Re: "Packet Sniffers"

[Oluf Bagger <ob@id.dtu.dk>]

You should tell the staff at your campuss that a Linux box is no greater
threat than any of those PC's used for word processing.
A packet sniffer can hide itself as a resident program on a doze box and
collect data into a data file.  Such a program can be installed by any
user on the doze box or even spread as a virus.
On a Linux box only root programs have access to the ethernet driver.
Any packet sniffer programs can therefore only be installed by root.
On a Linux box you only allow access to known users and you have log files
stating when users have logged in and out.  If the machine have been abused
in some way you can trace the problem using the log files.

Best Regards,  Oluf
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Oluf Bagger,  Eurochip DTU.   tlf: +45 4593 3332 lok. 5722
                              fax: +45 4593 0216