Abstract

                      Packet sniffing is a technique of monitoring every packet that passes through the network. This is unlike standard network hosts that only receive traffic sent specifically to them. The sniffers have the ability to capture all incoming and outgoing traffic. Sniffers also perform extraction of the payload contents and reconstruction of data from the extracted unencrypted content. In theory, it is impossible to detect these sniffing tools because they are passive in nature, meaning that they only collect data and does not alter the contents of the packets. Their ability to eavesdrop on network traffic has made them indispensable for computer administrators. Applications of packet sniffers include forensic analysis to uncover the root cause of network problems, identifying security threats and ensure that data communication and network usage complies with outlined policies. They also assist in statistical analysis of network efficiency and throughput. The statistical reports can be used to diagnose network faults. This research outlines the design and implementation of NetStalker, a passive packet capture and analysis tool.