Most of the time, “eavesdropping” means listening in on a conversation in public, but hackers are more clever. For them, eavesdropping means listening in on a conversation between two devices.

An eavesdropping attack gives criminals or spies access to personal data and business networks, helping them extract data, steal money, and potentially commit fraud.

What is an eavesdropping attack?

Hackers use eavesdropping attacks to access data that’s being shared between devices, such as the activity on your phone while you’re connected to a public WiFi network. They can do this using a few different methods:

  • Keystroke logging (or keylogging) allows someone to see what you’re typing on your keyboard without your knowledge. This can be done using either software or hardware, and may be used by governments or law enforcement to monitor suspicious activity. However, keylogging can also be deployed as a form of spyware. By seeing what you’re typing, hackers can collect sensitive information, such as passwords for banking apps.
  • Man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks are a way for a hacker to insert themselves into an email conversation or gain access to a WiFi connection and silently monitor data being shared. There are different ways to launch MITM attacks, such as HTTPS spoofing, session hijacking, and malware.
  • Unsecured networks such as free public WiFi are one of the easiest ways to illicitly gain access to devices. Unencrypted networks can be monitored without much effort on a hacker’s side; they don’t even need to convince you to click a link. A fake hotspot set up to look like public WiFi can also trick you into connecting to it, and once you’re connected hackers can see the activity on your device.
  • Network sniffing uses software to take snapshots of data being transmitted over a network without sending it to a different location or changing it at all. It can be used safely by IT admins to monitor network connections for security purposes, but it can also be used by hackers to collect sensitive information from your devices. This type of attack uses your computer’s network interface card (NIC) to allow someone to capture and access pieces (known as packets) of data.
  • Unsecured accounts with weak passwords grant hackers very easy access to your digital life. It isn’t even necessary to launch an attack if your passwords can be found on the dark web. If and when a data breach occurs for an online service you use, a single password can grant access to all of your online accounts if you aren’t creating strong and unique passwords for each account and using two-factor authentication.

Why do hackers use eavesdropping attacks?

Despite there being many ways to launching eavesdropping attacks, there’s one main goal: to intercept sensitive, unencrypted data and exploit it. Eavesdropping attacks are an extremely effective way to steal personal data from individuals, and sensitive and proprietary information from businesses.

How do eavesdropping attacks affect individuals?

Eavesdropping can be used to target individuals already known to a bad actor or to identify future victims for future phishing scams, blackmail, or identity fraud.

  • Financial loss is a significant risk if an individual is targeted by an eavesdropping attack. Your online banking portal login details or your credit card information can be targeted, leading you to potential financial loss and identity fraud.
  • Hackers can blackmail you by stealing personal data such as your medical information, private conversations, or browsing history.
  • If you’re targeted by an eavesdropping attack while you’re using a personal device for work purposes, hackers could access sensitive business data. Loss of this data could result in penalties at work or even legal consequences if proprietary or sensitive customer data is stolen.
  • Stalkerware or intimate partner surveillance (IPS) can be used to remotely monitor someone’s location as well as what to see they’re doing on their devices and even deprive them of access to their bank accounts. This is known as tech abuse(nouvelle fenêtre) and is used as a means of domestic control and abuse. More resources can be accessed through the National Domestic Violence Hotline(nouvelle fenêtre) in the US and Refuge(nouvelle fenêtre) in the UK.

How do eavesdropping attacks affect businesses?

While the risks of eavesdropping attacks can be dangerous for individuals, they can also be catastrophic for businesses.

  • Reputational damage is caused when your customers or your clients find out that your business has been affected by a cyberattack: it’s difficult and sometimes impossible to rebuild this trust.
  • Operational continuity isn’t possible when your business is actively being targeted by a cyberattack. Employees could lose access to critical data and systems.
  • Businesses are also vulnerable to financial loss if financial documents or banking information are stolen. Smaller businesses may not be able to recover from a significant loss.
  • Fines can be imposed against businesses if sensitive customer data isn’t adequately stored and protected according to your local data protection regulations.
  • Your business data may appear on the dark web once it’s been stolen. This leaves you open to increased scams and spam in the future as hackers see your business as a target. An eavesdropping attack is an ideal way for bad actors to see exactly what they can get from your business and plan further attacks in the future such as phishing attacks and ransomware.

