What is a man-in-the-middle (MitM) attack?

What is a man-in-the-middle (MitM) attack?

A man-in-the-middle (MitM) attack is a type of cyber attack where an attacker intercepts and relays communication between two parties without their knowledge. The attacker positions themselves between the two parties, allowing them to eavesdrop on the communication, manipulate the data being transmitted, or even impersonate one or both parties. This attack can occur in various scenarios, such as intercepting Wi-Fi or network traffic, tampering with website certificates, or exploiting vulnerabilities in communication protocols. The goal of a MitM attack is to gain unauthorized access to sensitive information or manipulate the communication for malicious purposes.