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Commonly confused · Security Fundamentals & Crypto

Phishing vs Pharming: What's the Difference?

Phishing lures a victim into clicking a malicious link or contacting the attacker. Pharming redirects a victim to a fake site even when they type the correct address, by poisoning DNS or altering the hosts file.

vs
PhishingPharming
Requires a lure?Yes, email, text, or callNo
TechniqueSocial engineeringDNS cache poisoning, hosts file modification, rogue DNS
User mistake requiredClicking or respondingNone, typing the right URL still fails
ScalePer message recipientEveryone using the poisoned resolver
DefenseAwareness training, email filteringDNSSEC, endpoint protection, certificate warnings
Remember it

Phishing baits the user; pharming poisons the road.

Exam tip

If the user typed the correct URL and still landed on a fake site, the answer is pharming. Look for DNS poisoning or hosts file changes.

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