Class 43 - birlzhimself/401-Reading-Notes GitHub Wiki
Explain a Sniffing attack using non-technical terms.
Imagine you are sending secret letters to your friend through a courier service. However, a sneaky person wants to read your letters without your knowledge. This is where a sniffing attack comes in.
A sniffing attack is like this sneaky person intercepting the letters while they are being delivered. Instead of letting the letters pass through the usual route, they find a way to eavesdrop on the courier's route and read the contents of the letters.
What are the two types of sniffing attacks and what are some pros and cons of each approach?
There are two types of sniffing attacks:
Passive Sniffing: In this type of attack, the sneaky person simply listens to the letters as they go by. It's like they are silently reading the letters without altering them in any way. This is less detectable since they are not actively interrupting the delivery.
Pros: It's harder to notice since the attack doesn't disrupt the communication flow. The attacker can gather a lot of information without raising suspicion. Cons: The attacker can only get the information that is not encrypted. If the letters are already sealed in envelopes (encrypted), the attacker won't be able to understand the content. Active Sniffing: In this type of attack, the sneaky person not only listens to the letters but also tries to modify them. It's like they open the envelopes, read the letters, and then reseal them without you knowing.
Pros: The attacker can intercept and modify the information to suit their malicious intentions. They have more control over the data flow. Cons: This approach is riskier for the attacker because it can leave traces of tampering or raise alarms.
How does encryption protect traffic against sniffing attacks?
To protect traffic against sniffing attacks, encryption is used. It's like putting your secret letters inside a secure envelope with a special lock that only your friend can open.
Encryption scrambles the information in a way that only the intended recipient can understand. So even if the sneaky person manages to intercept the encrypted letters, they will see only gibberish. Encryption prevents the attackers from understanding the contents of the data they sniff.
To make this work, the sender and receiver share a secret key, which acts as the key to unlock the secure envelope. Anyone without the key will find it nearly impossible to decrypt the information and read the contents of the communication.
By using encryption, you ensure that even if someone manages to sniff the data being transmitted, it remains protected and confidential, making it much harder for them to carry out a successful attack.