Quote:
Originally Posted by eautocad
Hey everyone, i have a question.. Why are the little java programs that are used to trace IP's and sniff ports illegal? What other reason do you need to sniff for ports? I cant' see a legit purpose...
I have some ip tracers on my site and it deters a lot of garbage. You'd be amazed by posting someones IP how much nicer they play.! I don't sniff out ports though, because I'm not out to hack.. Just protect myself lol
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These programs are not illegal.
Every operating system (Linux, Mac, Windows, BSD, BeOS, Plan 9, etc) comes with utilities to trace IP addresses.
On windows, tracert will do it (traceroute on Linux and Macs)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traceroute
Tracing IP's can help find problems with routers, routing tables, network issues, etc. Very useful.
Port sniffers also have legit uses. The purpose is to detect open ports on a computer. If you have a windows box, a port sniffer can help you find virii, trojans, spyware, and zombie bots by identifying open ports (that shouldn't be). You can use them to make sure people aren't running servers in your network (whether knowingly or not). They can help to ensure that security policies are in place.
Crackers don't use these tools to hack/crack/whatever, they use them to look for weaknesses. You can/should use them to find the weaknesses (and hopefully fix) before the bad guys do. |
