Learn more about man-in-the-middle attacks

A man-in-the-middle (MITM) attack is an attack in which an attacker is able to read, insert, and modify messages between two users or systems. The attacker must be able to observe and intercept messages between the two victims. For more information, read this article.

Norton protects you from MITM attacks such as SSL strip attacks, content tampering or content manipulation attacks, and DNS spoofing attacks. When you receive an alert from Norton that a man-in-the-middle attack is detected, select the recommended action from the alert window.

Here are some of the recommendations to help protect you from man-in-the-middle attack:

  • Install Norton UWP app such as Norton Security Protection or Norton Security On-the-Go1 that protects you from MITM attacks.

  • Make sure the URL of the website that you visit start with "https".

  • Avoid connecting directly to a public Wi-Fi router directly. While using public Wi-Fi, ensure that you turn on Secure VPN in the Norton UWP app so that your connection gets encrypted and your private data (like passwords or credit card information) remains protected.

  • Beware of potential phishing emails from cybercriminals that request you to update your password or any other login credentials. Instead of clicking on the link that is provided in the email, manually type the website address into your browser.

Norton notifies you when it identifies MITM attack like behavior. If you think a known trusted network is identified as an MITM attack, you can add the network to trusted networks list. For more information, see Change your network trust using the Norton UWP app.

1Norton Security On-the-Go is no longer available for download in the Microsoft Store. Existing customers will continue to receive updates through Microsoft Store.

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DOCID: v128637565
Operating System: Windows
Last modified: 09/06/2023