Cybercriminals are aware of package sniffing attacks to steal customer data. These attacks pose a significant threat to cybersecurity. Packet sniffing is an important aspect of network management. And network administrators use sniffer methods to analyze threats or underlying technical issues.
But now cybercriminals are also using this strategy to carry out illegal activities. Therefore, it is important to understand the packet sniffing attack in detail. Therefore, this article analyzes the package sniffing attack and its other aspects. So, if you’re in the IT industry or are interested in the same knowledge, stick with this important article.
What is a packet sniffing attack?
A packet sniffing attack is an attack that identifies and analyzes data packets passing through a network. And these packets travel through the network, mainly using a special tool – sniffing. Data can include information about assets or other information, all in data packets. And these packets carry either inbound or outbound traffic.
However, sniffing attacks occur when cybercriminals use this technology to carry out criminal activities. This is where packet data is extracted so that it is not encrypted as it traverses the network. Simply put, it is a cybercriminal where criminals use packet sniffers to capture traffic. And this extracts all unencrypted data from the packet.
Therefore, if an organization is caused by a sniffing attack, it can incur significant losses. Therefore, it is essential to use best practices to prevent packet sniffing attacks.
Legal and Illegal Uses of Packet Sniffers
IT pros can use packet sniffer legally and illegally. A legitimate packet sniffer is what IT professionals and networking experts use to analyze traffic and security. And you can use it to find problems with your organization’s troubleshooting network.
Can also be used in information security contexts. However, this tool can also be misused if the wrong person uses such tactics. Sniffing tools can be used illegally to steal customer data. You can also retrieve the user’s password and bank details. Hackers can also use sniffers to launch other malicious activities.
Some packet sniffer tools are BetterCAP, WinDump, Wireshark, and Ettercap. Most people don’t know that a sniffer attack can trigger an attack if you’re using an unsecured WiFi connection. Using these tools, hackers can even launch DDoS or MitM attacks. Therefore, these factors can be a threat to your business and must be considered.
Are packet sniffing and spoofing the same thing?
Most people may not know that spoofing and sniffing are different. Often these two phrases are used interchangeably between businesses. However, both are completely different from each other because sniffing involves hackers directly. This is because hackers here intercept your network, block traffic and collect unencrypted data.
In spoofing, on the other hand, there is no direct intervention other than a man-in-the-middle attacker. In this method, the hacker impersonates another person to execute the same malicious goal. They intercept packetized traffic to access your organization’s targeted or sensitive data.
Packet sniffing attack types
There are two main types of packet sniffing attacks:
1. Active packet sniffing attack
Active packet sniffing attacks are cyberattacks in which hackers manipulate switch-based networks. And most networking components today are switch-based and sport-connected. So it uses a switch to forward data to another predefined port to control the port’s MAC. Here MAC stands for Media Access Control of the port it is connected to to pass data. Some common examples of active sniffing attacks are MAC spoofing, ARP spoofing, and DNS spoofing.
2. Passive Packet Sniffing Attacks
Cyberattacks occur using multiple networks, where hackers use MAC addresses to understand the destination port for data. You can’t see a direct connection to the target here, like an active sniffing attack. Because these attacks are passive in nature, they are complex to detect and prevent.
How to prevent packet sniffing attacks?
There are several prevention methods to avoid packet sniffing attacks. However, while these practices are not guaranteed, they help build a healthy ecosystem to protect your organization. sensitive data.
1. Avoid using insecure networks
Have you ever heard of a bank data breach and users losing their credit card information? Here is a typical example of a packet sniffing attack. And it mostly happens because these users are using unsecured WiFi networks. Additionally, these hackers or attackers can use vulnerable networks to install proposals to monitor, analyze, prepare and steal data. Many hackers also create fake public WiFi networks to take sensitive data and harm innocent people. Therefore, it is important to avoid using insecure WiFi networks as they can harm users.
2. Start encrypting messages using VPN
Most attackers collect unencrypted data from network traffic. So, if you want the most effective way to prevent sniffing attacks, you should use a VPN to encrypt your organization’s messages. It enhances virtual privacy and helps prevent cyberattacks on your device. Therefore, you might consider using a virtual private network or VPN for your organization’s devices.
3. Using Networking Monitoring and Discovery Activity
You can also hire network administrators and IT professionals. They scan and monitor data traffic occurring on the network. It also monitors bandwidth and device auditing to help find anything suspicious. However, it is an activity you must use to protect yourself from sniffing attacks. This is because most networks are not secure and can contain harmful elements. That’s why we work with an excellent team of qualified, ethical hackers and IT professionals. Create a more secure network strategy to keep you and your customers’ data safe.
So, these are just some of the ways organizations can prevent sniffing attacks. However, there may be a few other ways, but these three are important to your implementation.
conclusion
Now that you know what a “package sniffing attack” is, you’ve also learned its types through examples. Now we have only looked at the types of sniffing attacks and discussed how to prevent sniffing attacks. So I hope you like this wonderful post and share it with your friends as well. If you want to keep learning these great technical terms in a simple way. Stay tuned for our blog and other posts as well. Then let us know what you think about package sniffing attacks in the comments section.