An attack in which someone secretly intercepts communication between two parties, letting them read or alter the data being exchanged.
In a man-in-the-middle attack, also called an adversary-in-the-middle attack, the attacker positions themselves between a user and the service they are communicating with. Methods include setting up fake public Wi-Fi hotspots, tampering with network settings, or using phishing proxies that relay a real login page while capturing passwords and session cookies.
For example, an attacker in a cafe might create a Wi-Fi network with a name similar to the cafe's own, then watch traffic from anyone who connects. Encryption with HTTPS and properly validated certificates makes it far harder to read or change data in transit. Modern phishing kits that relay login sessions can still capture one-time codes, which is why phishing-resistant methods such as passkeys are recommended for important accounts.
Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure: the encrypted version of HTTP, the protocol browsers use to load web pages.
Transport Layer SecurityThe cryptographic protocol that encrypts and authenticates data sent over networks, securing HTTPS, email, and many other services.
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