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Sniffing software intercepts data on a computer network, including passwords and network traffic. It can be used legitimately by network administrators to troubleshoot problems, but can also be used for criminal purposes. Sniffing can be done over a wireless connection or using software installed on a computer. Some hardware scanners can also scan the network. Sniffer is a registered trademark of Network Associates.
Programs that tap into a computer network in order to intercept data traveling between two network machines are called sniffing software. This type of software program can be used to intercept and interpret data about a computer or network, including browser passwords, chat programs, user settings, and network traffic. Sniffing software may also be known as a packet scanner, packet analyzer, or network analyzer. Types of this software include Internet Protocol (IP) sniffing software, hypertext markup language (HTML) sniffing software, port scanners, and packet sniffing programs. Network sniffing software is often used legitimately by network administrators to identify the source of communication problems between different network machines.
When network traffic should be flowing but isn’t flowing properly, sniffing can help the person responsible for maintaining the network gather more information that can help solve the problem. Network problems can occur across the entire network, with specific servers, or when data is only transferred between specific network machines. Using software created for analyzing network data, the administrator can determine the nature of the problem, the machines affected by the problem, and determine computer and network settings that may be contributing to the slow network.
Sniffing can be done over a wireless connection, or it can be done using software installed on a computer that is part of the wired network. Common programs used for sniffing include Carnivore, snoop and SkyGrabber. Not all sniffing is done using sniffing software. Network administrators often have hardware scanners that scan the network. Hardware that scans network data includes Bluetooth-based sniffing devices and scan hardware that plugs directly into a computer port.
While sniffing software is usually used by network professionals to analyze and troubleshoot network traffic, it can also be used for criminal purposes. Viruses embedded in downloaded software may include sniffing viruses that record and interpret data entered on your computer. Many data sniffing viruses are designed to obtain passwords and financial information from computers that have been infected with data sniffing viruses.
Most people use the term “sniffer” to refer to any packet analysis software, but the word Sniffer is a registered trademark of Network Associates, the manufacturer of the Sniffer Network Analyzer. The term sniffer has come into common use because a common unregistered slang term for the act of using packet analysis software to listen to network traffic is “sniffing,” and when a user uses sniffing software to listen to traffic network, and is said to be using software to sniff the connection.
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