Up the Phone

If your “colleagues” send you an email with a weird, sudden request without prior notification, like “Please confirm your account by logging into the company’s site”, you can call them right away to confirm if it’s really their request. 

Show File Extensions in Windows

By default, Windows doesn’t display file extensions. However, you can change this by going to the ‘View’ tab in File Explorer and checking the box to show file extensions. This way, you’ll be able to see them and avoid opening potentially malicious files.

Invest in a Good Antivirus Program

Adding a layer of protection is always a good idea. If you have the budget, consider investing in a good antivirus program. These programs can be the first-layer guard to alert you about a potential threat.

You can try out the free version before actually subscribing to one. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

Spoofing is a common cyberattack happening these days, with the number of attacks increasing yearly. Fortunately, we have provided you with the steps to protect you and your data from this attack.With these prevention measures, you will be safe from these social engineering attacks. If you want extra protection, contact Fluxgate to get cybersecurity experts help for your data!