What is spoofing? Definition, types and protection

It’s important to get clued up on what spoofing means from a cybersecurity standpoint; the different approaches that cybercriminals are taking to trick unsuspecting victims; and how to detect and avoid instances of spoofing. Here’s everything you need to know.

How do we define spoofing?

Spoofing is when an attacker disguises their identity, device, or means of communication to make it appear as if they are coming from a trusted or legitimate source.

The primary goal of spoofing is to deceive the target – aka, you – in order to gain unauthorized access to something, steal data, or carry out other malicious activities that are beneficial to the cybercriminal but incredibly harmful to you.

There’s an element of social engineering to spoofing. Scammers are trained in how to psychologically manipulate their victims by exploiting their vulnerabilities. So, the less somebody knows about spoofing and how it works, the more likely they are to fall for the scammer’s tricks – which, unfortunately, are becoming more sophisticated as time goes on.

What are the common objectives of spoofing?

So-called spoofers want to fool you into a false sense of security, so they can get their hands on something that’s valuable to them.

The most common objectives of spoofing attacks are:

To steal sensitive data

By pretending to be a trusted entity, attackers can convince users to share sensitive information such as login credentials, financial data, or personal details.

To gain unauthorized access to something

Spoofing can allow attackers to gain access to restricted systems, networks, or accounts.

To spread malware

Attackers may use spoofed communications like emails to deliver malware, leading to further compromises within a network.

To carry out fraud

Spoofing can be used in financial scams. The spoofer might pretend to be a legitimate business or person to request money transfers or payments from their victim(s).

To disrupt services and operations

In some cases, spoofing can be used to create chaos or disrupt normal business operations by confusing systems or users. These kinds of attacks are often politically motivated.

What are the different types of spoofing attacks?

Email spoofing

An attacker will send an email that appears to come from a familiar or legitimate source – like a company you use often, or an individual you speak with regularly – when in fact this message is solely designed to trick you into clicking on malicious links, downloading malware unknowingly, or revealing sensitive information that should otherwise remain private.

Display name spoofing involves falsifying the name of the sender on the message, but not the domain used for the email address. Eagle-eyed recipients will see that this doesn’t look quite right as soon as the message hits their inbox – the domain is often so far removed from what it should be, that it’s obvious that something is afoot. However, people who are unaware of common spoofing tactics or simply too busy to double-check the sender information can easily be duped into thinking the message they’ve received is genuine.

Domain spoofing, on the other hand, involves using an SMTP protocol to adjust the sender information so it displays a near or exact match of the sender’s domain. In some cases, the attacker might build a website with a URL that closely resembles that of a platform the recipient trusts. They might even try to replicate the style, design and layout of the site they’re spoofing, making it even more difficult to identify the real from the fake.

Sometimes, they will use characters from other languages or Unicode characters that look almost exactly the same as regular ASCII characters. This cunning strategy is referred to as a homograph attack.

Website spoofing

Website spoofing is intended to trick users into entering sensitive information, such as passwords or credit card details, by making them believe they are on a legitimate site.

This involves attackers creating a fake website, often copying its layout, color scheme, and content so the false platform looks and performs like the real deal. They will produce fake login pages, payment forms or account verification pages to convince you to part with your data.

Fraudsters will also create a spoofed URL that looks near enough to the original, but has some subtle differences – for example, a numerical digit in the place of a letter, an extra hyphen between phrases, or a subdomain prefix rather than a subfolder format. These tweaks are easily overlooked. To go one step further, spoofers will often apply SEO techniques to their fake website, so it appears in the search results, leading users to click on it inadvertently.

Website spoofing often goes hand in hand with email spoofing; together, these approaches are highly effective at convincing the victim they’re interacting with a real party.

Caller ID spoofing

In the case of a caller ID spoofing attack, the spoofer will disguise the incoming phone number, so it appears as a trusted contact. The recipient of the call will assume they are speaking to a legitimate person or organization – so, when prompted, they will be more likely to give away sensitive data that could be used for fraudulent purposes.

The spoofer will often use specialized software or services that allow them to manipulate the caller ID information sent to the recipient's phone. Instead of showing the attacker's actual number, the caller ID displays a different number that could belong to a legitimate business, government agency, or even a personal contact.

