How to prevent pharming attacks in 7 effective strategies

• Pharming attacks meddle with the web traffic of users to redirect them to malicious sites without their knowing something has gone awry.

A pharming attack is one of the most sophisticated forms of cyber threats, which tricks users into visiting a fake website totally without their knowledge, resulting in data theft and even financial loss.

Unlike any other user, this form of threat is dangerous, especially since it bypasses protection measures such as anti-virus software. Therefore, effective preventive measures must be put in place.

Here, we discuss seven practical strategies to prevent pharming attack incidents, with particular attention to how Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions fit into the broader picture of protecting users and their data.

1.  Instruct Users on Security Threats: Education for users is key in preventing pharming attacks. Organisations should conduct training for employees on how to detect signs of phishing attempts and what these attacks entail. By doing so, users enable themselves to prevent any accidental victimisation but curriculums can also integrate MDM solutions to bring this contextual training.
2. Strong Authentication Measures: Strong authentication like multi-factor authentication (MFA) can minimally have an impact in reducing the risk of unauthorized access to sensitive accounts. These measures can best be administered through MDM solutions for all mobile devices, which make it difficult for perpetrators to take advantage of the real credentials through theft. Ensuring that websites utilize HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) is critical in guarding against pharming attacks. HTTPS encrypts the data and makes it harder for attackers to tamper with or even intercept this information. Users should always look for the padlock symbol in the browser’s address bar, confirming that the connection is secured.
3. Update Software and Security Regularly: Updating the operating systems and applications regularly is very important in closing the security loopholes exploited by the cybercriminals. MDMs offer centralized updates management because they keep the devices running the latest security patches. This means investing in round-the-clock security software, which is made with anti-malware and anti-phishing features- a powerful defense against pharming attacks. It will enable detection, as well as blocking malignant activities in real time, thus providing real-time protection of user devices and information against possible threats.
4. Ensure Secure DNS Services:  The transfer to secure DNS services makes the attack against pharming harder, and it stops the user redirection to evil sites; it can be enforced by DNS policies to all those managed devices because of MDM solutions.
5. Network Traffic Monitoring: Unusual traffic monitoring over time could signal a pharming attack. Users should check for unauthorized transactions or changes regularly, reporting these to their service providers immediately. Early detection could significantly reduce losses stemming from pharming. MDMs can provide real-time analytics on device connectivity, enabling quick and effective threat identification and response by admins.
6. Use VPNs for Secure Connections:  Virtual private networks (VPNs) encrypt the internet connections and make the users secure from the probable-interceptors. Such use could be made mandatory in MDM solutions for all corporate communications to assure security across public networks as well.
7. Control and Enforce Application Security: Mobile applications can serve as entry points for pharming attacks. In an MDM solution, the organisation can determine what applications can be installed on devices to ensure that only trusted applications are in use, as well as monitoring for indications of premalicious activity.

Example of pharming attack  

Pharming takes advantage of weaknesses in the website or the computer of user and it is one of the eminent threats in online security.

An example of a good pharming attack is that which was carried out in 2007; an attack targeted the website of a very popular bank. The hackers managed to compromise and redirect traffic using the Domain Name System (DNS) of the bank instead of leading legitimate site visitors into a fake one. Customers logged into this fake site unknowingly providing crucial information such as usernames, passwords, and personal identification with criminals.

Often pharming attacks are quite stealthy as security measures cannot protect against them. Counterfeit websites may be so closely designed to the legitimate establishment that users are hardly aware what took place when redirected to another site. They can realize their susceptibility only too late; thus early detection and prevention are essential.

Users must be keen to check their website URLs accurately and use secure connections (HTTPS) and maintain up-to-date software and antivirus programs to escape the risks of pharming. Moreover, organisations should strengthen their security protocols to prevent DNS manipulation as well as other vulnerabilities.

Difference between phishing and pharming

Phishing, as well as pharming, are the common forms of cyberattack within the walls of information technology. An attacker performs it for the purpose of deception to steal vital information from individuals. Phishing and pharming tend to mislead end users to obtain certain information; however, this was done through different methods. It is essential for individuals and organisations that want to save their information from cyber threats to know the differences between the two.

Phishing attacks are basically conducted by deceptive emails, messages, or websites that have a resemblance to some authentic sources. The attackers impersonate trusted sources like banks, an online service provider, or an organisation trying to make the victim act by clicking a link or downloading an attachment.

The link goes to a fake website which looks almost similar to the real one asking the victim for sensitive information, including but not limited to usernames and passwords, or credit card details. Phishing’s success primarily lies in social engineering, using human psychology for manipulation in order to prompt an urgent or fearful response from the target, which leads him or her to act quickly without verifying the source.

Pharming attacks, on the other hand, meddle with the web traffic of users to redirect them to malicious sites without their knowing something has gone awry. In contrast with phishing that gets personal in deceiving the user, pharming addresses it with two methods: DNS hijacking and host file poisoning.

In DNS hijacking, the DNS server is compromised by the attacker to resolve a genuine domain name to a malicious IP address. For example, when a user mistakenly attempts to visit a bank’s website, he actually directs the user to a fraudulent website that is fabricated to capture the user’s credentials and personal information.

For host files poisonings, users change the local host file on a victim’s computer. This file associates hostnames with their IP addresses, and alterations can redirect users even when they enter a correct URL, thus exposing them to malicious sites. Both of the above techniques are based on Internet infrastructure vulnerabilities so that prevention becomes very tough.

Similarly to the common threat hackers posed, pharming attacks occur on a copious scale and can be countered with any comprehensive combination of strategies.

Such strategies usually lean on effective Mobile Device Management solutions as, besides such a base procedure for device management, it works towards the security enhancement by continuous monitoring, policy enforcement, as well as user education.

In this manner, the organisation can keep its users and sensitive data quite protected against emerging cyber threats, thereby forming a strong barricade against future challenges from pharming attacks.