Intercepting Data
As data is transferred from one device to another, it must pass through many different networking devices and media.
At any stage of the transfer, a hacker may be able to access and copy data as it passes through.
This can often be done without the sender or recipient's knowledge.
A man-in-the-middle attack is a method of intercepting data as it passes between sender and recipient.
Wired vs Wireless Transmission
Wireless data is easier to intercept than wired data because the data travels through the air using radio waves, which can potentially be picked up by nearby devices with a wireless network interface card. The devices may be out of sight of the user, so they may not even be aware.
To hack into wired media, the hacker will need physical access to the data cable. They would also need special equipment. This makes it much more awkward, but not impossible, to hack into.
Data sent across any network should be encrypted, so even if it is intercepted and stolen, the hacker cannot understand it.
