What is Pharming and How to Protect From It?

Pharming is a malicious type of internet fraud that subverts the very foundations of the network. By manipulating web traffic, pharming attackers try to trick their targets into providing valuable personal information. As pharming is very sneaky, many victims only discover that they have been duped when it is too late. This article will cover what pharming is, how it works, and, most importantly, what you can do to prevent it from happening to you.

What is Pharming?

Pharming is when a criminal hacker (or "pharmer") directs an internet user to a fake, rather than legitimate, website. These "spoofed" sites can capture the victim's confidential information, including usernames, passwords, and credit card data, or install malware on their computers. Pharmers generally focus on financial sector websites, such as banks, online payment platforms, or other e-commerce destinations, usually with identity theft as their ultimate goal.

Pharming attacks are effective because they trick victims and their computers. The pharmer tricks the victim's computer into sending him to his website, not where he should go. This works like this:

When navigating to a website, users enter the website's URL, which is converted by a DNS server to a numeric IP address. Confused? Calm. Think of the DNS server as a phone book, where the URL is the name of a website and the IP address is the telephone number of the website. Pharmers can edit the list and change the phone numbers that belong to the chosen website.

Pharming, in terms of computers, compromises internet traffic at the DNS level, sending the user to a fake website created by the hacker.

Scroll down for more information on how pharming works.

Pharming vs Phishing

So, what is the difference between pharming and phishing? These two strokes are similar, but not exactly the same. Phishing, as the name implies, uses bait: hackers send e-mails or other official-looking communications that invite victims to visit fake websites and enter their personal information.

Pharming ignores the bait and sends victims to the fake site without their knowledge or consent. Because victims are typing in URLs, instead of clicking links in a suspicious email, they are less likely to detect fraud. It is a more subtle fraud when compared to more obvious phishing techniques.

How to Protect Yourself Against Pharming

Fortunately, there are proven strategies you can practice to protect against pharming attacks. In addition to these pharming security tips, it's never a bad idea to review the basics of internet security in the digital age.

Choose a trusted internet service provider (ISP) - Most major ISPs will automatically filter out fake pharmer redirects, preventing you from accessing their website. The newer ISPs may seem tempting with attractive offers and very high speeds, but make sure they are as dedicated to your security as the more established providers.

Check your URLs for typos - After navigating to a website, wait for it to load and review the URL again. Pharmers often disguise their websites with little spelling tricks, including changed letters or letter replacements: for example, "aug.com" instead of "avg.com".

Look for URLs that start with HTTPS - If you see HTTPS, it means that all traffic between the site and you are encrypted, so it cannot be intercepted by a third party. Sites with this enhanced level of security automatically change their URL from HTTP to HTTPS, stating that their data is secure. This tip is especially important when making a financial transaction or exchange.

Stay away from questionable sites - Use common sense when browsing the internet. Stick to sites you can trust and stay away from anything that looks suspicious.

Evaluate sites before doing anything - If a trusted site doesn't look like the usual, you may be in a pharmer's version. Click on it a little and check that all pages are present and recognized. Many pharmers will not bother to include terms of service or privacy policies.

Avoid links and files from unknown sources - Be careful when downloading files and think twice before clicking on strange links. It is much more difficult for you to be tricked by pharmers if they are unable to install the malware on your computer.

Avoid e-commerce deals with by-products - If an electronic shopping discount sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Many pharmers will try to attract you at prices 10% to 20% lower than any product offered by legitimate stores. Check the price on competing sites before making a purchase.

Trust your antivirus software - Pay attention when your browser or antivirus software alerts you about browsing to a specific website. Even if you have used this site before, a warning can be an indication that it has been infected since your last visit. And speaking of antivirus ...

Protect yourself with powerful antivirus software from a trusted provider - the Protegent360 antivirus software protect your computer from malware and unwanted redirects pharming, especially when you accidentally stumble on an unsecured site. Attackers love to adjust their pharming strategies, and Protegent360 is constantly updated to ensure protection against new threats.