Pharming Attack: All You Need to Know

Combine phishing and farming – you get pharming. It is basically a social engineering attack in which attackers redirect internet users to malicious websites while posing as authentic sites. This cyberattack includes creating a fake website that looks like the real thing to trick people.

After guiding you to the fake site, the hackers will either try to get access to sensitive information for ransom or send malware or malicious software to your system via fake links or attachments.

This is often accomplished by having you attempt to log in or enter payment information. This also means that we must use extreme caution while feeding personal information on unknown or suspicious websites.

How Does One Get Pharmed, and What are Its Types?

Typically how we reach a website includes the Domain Name System (DNS), converting domain names or web addresses entered into Internet Protocol (IP) addresses that computers can read. This IP address, in turn, informs computers about the location of a website.

When a user views a certain website, their web browser keeps a DNS cache of that website so that the user does not have to return the DNS server every time they wish to access the same website in the future.

Both the DNS cache and the DNS server are subject to any cybercriminal pharming attack. The attackers infiltrate this system to guide the user to a fraudulent website to steal data. This can happen in one of these two ways:

1. Malware-Based Pharming

This might start with phishing, when the attacker sends a malicious code via an email attachment that infects the user’s system with a virus. This malicious malware modifies the computer’s host file, directing traffic away from the intended destination and toward a bogus website instead.

So, even if you type the correct internet address in the search bar, your computer will only direct you to a malicious website.

2. DNS Poisoning

Also known as DNS spoofing or DNS cache poisoning, this type of pharming includes interrupting the normal flow of web traffic. Here, the hackers change a domain name system (DNS) to a “spoofed” DNS so that when a person visits a real website, they wind up at a completely new site rather than their intended destination.

Usually, people are unaware of this since the fake sites are often designed to seem just like the actual ones.

What is the Difference Between Phishing and Pharming?

Although pharming evolved out of phishing, it has become more sophisticated, deceptive, and dangerous than phishing. It is more specific and focused. Let’s learn more about the differences between phishing and pharming:

• Phishing is a cyberattack in which the attacker sends a misleading email or other forms of electronic communication to the recipient to manipulate them into providing access to their private data, such as credit card numbers, among other things. Phishing is a sort of social engineering assault or identity theft that includes malware, code injection, and network attacks.
  
• Pharming comes within the umbrella of phishing activities. In fact, it is a special type of email phishing in which users are manipulated by playing with DNS. Hence, it is specialized and sophisticated.
  

How to Know If You’re Being Pharmed?

Following are the signs that you might be being pharmed:

• You get notifications from your credit card company or your bank about unauthorized changes in your account.
• Changes in your login credentials, including passwords
• Look closely at the URL and find words misspelled or weirdly placed.
• Your web address includes only “HTTP” instead of the full “HTTPS.”
• The designs and button placement on the website might look weird and off from regular.
• Posts or stories on your social media that you don’t remember making
• Your online friends receive communications from your account you don’t remember sending.

Keep a lookout and take appropriate actions if you identify any of the above things happening with you.

How to Protect Against Pharming?

You must try your best to protect yourself from pharming attacks and potential harm. You must ensure taking the following steps to stay safe from pharming attacks.

Pharming websites can harm any system with online fraud that infects the victim’s computer with malware while the user keeps believing that they are browsing across legitimate sites.

• You must always look for secure web connections that begin with “HTTPS” in the web address.
• You must also avoid opening or clicking on links and attachments sent by unknown people.
• Always check the web address and avoid misplaced letters in a suspicious-looking website as it can be a malicious site.
• Make sure that you use trusted and reputable DNS servers.
• Choose a reliable and reputable Internet Service Provider (ISP) that doesn’t compromise privacy.
• Always choose the best routers and upgrade their home settings.
• Enable two-factor authentication for websites that allow it.
• Always keep your systems up-to-date with upgraded antivirus software.

These steps should help you avoid DNS poisoning or other forms of pharming attacks.

Final Thoughts

A pharming attack includes attackers employing malicious code by messing with DNS servers or employing malware to redirect the user to a potentially harmful website that looks like the real one. It is a type of cybercriminal social engineering attack and a more sophisticated form of a phishing attack.

Of course, you can avoid this DNS server poisoning that lands you on fake websites by ensuring that you use a reliable ISP and DNS server. Always ensure that the website doesn’t look suspicious to avoid pharming malware.

You should try to protect your personal and financial information by using strong passwords and two-factor authentication and always ensuring that you only reach an authentic IP address.