Pharming: The cyber threat that hijacks your online destination

Pharming is a cyberattack that redirects a website’s traffic to a fraudulent site without the user’s knowledge, even if they type the correct website address.

Unlike phishing (which tricks the user into clicking a fake link), pharming compromises the DNS system or the victim’s computer to manipulate website resolution.

Mechanism

1. DNS poisoning attack: Manipulating the DNS server so that legitimate domain names resolve to malicious IP addresses.
2. Hosts file manipulation: Malware modifies the local system’s host file to redirect genuine URLs to fake websites.

Various aspects

1. Technical aspect

• Vectors: DNS cache poisoning, malware, trojans
• Targets: Online banking, e-commerce, government portals
• Impact: Data theft, financial fraud, identity theft

2. Legal & regulatory aspect

• Covered under IT Act, 2000 (India) – Sections 43, 66, and 66C
• Challenges in jurisdiction and cross-border cybercrime prosecution
• International cooperation via Budapest Convention on Cybercrime (India is not a signatory)

3. Socio-economic aspect

• Loss of public trust in digital transactions and e-governance portals
• Threat to initiatives like Digital India, UPI, and online tax filing systems
• Economic loss for businesses and individuals

4. National security aspect

• Potential for cyber-espionage by hostile states
• Targeting government, defence, or election commission websites
• Could disrupt critical services in Smart Cities or public utilities

 Case examples

Brazil (2007): Large-scale DNS poisoning targeting online banking users.

India (2023, hypothetical UPSC context): Suppose a UPI payment gateway gets compromised via pharming, millions lose money despite typing the correct bank URL.

Government measures

• CERT-In Advisories and DNS security guidelines
• National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal
• Public awareness campaigns
• DNSSEC (Domain Name System Security Extensions) adoption

Critical analysis

Strengths: India has improved its cybersecurity framework with CERT-In, IT Act amendments, and awareness drives.

Weaknesses:

• Low cyber hygiene awareness among public
• Poor DNSSEC adoption by many Indian domains
• Fragmented law enforcement capacity in rural areas

Opportunities

• Integrating AI-based anomaly detection in DNS traffic
• Capacity building for police and judiciary in cybercrime

Threats

• Increasing sophistication of attacks (e.g., DNS over HTTPS exploitation)
• State-sponsored cyber warfare

Way forward

1. Technical hardening: Mandate DNSSEC for government & critical sectors
2. Legal reform: Stronger provisions for cross-border cybercrime prosecution
3. Public awareness: Mass campaigns like “Cyber Surakshit Bharat”
4. Capacity building: Training for law enforcement in advanced cyber forensics
5. International cooperation: Engage in global cybersecurity alliances