But Lisa, isn't this rather irresponsible? I mean how can you be sure
this software is only sniffing your own machines (perfectly alright I
guess) and not spying on you (i.e. sending info about you on to
whomever) or spamming other netusers? I assume you don't know the
people behind this software. Don't you think it's better to avoid
installing "mystery" software on any machine, particularly one
connected to the Internet?
Dean
Lisa Minter wrote:
> I assume you all know about the FBI and their 'Carnivore' program
> which spies on people by sniffing their computer packets and uses
> this ill-gotten information to get guys in trouble. Some fellows in
> New York City developed their own Carnivore thing based on information
> taken from FBI files. Don't ask me how they got into the FBI files.
> http://rhizome.org/carnivore/How_We_Made_Our_Own_Carnivore.txt
> If you like what they have to say, then you can build your own
> sniffer with this program. Just download the version which goes
> with your operating system:
> http://www.rhizome.org/carnivore/
> We tried it here on Patrick's computer network and it is sitting here
> right now sniffing at his weather station stuff and some email on
> another computer. Of course, I presume you could also use this
> Carnivore to spy on people and their credit card numbers or things
> like that on the net, but why would you want to do something wrong
> like steal credit card numbers and passwords?
> If you administer a computer network at your school or company, I
> don't see any reason why you couldn't use this in the routine course
> of your duties at work, etc. Just use this tool in an ethical and
> honest way, as all guys do when they use their computers; the way the
> government does its business. Patrick said it should make a good
> worthwhile project for readers this weekend.
> Lisa M.
[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: The people at the Radical Software
Group and rzihome.org can be trusted not to load unwanted junk on
one's computer, and things you might happen to see on other computers
come to you in 'read only' mode. That is, nothing which passes through
the ether that you happen to view can 'jump out' and attach itself to
you. So they are reasonably safe to deal with. Lisa did warn us
against abusing credit card numbers and passwords which happen to pass
through the ether, and the law provides serious penalties against
making personal gain of ill-gotten knowledge which does not belong to
us, just like on ham radio when you are tuning the dial and overhear a
conversation not intended for yourself. You cannot do it! If you
have any questions about what is, and is not honest on the internet
these days, see our illustrated manual, Honesty and the Internet at
http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/honesty.html and anyway, a _real_man_
always knows how to adjust his computer to avoid stepping in a pile
of dung as he makes his way though the barnyard which used to be the
commons traveling down the non-highway. PAT]
Dean (cjmebox-telecomdigest@yahoo.com)