Spoofing is an impersonation of a device, user or client on the Internet. It is often used during a cyberattack to disguise the source of attack traffic. The most common forms of spoofing include:
- DNS server spoofing: Alters a DNS server to redirect a domain name to a different IP address. This spoofing if generally used for spreading viruses.
- ARP spoofing: Links a perpetrator’s MAC address to an authentic IP address via spoofed ARP messages. It is typically used in denial of service (DoS) and man-in-the-middle attacks.
- IP address spoofing: Camouflages an attacker’s origin IP and is typically used in DoS attacks.
What is IP Spoofing?
IP spoofing is a method in which UDP/IP or TCP/IP data packets are sent with a fake sender address. The address of an authorized, trustworthy system is used by the attacker. In this manner, it can actually inject its own packets into the foreign system that could otherwise be blocked by a filter system. IP spoofing is mostly used to perform DDoS and DoS attacks. Under specific circumstances, it is also possible for the attacker to use the stolen IP to manipulate or intercept the data traffic between two or more computer systems. Such Man-in-the-Middle attacks that get the help of IP spoofing these days require that the attack remains in the same subnet as the victim.
One popular misconception about IP spoofing is that it allows unauthorized access to computers. However, this is not the case. In fact, IP spoofing focuses on hijacking computer sessions via DoS attacks, which aim to overwhelm the victim with traffic. Often, DDoS attacks utilize spoofing in order to overwhelm a target with traffic while masking the identity of the malicious source and preventing mitigation efforts. It becomes difficult to block malicious requests if the source IP address is falsified and endlessly randomized. IP spoofing also makes it difficult for cybersecurity and law enforcement teams to track down the perpetrator of the attack.
How to Prevent IP Address Spoofing?
IP Address Spoofing, also known as IP Address Forgery, is a technique commonly used by hackers to execute malicious activities. To prevent attackers from forging their IP addresses and appropriating others, opportunities are now available to internet users who want to take initiative and successfully set up their own protection systems. These focus on two measures:
- Set up a comprehensive packet filtering system for your security gateway or router: This should examine and discard incoming data packets if they have source addresses of devices within your network. It is also essential to look out for and filter outgoing packets with sender addresses outside of the network. Security experts tend to accept this as the duty of the internet service provider.
- You will have to stay away from host-based authentication systems. Ensure that all log-in methods take place through encrypted connections. This reduces the risk of an IP spoofing attack inside your own network while also setting vital standards for complete security.
Other ways to prevent IP address spoofing threats:
- Implement authentication and encryption to reduce the likelihood of IP address spoofing threats.
- Ensure that your firewall and routers are correctly configured and restrict the advance of forged traffic from the internet.
- You should not accept any addresses that are used in the internal network range as the source.
- You should also prevent source addresses from outside of your valid public network range, which will avert your neighbors from sending spoofed traffic to the Internet.
- Always make sure to replace older operating systems and network if they are still in use. This will not only increase protection against IP spoofing, but it will also close a number of other security gaps.
Protecting your IP address is one aspect of protecting your own identity. Bringing in additional security on top of your antivirus helps in enhancing your security. This additional security could refer to the use of a good web security tool that can provide you with an efficient web application firewall (WAF) and several other significant security features that prevent DDoS and DoS attacks. One such reliable web security software has been developed by Comodo. This web security tool is called cWatch: a Managed Security Service for websites and applications.
The Comodo WAF, that comes along with the cWatch package, is a powerful, real-time edge protection for web applications and websites providing advanced security, filtering, and intrusion protection. As a vital web security feature, the WAF carries out functions like:
- IP Reputation
- IP Geolocation
- HTTP RFC compliance
- Native support for HTTP/2
- Geo IP Analytics
- Automatic profiling (whitelist)
- Web server and application signatures (blacklist)
- Malicious Bot and Brute Force Prevention
- Globally-distributed Anycast network enables efficient distribution of traffic.
- It explicitly blocks all nonHTTP/HTTPS-based traffic, with a current network capacity in excess of 1 TB/s.
- Protects vulnerable websites by identifying and removing malicious requests and thwart hack attempts.
- Regular updates of virtual patches for all websites under management and instant response to apply a patch for the zero day attacks when they become known to the public.
Other security features offered by Comodo cWatch include:
- Security Information and Event Management (SIEM): Enhanced intelligence capable of leveraging existing events and data from more than 85M endpoints and 100M domains.
- Secure Content Delivery Network (CDN): A global system of distributed servers to enhance the performance of web applications and websites.
- PCI Scanning: Enables service providers and merchants to stay in compliance with PCI DSS.
- Malware Monitoring and Remediation: Detects malware, provides the methods and tools to remove it and prevents future malware attacks.
- Cyber Security Operations Center (CSOC): A team of certified cybersecurity professionals providing round-the-clock surveillance and remediation services.
