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Man-in-the-Middle Attack

What is Man-in-the-Middle Attack?

An attack where the attacker secretly relays and possibly alters the communication between two parties who believe they are directly communicating with each other. MITM attacks can intercept sensitive data such as login credentials and financial information.

Information Security

What the standards actually require on man-in-the-middle attack

Requirements naming man-in-the-middle attack across 3 standards, quoted from the control text.

IEC 624431 control

The IACS shall provide the capability to protect the integrity of sessions, defending against hijack, replay and man-in-the-middle attacks, particularly for operator and engineering sessions.

62443-3-3-FR3-SR-3-8 · Session Integrity
OWASP ASVS1 control

Per OWASP ASVS V9: implement secure communications. Requirements include (a) use TLS 1.2 or later with strong cipher suites + appropriate key sizes for all sensitive communications + (b) implement HSTS + appropriate certificate validation + pinning where appli...

OWASPASVS-9 · Communication Security (V9)
OWASP MASVS1 control

Per OWASP MASVS v2 MASVS-NETWORK: secure network communication for mobile apps. Requirements include (a) use TLS 1.2 or later with strong cipher suites for all sensitive network communications + (b) implement certificate pinning where appropriate + with secure...

OWASPMASVS-4 · MASVS-NETWORK: Network Communication

Questions people ask about man-in-the-middle attack

What is Man-in-the-Middle Attack?
An attack where the attacker secretly relays and possibly alters the communication between two parties who believe they are directly communicating with each other. MITM attacks can intercept sensitive data such as login credentials and financial information.
Why is Man-in-the-Middle Attack important for compliance?
Man-in-the-Middle Attack is a key concept in Information Security. Understanding man-in-the-middle attack helps organizations meet regulatory requirements, reduce risk, and demonstrate due diligence during audits. Our compliance platform maps 686 frameworks with 311K cross-framework control mappings.
Which compliance frameworks address Man-in-the-Middle Attack?
Man-in-the-Middle Attack appears in the requirement text of IEC 62443, OWASP ASVS, OWASP MASVS. Across these standards we have identified 3 controls that name it directly, each linked to the control text on the compliance platform.
Where can I learn more about Man-in-the-Middle Attack?
Explore our compliance framework pages to see how man-in-the-middle attack applies across different standards and regulations. Our implementation guides provide step-by-step guidance, and the compliance platform offers AI-powered analysis of how this concept maps across 686 frameworks.

See how Man-in-the-Middle Attack applies across compliance frameworks

Our platform maps 686 frameworks with 311K cross-framework control mappings. Explore how this concept is addressed across standards.

Written and maintained by Gerard Blokdyk, The Art of Service.