What is spoofing?

3rd September 2025

Think: can you trust what you are seeing, or could it be an attacker in disguise?

Unless you’re some sort of secret agent, or an actor or cosplayer, it is unlikely that you would have pretended to be someone else as part of your job. Many cyber criminals, however, disguise themselves as trusted sources to gain access to your systems through spoofing.

The aim of spoofing is to appear legitimate to gain access to sensitive information, bypass security and spread malware. It can then be used to create deeper attacks, potentially leading to stolen credentials or financial loss. Here are the different types of spoofing:

IP spoofing: the attack sends packets from a fake IP address to trick systems into thinking the traffic is from a trusted source. It is often used in DDoS attacks or to get around firewalls.

Email spoofing: this involves forging the email sender address, so it looks like someone else, which is often used in phishing attacks.

DNS spoofing: by corrupting DNS records, users can be redirected to malicious sites, leading to credential theft or malware infections.

ARP spoofing: the attacker sends fake ARP messages to link their MAC address with the IP of another device, like a gateway. This can be used in man-in-the-middle attacks on local networks.

Caller ID spoofing: the attacker manipulates called ID, appearing as a trusted number. Once on the phone, they can attempt a vishing scam.

Website spoofing: a fake website poses as a real one to harvest credentials without users realising what the issue is.

With so many types of spoofing, how can you protect yourself? Use email authentication protocols, firewalls, intrusion detection systems and multi-factor authentication to keep potential threats away from your systems. Additionally, apply updates regularly and educate yourself and others on social engineering tactics.

If you’d like to learn more about spoofing, please contact Interfuture Security.

YouTube: https://youtu.be/n8Shomz8zHM