What is the difference between pharming vs phishing?
What is Pharming?
Pharming is a method of attacking. Pharming is a term for a type of spoofing attack that uses DNS records to redirect network traffic from legitimate Web sites to impostor sites. In other words, pharming is the process of hijacking one or more Internet domain names and pointing them to fake Websites that are operated by attackers.
What is Phishing?
Phishing is a term for a specific type of fraud in which an attacker uses email, instant messaging, or some other means to defraud a user of their financial information and identity, typically to commit identity theft. In other words, phishing is the process of sending an email that looks like it was sent by a well-known company (e.g., Paypal, eBay) and that requests the recipient’s personal information (e.g., password, credit card number).
Differences Between Phishing vs Pharming
Sending spam emails with malicious attachments or virus-infected links can be considered phishing but there is no direct link with a pharming attack. Pharming attacks often incorporate phishing techniques but the two techniques are distinct from one another.
The main difference between pharming and phishing is that pharming relies on DNS records to redirect network traffic from legitimate sites to impostor sites whereas phishing relies on fraudulent emails sent from spoofed email addresses to defraud victims into disclosing sensitive information.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. What is pharming?
Ans: Pharming redirects Internet traffic from legitimate Web sites to impostor Websites. In other words, pharming is a form of DNS spoofing attack in which an attacker takes control over one or more domain names and points them to fake Websites that are operated by attackers. Some phishing attacks include pharming as part of their methodology but you can also see it as two separate things. Thus, pharming is a type of DNS spoofing attack whereas phishing is a specific form of fraud.
Q2. What is phishing?
Ans: Phishing is a term for a specific type of fraud. Moreover, in which an attacker uses email, instant messaging, or some other means. The purpose is to defraud a user of their financial information and identity, typically to commit identity theft.
In other words, phishing is the process of sending an email that looks like it was sent by a well-known company (e.g., Paypal, eBay); and that requests the recipient’s personal information (e.g., password, credit card number).
Q3. Is there any difference between pharming and phishing?
Ans: Yes. The main difference between pharming and phishing is that pharming relies on DNS records to redirect network traffic from legitimate sites to impostor sites whereas phishing relies on fraudulent emails sent from spoofed email addresses to defraud victims into disclosing sensitive information.
Pharming attacks often incorporate phishing techniques but the two techniques are distinct from one another.
Q4. What is the difference between pharming vs phishing?
Ans: The main difference between pharming and phishing is DNS spoofing attacks vs fraudulent emails sent from spoofed email addresses, respectively. Pharming attacks often incorporate phishing techniques but the two techniques are distinct from one another.
