MITM (Man-in-the-Middle) attack

A Man-in-the-Middle (MITM) attack occurs when a malicious actor intercepts communication between two parties—such as you and a website—without their knowledge. The attacker secretly relays or alters the messages, making it seem unchanged to both sides. This allows them to eavesdrop, steal sensitive information like passwords or credit card numbers, or manipulate data. Think of it as someone secretly listening in on a private conversation or redirecting your messages to themselves. Protecting against MITM attacks involves using secure connections (like HTTPS), strong encryption, and verifying the authenticity of entities involved.