It’s even more convincing if the false phone number displays an area code that’s local to where the victim lives. This sneaky technique is known as neighbor spoofing.

Many countries have implemented laws and regulations to combat caller ID spoofing, making it illegal to falsify caller ID information with intent to defraud, cause harm, or wrongfully obtain anything of value. In the United States, for example, the Truth in Caller ID Act bans the practice.

Text message spoofing

In a similar way to caller ID spoofing, this technique uses certain software to alter the sender ID in a text message.

Attackers often use spoofed messages to trick recipients into clicking on links that lead to fake websites. In other cases, the message may contain links or attachments that, when clicked or downloaded, install malware on the recipient’s device.

Text message spoofing can be used to authorize fraudulent financial transactions, or trick recipients into transferring money to the attacker’s account.

IP spoofing

When data is transmitted over the web, it’s broken into packets, each containing a header with the source and destination IP addresses.

In the case of IP spoofing, the attacker alters the source IP address in a packet header to make it appear as if the packet is coming from a trusted IP address. They do this to bypass IP-based security measures, such as firewalls, then gain unauthorized access to a network, and/or launch denial-of-service (DoS) attacks, which can often render a platform completely unusable. They can also use this method to take over sessions between trusted systems.

ARP spoofing

In this instance, the attacker sends falsified Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) messages on a local network, linking their MAC address with the IP address of a legitimate device. It’s a relatively simple but very dangerous technique that’s used to intercept, modify, or block data that’s intended for another device on a network.

ARP spoofing is commonly used in man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks, where the user enters their credentials or other data into a spoofed site, but a clever redirection captures the information and then forwards it to the real site, so the user does not suspect anything is wrong.

Wi-Fi spoofing

Wi-Fi spoofing occurs when the attacker sets up a fake Wi-Fi network that looks similar to a legitimate one, often with the same network name. They use this fraudulent Wi-Fi network to trick users into connecting to the falsified network. Then, once they’ve got access to the user, they will monitor their behavior, capture sensitive data, and sometimes even direct them to malicious websites.

This type of attack is particularly effective in public places, where you might be less cautious about the networks you connect to. That’s why we always recommend avoiding unprotected Wi-Fi options wherever possible and using a VPN to encrypt your web traffic when you’re out and about. More on this later.

GPS spoofing

During a GPS spoof, the attacker will broadcast fake GPS signals to deceive GPS receivers into believing they are in a different location than they actually are. This can have serious consequences, especially for systems and devices that rely heavily on accurate GPS data for navigation, timing, or tracking purposes.

GPS receivers determine their location by triangulating signals from multiple satellites. In a GPS spoofing attack, the attacker uses a device that generates counterfeit GPS signals, which are stronger than the legitimate satellite signals. The receiver, overwhelmed by the fake signals, calculates its position based on these spoofed signals rather than the real satellite data. As a result, the device displays an incorrect location, time, or speed.

As you can imagine, GPS spoofers can cause a great deal of disruption to the navigation systems in vehicles, ships or aircraft; they can direct entire fleets to the wrong destinations or send them off course completely. More broadly, GPS spoofing poses significant threats to infrastructure, transportation and security systems, as well as military operations that rely on geographical data.

How to detect spoofing attacks

Most of the time, you’ll be able to identify a potential spoofing attack by taking a closer look at the data that’s being presented to you.

The obvious (and not-so-obvious) signs of spoofing

• Unexpected requests for sensitive information
• A suspicious sender address
• A falsified domain name
• No SSL certificate on the domain (https:// is not present)
• ASCII characters swapped for Unicode characters
• Unexpected or unusual email attachments
• Embedded links with unusual URLs (You can check the destination URL before you click by hovering over the link with your cursor)
• Typos and bad grammar
• Poorly designed email templates and websites that don’t look professional or don’t appear to be branded in the correct way
• Threatening or over-the-top language, often with repeated use of exclamation marks or emojis

How to verify a suspected spoof request

The first step is to check all the details listed above to see if anything is amiss. Then, if you have reason to believe you are being targeted by a spoofing attempt, do not respond, click on links, or download attachments. Instead, contact the organization that’s supposedly got in touch with you directly, using contact information you know is legitimate. This is the only way to verify the communication’s authenticity.

