A man-in-the-middle attack is a cybersecurity threat where an attacker secretly intercepts and relays communication between two parties. This can happen during online transactions, email exchanges, or any data transfer, allowing the attacker to eavesdrop or manipulate the information being shared without either party knowing. In this type of attack, the attacker may use various techniques, such as packet sniffing or session hijacking, to gain access to sensitive data like passwords or credit card numbers. To protect against such attacks, users should employ encryption methods and be cautious when connecting to public Wi-Fi networks.