From the course: CompTIA Security+ (SY0-601) Cert Prep: 8 Network Security Design and Implementation

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Layer 2 attacks

Layer 2 attacks

- [Narrator] Attacks can also take place at layer two of the OSI model affecting the data link layer. The address resolution protocol ARP works at this layer and performs a function similar to DNS, but deeper down in the network stack. Instead of translating common domain names to IP addresses, ARP translates IP addresses to the hardware addresses used on local area networks. These hardware addresses are known as media access control or Mac addresses. Mac is just an acronym here and it has nothing to do with Macintosh computers. Now, much like DNS poisoning, ARP poisoning is a spoofing technique that provides false information in response to ARP requests. Unlike DNS poisoning, ARP poisoning only works on a local network. Normally a system sends all traffic to a gateway device. When ARP spoofing occur successfully, the victim system believes that another system is the gateway and sends all traffic to that system. Now,…

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