Protection strategies against spoofing

By remaining vigilant and taking a prevention-is-better-than-cure approach to spoofing attacks, you can keep cybercriminals out of your systems and far away from your personal data.

If you’re an individual, follow these best practices

Get up to speed with common spoofing techniques. You’re here because you want to educate yourself on spoofing methods – so you’ve already taken the first step to protecting your data and your systems! Awareness is one of the best defences, so be sure to follow cybersecurity news providers or sign up to alerts from trusted sources.

Be sceptical of any unsolicited communications. Most web users are cynical of anything that appears too good to be true. Never let your guard down, and if you think something is off, trust your intuition.

Never share sensitive information over the phone. Instead, call the purported company back on their advertised number and explain that you needed to verify their identity.

Check URLs and email addresses carefully. As mentioned, spoofers can create convincing names and assets, so make sure sender information looks legitimate, and website URLs are pointing you towards the correct domain.

Avoid clicking on suspicious links. Hover your cursor over the link to make sure it’s going to send you to the expected destination.

Avoid using public Wi-Fi. This is especially vital if you’re planning to make any sensitive transactions.

Monitor your accounts for any unauthorized activities. You can also set up account alerts, so you are notified of any suspicious transactions or behavior immediately.

Update your software regularly. The newest versions of the tools you use will contain the latest security patches and will help to protect you from spoofing attacks.

Enable two-factor authentication. This way, if an attacker gets hold of your login credentials, they will fall at the second hurdle. 2FA methods can include SMS codes, authenticator apps, or hardware tokens.

If you’re acting on behalf of an organization, set these measures in motion as soon as you can

Train your employees on what to look out for. Organize regular cybersecurity training sessions for employees, focusing on how to recognize spoofing attempts, phishing scams, and other social engineering tactics. It’s also a good idea to establish clear internal policies for handling sensitive data and let staff know how they should verify requests for company information. Your education program should extend to your customers and partners, who need to play their role in protecting your systems.

Work out how you’re going to monitor and respond to threats. For example, you could use a Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) system to aggregate and analyze logs from different parts of your network, helping to detect and respond to spoofing attempts in real time. You should also develop (and regularly update) an incident response plan, so you and your team can act quickly if you experience an attack or breach.

Use the latest technology to keep your network secure. From intrusion detection and prevention systems that monitor network traffic for suspicious activities to DNS security protocols that verify the authenticity of DNS responses, there are plenty of tools out there to support your security strategy.

Boost your email security. Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance (DMARC), DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM), and Sender Policy Framework (SPF) protocols will help you authenticate emails. Advanced email filtering tools will also help to find and block any suspicious messages before they reach your employees’ inboxes.

Comply with cybersecurity regulations. These will vary depending on your region – but standards such as HIPAA, PCI DSS and GDPR can help you determine which measures need to be in place to maximize protection and make sure you don’t get in trouble with the authorities.

Use encrypted communication channels. These will make it harder for spoofers to spoof or intercept messages.

Enable multi-factor authentication. This is vital for both individuals and businesses. Make sure that remote access to your firm’s network is protected by MFA and that all external access uses encrypted connections, such as a VPN.

Use security tools

Antivirus software like SUPERAntiSpyware provides great front-line protection against spoofing, albeit often in an indirect way.

Antivirus tools like ours can:

• Detect suspicious activities that might indicate a spoofing attack is underway
• Monitor network traffic for suspicious activity using firewalls
• Block spam outright
• Identify unsecured or potentially spoofed Wi-Fi networks
• Identify and mitigate man-in-the-middle attacks
• Scan emails for malicious links, files and attachments, which are all signs of spoofing attempts
• Block access to known malicious websites
• Detect malware payloads so malicious software isn’t sent to your device(s)
• Scan files and processes to find and get rid of new threats
• Download the latest security updates automatically, so devices and networks are never left vulnerable to new spoofing methods

To summarize…

Spoofing is a dangerous and ever-evolving tactic in the world of cybersecurity. It’s often hard to spot, and the consequences of a successful spoof can be devastating for individuals and companies alike.

But by understanding different spoofing methods, getting familiar with the technologies that are frequently used to con innocent victims, and implementing robust measures to counteract these threats, you can protect your data and your systems from harm.