Pharming is a type of cybersecurity attack wherein an attacker redirects a user from a legitimate website to a malicious website or page, without the user’s knowledge or consent. This is done by exploiting weaknesses in the DNS, or Domain Name System, which is responsible for translating domain names to corresponding IP addresses. The malicious website that the user is sent to may contain malware, or it may be a copy of the legitimate website with different content intended to deceive the user.
The term “pharming” is derived from the phrase “farming”, a slang term used in computer security for the general concept of harvesting resources from unsuspecting victims. As such, “pharming” has come to refer to harvesting information like passwords and financial details.
Pharming is a form of cyber-attack used to exploit web browsers or networks in order to steal information and money. It works by manipulating the Domain Name System (DNS) to redirect traffic to a malicious website. The malicious website may contain malicious code such as malware, or it may simply contain fake content designed to deceive the user and steal passwords or other data.
Pharming attacks are typically difficult to detect because they use subtle changes in DNS settings and traffic redirection. Additionally, the malicious code or content installed on the malicious website may not be detected by antivirus programs. The best defense against pharming attacks is educating users about the dangers of clicking on unknown links and links that have been provided by untrusted sources. Additionally, organizations should implement strong security measures, including regularly patching web browsers and applications, using multi-factor authentication, and using a secure web proxy to monitor traffic.
