Network packet sniffers monitor network information and can be used for legitimate or illegal purposes. They collect and decode data packets, helping troubleshoot network problems and steal sensitive information. Sniffers grew with network computing and helped advance technology. Sniffers can monitor activity or decrypt data packets for hacking and identity theft.
Network packet sniffers are used to monitor information sent over a network. These can be hardware or software, depending on the type of sniffer and its general purpose. Network packet sniffers collect packets from a network data stream, decode them, and read their information. Sniffers are used for a wide range of legitimate and illegal functions, from troubleshooting network problems to stealing passwords and sensitive information.
The technology that eventually became the network packet sniffer grew up with network computing. In the early days of networking, information was constantly lost or damaged in transit. Early network hardware and software contained many problems, both in their coding and physical construction, which compounded errors. Sniffing programs could read data before and after network junction points to locate areas where data was becoming corrupted. This helped advance the technology until network transmissions became much closer to being error free.
A network packet is a small collection of data in which both a destination and a point of origin are encoded. Typically, the data packet will travel the network until it reaches the location within it; then, it will allow that single location to open it. Any other location that tries to read it will fail. Network packet sniffers examine these collections, read their addresses, and sometimes copy the entire packet.
Some network packet sniffers do this to monitor activity on a network. These sniffers are typically used by system administrators to check the network for problems or monitor user activity. In most of these cases, there is no need to open the package and look inside. Usually it is sufficient to verify the addresses and make sure that both are allowed. If the packet arrives or goes to a restricted computer, such as a banned website, you can record its network location and find out who was using it.
It is also possible to open packets and decrypt the data inside. This can be a time consuming process depending on the type of encryption on the data packet. With enough time and effort, it is often possible to recover the data inside. While it is possible to do this for legitimate reasons, such as debugging new network software, this type of packet analyzer also has various uses in hacking and identity theft.
Packet analyzers are a common tool for a digital thief. By intercepting and decrypting packets, hackers can learn several things. One of the more common pieces of information is the addresses of internal network machines which may have lighter security than known machines. Also, if the correct packages are stolen, login information and email addresses can be obtained.
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