Settings
Log out
Sniffing is the process of monitoring and capturing all data packets that are passing through a computer network using packet sniffers. Packet Sniffers are used by network administrators to keep track of data traffic passing through their network. These are called network protocol analyzers. In the same way, malicious attackers employ the use of these packet sniffing tools to capture data packets in a network.
Data packets captured from a network are used to extract and steal sensitive information such as passwords, usernames, credit card information, etc. Attackers install these sniffers in the system in the form of software or hardware. There are different types of sniffing tools used and they include Wireshark, Ettercap, BetterCAP, Tcpdump, WinDump, etc.
The Difference Between Sniffing and Spoofing
In sniffing, the attacker listens into a networks’ data traffic and captures data packets using packet sniffers. In spoofing, the attacker steals the credentials of a user and uses them in a system as a legitimate user.
Spoofing attacks are also referred to as man-in-the–middle attacks since the attacker gets in the middle of a user and a system.
Types of Sniffing
There are two types of sniffing attacks, active sniffing and passive sniffing.
Sniffing is detrimental to the user or a network system since a hacker can sniff the following information: email traffic, FTP passwords, web traffics, telnet passwords, router configuration, chat sessions, DNS traffic, etc.
How to Prevent Sniffing Attacks
Untrusted networks: users should avoid connecting to unsecured networks, which includes free public Wi-Fi. These unsecured networks are dangerous since an attacker can deploy a packet sniffer that can sniff the entire network. Another way an attacker can sniff network traffic is by creating their own fake–free public Wi-Fi.