[Term of the Day]: Password Sniffer
Term of the Day
"Password Sniffer"
What is Password Sniffer?
A password sniffer is a small program used by hackers to steal usernames and passwords simply by listening to all incoming and outgoing network traffic and records any instance of a data packet that contains a password. This often happens on public WiFi networks where it is relatively easy to spy on weak or unencrypted traffic.
Sniffers aren't always bad news. "Sniffer" with a capital S refers to the trademarked tool by NetScout that is used by network administrators to identify weak applications that may be passing critical information unencrypted over the Local Area Network (LAN). With a lowercase s, "sniffer" refers to all other types of network sniffers, both benign and malignant.
A password sniffing attack typically occurs by gaining access to a computer connected to a local area network (LAN) and installing a password sniffer on it. The hacker can then analyze the collected data to discover valuable information such as user ids and passwords.