What type of attack involves intercepting and altering communications?

• A. Phishing attack
• B. DDoS attack
• C. Man-in-the-Middle attack
• D. SQL injection

Answer: (C)

A Man-in-the-Middle attack is a type of cyber attack where an attacker intercepts and possibly alters the communication between two parties without their knowledge. This can occur in various scenarios, such as when a user connects to a public Wi-Fi network, and an attacker captures the data being transmitted. The attacker can then manipulate the data, impersonate one of the communicating parties, or even eavesdrop on sensitive information like passwords and banking details.

This attack is particularly dangerous because the parties involved are often unaware that their communications have been compromised, which can lead to significant data breaches and unauthorized access to sensitive information.

In contrast, phishing involves tricking individuals into revealing sensitive information through deceitful emails or messages. A DDoS attack focuses on overwhelming a network or service to make it unavailable. SQL injection targets databases through web applications, exploiting vulnerabilities in the database querying process. Thus, the specific nature of a Man-in-the-Middle attack, which centers on intercepting and altering communications, distinguishes it from these other types of attacks.