Pharming

What is pharming?

Pharming is a cyber scam based on manipulating the traffic of a website in order to steal the user’s confidential information. It is a sophisticated form of fraud that manages to direct users to a fake website without them noticing. These fake websites can be used to install viruses on the user’s devices and steal the client’s financial identity.

How pharming works?

• System manipulation: The cybercriminal modifies a server’s DNS using malware, a virus, or due to network vulnerability.
• Automatic redirection: When the victim tries to access a legitimate site by typing the correct URL in the browser, the user is directed to a fraudulent website.
• Data capture: The fake page simulates the legitimate site and requests sensitive data, which is sent directly to the attacker.
• Fraudulent use of information: Once the data is obtained, cybercriminals can use it to carry out unauthorized transactions, commit identity theft, or sell the information on illegal markets.

More information about pharming

Most common cyber scams

If you want to learn more about the most common threats in the digital environment, this article is of interest to you:

• The four most common types of cyber scams