What methods can be used to prevent man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks?

To prevent Man-in-the-Middle (MITM) attacks, the following methods are used:

• Using secure data transfer protocols like HTTPS (TLS/SSL), which provide encryption and server authentication.
• Verifying server certificates on the client side to ensure the connection is established with a trusted source.
• Applying HSTS (HTTP Strict Transport Security) to enforce HTTPS usage.
• Using VPNs to create a secure communication channel.
• Implementing two-factor authentication to reduce the risk of credential compromise.
• Using data integrity mechanisms such as digital signatures.

Example in Python for certificate verification during HTTPS requests using the requests library:

import requests

response = requests.get('https://example.com', verify=True)  # verify=True checks the certificate
print(response.status_code)

If the server's certificate is invalid or fake, the request will raise an exception, helping to prevent MITM.