Introduction

If we were previously reading the Cadillac of books, we just jumped into a Ferrari for a spin. In this chapter, we look at using Sniffer Pro with security in mind. This is not a chapter on hacking. Rather, this chapter shows you how to find vulnerabilities in your own network. It discusses the importance of security analysts who have a working knowledge of the basic operations of Sniffer Pro or other similar protocol analyzers.

The first few sections cover issues inherent within IPv4 and how Sniffer Pro can be used to exploit the protocol stack s weakness.

Using Sniffer Pro to Find Holes in Your Network

The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, changed the focus of security forever. Many commentators have compared the events worldwide ramifications to those of December 7, 1941. The resulting awareness of information security and privacy has created new and demanding challenges for the network professional.

Today s cyber marketplace does not offer a better addition to a conscientious white hat hacker s arsenal than Sniffer Pro. Because Sniffer Pro is adept at analyzing network and application problems, it is an effective tool in the detection and prevention of network vulnerabilities.

One only need open morning newspapers to be made aware that threats from the Internet are escalating. The names of viruses, Trojans, and, worms once relegated to the techno-geek realm are now mainstream water-cooler conversation. Code Red, Nimda, SirCam, Melissa,...