The rising number of smart devices and advance technologies also caused an increase in types of cyber-attacks. There are various types of cyber-attacks techniques used by hackers to spoil the end-users and networks, some of these attacks include spoofing, DDoS, MitM attack, drive-by attack, password attack, and phishing.
But what actually makes spoofing different from phishing?
Joycelyn
Differences between spoofing and phishing attacks
Spoofing
Spoofing is a type of cyber-attack where attackers spoil its target by impersonating an authorised or valid entity. For example, in spoofing, the attacker send an email with a valid logo and print to its target, in which targeted persons are advised to open the given link in the email. By opening the link the user unknowingly downloads malware into her system, which will help the attacker in completion of her attack. Then the attacker uses the user identity for further attacks.
The pattern of attack is quite interesting, as users make her computer unsafe by believing the attacker to be legitimate. Spoofing can be a part of phishing, as phishing takes whole information from users and spoofing is used to inject malware.
Phishing needs some malicious software or malware to be downloaded in victims’ computer for a successful attack. A spoofing attack is usually used to get new identity information for further attacks. Some of the spoofing attack examples include URL spoofing, IP spoofing, and Email spoofing.
Phishing
It is also a type of attack in which attacker impersonate to be a legitimate authority, but in phishing, the user is asked to provide sensitive information rather than downloading malware in target systems.
For example, in phishing, the attacker sends a message or email to its target user in which attacker impersonate to be a legitimate bank. The user is required to open the link and enter the information in the website such as bank account number and its password, social security number, or tax ID. Then the attacker uses the acquired information to spoil its target.
Phishing is considered to be a fraud, as it impersonates to be legal authority for getting the user’s personal and sensitive information. Phishing does not need any malware or malicious software for successful completion of its attack. It is usually done to get some personal information of users without knowing them. Some of the types of phishing attacks include clone phishing and phone phishing.