How to Protect Against a Man-in-the-Middle Attack

As a cybersecurity learner, it's essential to understand not only how attacks work, but also how to defend against them. Knowing how to hack without knowing how to protect is almost useless.

In this lesson, we'll briefly discuss how to protect yourself from a Man-in-the-Middle (MITM) attack.

Step 1: Secure Your Network

• Use a strong and complex Wi-Fi password.
• Enable WPA3 encryption on your router if supported.
• Never trust being suddenly disconnected from your network without a clear reason.
• Be careful with any network that uses a name similar to your original one.

Step 2: If the Attacker Gets In...

If the attacker manages to join your network and starts the attack, you must have a second line of defense:

• Avoid visiting websites that don't use HTTPS encryption.
• Always check the URL and make sure it is official and starts with "https://".
• Install tools that monitor MAC address changes on your network. If something changes, they will alert you.

Extra Tips:

• Tools like ARP Guard or Wireshark can help detect suspicious traffic or ARP spoofing.
• Using a trusted VPN adds an extra layer of encryption and can reduce the impact of MITM attacks.