Gaining unauthorized access: Packet sniffers can be used by cybercriminals to gain illegal access into a network.

Here's why someone with malicious intent might use packet sniffing. It also helps ensure that the most correct and efficient route is being selected for DNS requests, etc. Troubleshooting and triage: Packet sniffing is a great tool for troubleshooting traffic bottlenecks as well as understanding the usage of most applications.Ĭhecking network status: Network administrators often used packet sniffing to determine the status of devices by observing the responses to network requests.Įnsuring routing and network ports: Packet sniffing can be used to detect any network or port misconfigurations. By collecting the monitoring responses through packet sniffing, they can test the encryption status of HTTPS connections.Įxamining unencrypted traffic: It is also used for examining traffic for plain text passwords, usernames, or other data that remains readable so that proper encryption can be implemented.

Monitoring network security : Network administrators rely heavily on packet sniffing to gauge important data regarding the health and security of a network. Here are some ethical reasons for which packet sniffing can be used.

Packet analyzer