How to protect yourself against eavesdropping attacks

It’s not too difficult to make sure that your data and your devices are protected against all kinds of cyberattacks. You don’t need to be a tech expert, you just need the right approach and the right tools.

Use a VPN

A secure VPN(nouvelle fenêtre) encrypts the data your devices send and receive: if the data is encrypted, hackers can’t intercept it. VPNs can protect all of your devices, including phones, tablets, laptops, and PCs so that you can use the internet with total privacy. It’s also advisable to avoid public WiFi, especially if it’s unsecured. Ads, trackers, and eavesdropping can all be prevented just by switching on your VPN.

Protect your accounts

The passwords you use to protect your accounts are more important than you might think. Repeating the same password for multiple accounts means it’s much easier for your accounts to be hacked. Make sure you’re creating a different strong password for each account, and use a secure password manager to store, autofill, and even share your passwords securely.

Protect your personal data

Data privacy helps you to prevent too much of your personal information ending up online where you can’t control who can see it. To protect your personal data, don’t share sensitive information like your email address, name, or date of birth unless it’s necessary (for example, on a health insurance website or a government services portal). You can hide your personal email address by using email aliases, which hide your real email address and protect you from spam, scams, and tracking. The more you hide your personal data online, the harder it is for anyone to target you.

Use two-factor authentication

Two-factor authentication (2FA) creates an extra layer of protection for your accounts. It’s an additional step to logging in which makes it much harder for someone else to access your account. There are different forms of 2FA available such as biometric logins, PIN codes, codes generated using an authenticator app, and physical security keys. You can also create passkeys for your accounts if they’re supported by the service you’re using.

Regularly update your devices and your apps

One of the easiest ways to make sure your devices are secure is to regularly update your operating system (OS) and your apps. Updates protect you against vulnerabilities in older versions, so you can protect yourself just by making sure you’re using the latest version of your device’s OS and any apps installed.

How to protect your business against eavesdropping attacks

In a world where many employees work remotely and use their own devices, the attack surface for businesses has grown significantly. Protecting your business network against eavesdropping attacks takes a different form than protecting an individual’s devices, but it’s achievable with rigorous focus on monitoring your network traffic, reviewing access logs, and putting adequate security measures in place.

Use a business VPN

Data encryption protects anything being sent or received within your business network. A business VPN encrypts all traffic and can also create a secure working environment that team members can log into on any device from any location without compromising the security of your network. Team members are protected against IP tracking and malware, no matter where they are. Sensitive information is protected when it’s encrypted, meaning your business can remain compliant with ISO 27001, GDPR, and HIPAA regulations.

Improve your password management

Password management within your business can be simplified with a business password manager. Team members can generate passwords according to your business’s requirements, then store them in shared vaults for teams, even sharing them outside your network securely if needed with secure links. Protecting accounts that have access to sensitive data protects your business network from becoming an attractive prospect for hackers.

Strengthen access management

If gaining access to your business network requires proper identification and authentication, it’s more difficult for anyone to sneak in undetected. Operating with the principle of least privilege means making sure that team members only have access to the systems, apps, and data they strictly require for their roles. Your IT admins can then implement tools such as sharing policies, single sign-on (SSO), and enforced 2FA to make sure that only the right people have access to your network.

Monitor network traffic

To detect an eavesdropper in your network, you need to check your traffic. IT admins should regularly review the activity within your systems, looking for logins from new IP addresses, devices or locations, or irregular behavior such as sharing multiple documents. Usage logs are a helpful tool for spotting suspicious activity and acting accordingly. If your access management is organized well, all an admin needs to do is revoke access to an affected user or shut down an affected system in order to stop the hacker in their tracks.

Protect yourself against eavesdropping attacks with the right tools

No matter whether you’re looking to protect yourself or your business, Proton has a suite of privacy-first tools designed to encrypt your personal data and your online behavior. Eavesdropping attacks rely on people being careless when it comes to their privacy, so don’t let hackers get the best of you.