IP Spoofing

IP spoofing is an advanced hacking technique that is often used to hijack web browsers and gain access to a network. In order to pull it off, a hijacker obtains the IP address of a genuine host and modifies the packet headers. By doing this, the genuine host appears to be the source. When this technique is used to hijack a browser, a web surfer who types the URL of a genuine website is taken to a fraudulent site. Hijackers sometimes design these pages to mimic a legitimate site. Their intent is to steal sensitive data such as credit card numbers or passwords. Many hijackers also use this method to install malware or take remote control of a system. Internet Providers have fought back against IP spoofing by implementing hierarchical password systems and advanced encryption techniques. Users and website administrators can protect themselves and the network by using firewalls to deflect outgoing packets with different IP addresses than that of the user’s machine or local network.