computer science

Sniffing attack

Sniffing attack is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Sniffing attack rather than just read about it. In short: Sniffing attack in context of network security, corresponds to theft or interception of data by capturing the network traffic using a packet sniffer (an application aimed at capturing network packets). When data is transmitted across networks, if the data packets are not encrypted, the data within the network packet can be read using a sniffer.

Key takeaways

Sniffing attack belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Sniffing attack to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Sniffing attack from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Sniffing attack in context of network security, corresponds to theft or interception of data by capturing the network traffic using a packet sniffer (an application aimed at capturing network packets). When data is transmitted across networks, if the data packets are not encrypted, the data within the network packet can be read using a sniffer. Using a sniffer application, an attacker can analyze the network and gain information to eventually cause the network to crash or to become corrupted, or read the communications happening across the network.

General Sniffing attacks can be compared to tapping of phone wires and intercepting the conversation. For this reason, it is also referred as wiretapping applied to computer networks. Using sniffing tools, attackers can sniff sensitive information from a network, including email (SMTP, POP, IMAP), web (HTTP), FTP (Telnet authentication, FTP Passwords, SMB, NFS) and many more types of network traffic. The packet sniffer usually sniffs the network data without making any modifications in the network's packets. Packet sniffers can just watch, display, and log the traffic, and this information can be accessed by the attacker.

Prevention To prevent networks from sniffing attacks, organizations and individual users should keep away from applications that are using insecure protocols, like basic HTTP authentication, File Transfer Protocol (FTP), and Telnet. Instead, secure protocols such as HTTPS, Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP), and Secure Shell (SSH) should be preferred. In case there is a necessity for using any insecure protocol in any application, all the data transmission should be encrypted. If required, VPN (Virtual Private Networks) can be used to provide secure access to users.

See also Cloud computing security Cyber security standards Data loss prevention software Network Security Toolkit Wireless security

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Sniffing attack

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Sniffing attack claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Sniffing attack before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Sniffing attack ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Sniffing attack

In research: Sniffing attack appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Sniffing attack in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Sniffing attack is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Computer network security, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Sniffing attack outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Sniffing attack in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Sniffing attack means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Sniffing attack out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Sniffing attack in simple terms?

Why does Sniffing attack matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Sniffing attack?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Sniffing attack.