What is a "man-in-the-middle" attack?

A "man-in-the-middle" attack is characterized by its involvement in intercepting and relaying messages between two parties. In this type of attack, the malicious actor positions themselves between the communicating entities without either party being aware of the interception. As a result, the attacker can capture, modify, or relay the information exchanged between the two parties. This can lead to unauthorized access to sensitive data, such as login credentials or personal information, and can severely compromise the security of the communication.

Understanding the nature of this attack is crucial because it highlights the potential risks of unsecured communication channels. The effectiveness of a man-in-the-middle attack often relies on vulnerabilities in network protocols or the lack of encryption, enabling the attacker to read and alter the messages before sending them to the intended recipient.

The other options focus on different types of attacks or describe objectives that do not align with the defining characteristics of a man-in-the-middle scenario. For instance, disrupting a network connection primarily emphasizes denial of service rather than the interception of data. Targeting a single system usually pertains to malware or direct data theft, which does not involve the intermediary role of the attacker. Spreading malware is distinctly related to exploitation tactics rather than the interception and relay nature of a man-in-the-middle attack