PharmingiswhencriminalhackersredirectInternettraffic.docVIP

Eagle Communications wants you to avoid Pharming. Pharming is when criminal hackers redirect Internet traffic from one website to a different, identical-looking site in order to trick you into entering your user name and password into the database on their fake site. Banking or similar financial sites are often the target of these attacks, in which criminals try to acquire your personal information in order to access your bank account, steal your identity, or commit other kinds of fraud in your name. Pharming is spelled with a “ph” instead of an “f” because its part of an underground slang system that began with phone phreaking: using electronics to hack into telephones and get free calls. Nowadays, there is an entire subculture of ever-changing online lingo. The use of fake websites may make pharming sound similar to e-mail phishing scams, but pharming is more insidious, since you can be redirected to a false site without any participation or knowledge on your part. To date, there have been few documented attacks, and maintaining the integrity of the Web is very high on the list for governments and businesses. It is also important to remember that the Web is a free and public resource, akin in many ways to a library, mall, or other public services where you live. For most people, the advantages to going out to shop, conduct business, do research, and socialize far outweigh the dangers and unpredictability of being in a public space. If you notice something suspicious about a trusted website, report it—by telephone if possible—to the business or site owner. It may be a normal glitch or a new update, or it may be a mistake a criminal has made when trying to duplicate a website. A pharming attacker redirects a Web browser to another site using a process called DNS Poisoning, in which attackers access the giant databases that Internet providers use to route Web traffic, they can make modifications on the spot so that you are diverted to the criminal site