Have you ever felt someone is spying on your browsing patterns?
Did you know – when you surf online or browse yourfavourite website, you are sending data all across the globe?
From sending emails to accessing a bank account, yourinformation is broken down into piece – which is being sent in packets to datacentres located a thousand miles away.
These packets travel across the internet to reachtheir destination, which could be another computer or server.
Security experts believe that you are not the ONLYperson who has access to all the data – but someone else would also be sniffingon the data that travels across the internet.
Whatis packet sniffing?
Packet sniffing is the act of gathering, collecting, andmonitoring the data pieces (packets) that travel through a computer network orthe internet.
It means every packet that travels across the internetor a local network is gathered for a wide range of purposes such as –monitoring the traffic & bandwidth, maintain the networks, analyse the datacollected by the device, and so on.
Packet Sniffing is used by ethical hackers, networkadmins, advertisers, ISPs, government institutions, etc for various ethicalpractices as below -
Networkadmins - Identify problems within the network and troubleshoot them
Systemadmin - Check employees network usage
ISPs - monitorthe customer’s traffic
Advertisers- Show relevant ads to targeted users
From the perspective ofcybersecurity, sniffingrefers to the process of routing or tapping the traffic to a target location,where it can be captured, analysed, and monitored.
Cybercriminals practice packet sniffing for illegalactivities such as –
- Injectingmalicious program or virus into a segment
- Spying onbusinesses to steal confidential data
- Initiatephishing, SQL injection, or other cyberattacks
- Monitoringsomeone’s online behaviour for unethical purpose
Packet Sniffing is usually performed by Sniffers, anindividual or software that closely monitors your network to discover glitchesand improve the performance.
Usually, hackers place sniffers at unsecured wi-fihotspots found at airports, cafes, and hotels. From unencrypted passwords tousernames, a sniffer can monitor everything that passes through them.
Typesof Packet Sniffing
The legitimate purpose of packet sniffing is tomonitor and analyse the network traffic and gain valuable insights about thenetwork infrastructure and performance.
Depending on the type of network one is trying to sniff,packet sniffing can be categorized into 1)Active Sniffing 2) Passive Sniffing.
Active Sniffing
In Active sniffing, the sniffer directly targets apoint-to-point network device that regulates the flow of information betweenthe ports. The active sniffer has to actively inject additional traffic intothe LAN to capture the traffic.
Passive Sniffing
In passive sniffing, the sniffer is inserted into thehub that is connected with other devices via LAN. It means, the traffic thatpasses through the unbridged network is seen by all the machines connectedacross LAN and the sniffer has to wait for the data to be sent to every machineconnected across the LAN.
Howto Prevent Packet Sniffing?
Packet sniffing isn’t just used only by the ‘GoodGuys’. Unethical hackers and cybercriminals use it to access insiderinformation, login credentials, instant messages, bank account details, andother sensitive data.
Sniffers are dangerous in the wrong hands and oneshould take necessary measures to prevent packet sniffing. Here are a few waysto protect against sniffing –
Installan antivirus
Antivirus software, also known as malware helps youprotect your device and network from worms, viruses, botnets, and other kindsof malware. Their objective is to defence your system against cybersecuritythreats.
Not only this, you can install antivirus software toprevent cyberattacks that deliver a sniffer to the target computer. Acomprehensive antivirus helps protect your PC and data from a range of onlinethreats.
NortonAntivirusprovides 360-degree real-time threatprotection againstmalware,viruses,phishingattempts, zero-day exploits, and more.
Dataencryption
To combat packet sniffing, one should considerimplementing data protection and encryption solutions. Data encryption is an excellent choice for individualsand professionals against sniffing.
Tunnel your connectivity using Virtual Private Network(VPN) to protect yourself from packet sniffers. When you browse the internetusing a VPN, the data passes through a securely encrypted tunnel.
Your information is broken into pieces or ‘bits’ and sentthrough the tunnelling process. This includes the information that is used bythe websites, applications, and other services. A packet sniffer would only seethe encrypted data, which is of no use.
Norton VPNhelps keepyour data safe against hackers and cybercriminals – especially on unsecuredwi-fi. Without the right protection, the data could become public andunencrypted.
Avoidunencrypted websites
If you are an active internet user who regularlyvisits multiple websites, you might be familiar with encrypted and unencryptedwebsites.
Encrypted websites begin with “HTTPS”, which meansyour activity on those websites is protected. On the contrary, websites thatstart with “HTTP” don’t have the same degree of security.
To prevent packet sniffing, it is advised to visitwebsites that begin with “HTTPS”.
Avoidunsecured network
Well,public wi-fiorhotpots come under an unsecured network that can be connected within a rangewithout any security features. An unsecured network lacksfirewall protectionor anysort of anti-virus, and hence the information transmitted across the network isunencrypted to grab.
You are at a higher risk of exposing your informationto anyone on the network searching for sensitive data. Hackers andcybercriminals can sniff unsecured public networks in hope that some user willsearch for free wi-fi will connect.
As soon as you log in to the unsecured network, yourdata is easily transmitted and used for illegitimate activities.
Conclusion
Today, many cyberattacks are carried out throughpacket sniffing. The Internet can be much less dangerous if you follow the bestsecurity practices and practice good cyber hygiene.
Avoid accessing the internet on anunsecured wi-fi, aspacket sniffers are usually placed on open wi-fi hotspots. Aside from avoidingpublic wi-fi; use VPN to protect yourself from packet sniffing and cyberthreats. Use a Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) instead of a File TransferProtocol (FTP).
Avoid clicking onsuspiciouslinks, as they often contain malicious codethat hackers use for cyberattacks.
Finally, use packet analyser tools that help youdetect intrusion attempts. These tools work by analysing and monitoring thetraffic.
Install one of thebest antivirus softwareand staysafe from packet sniffers, malware, and cyber threats.
Editorial note:Our articles provide educational information for you. Our offerings may not cover or protect against every type of crime, fraud, or threat we write about. Our goal is to increase awareness about Cyber Safety. Please review complete Terms during enrollment or setup. Remember that no one can prevent all identity theft or cybercrime, and that LifeLock does not monitor all transactions at all businesses. The Norton and LifeLock brands are part of Gen Digital Inc.
