* Dr. Internet columnist Steve Blass offers some advice on protecting against sniffers on your LAN We use protocol analyzers for network troubleshooting, but these are equally deadly to a network if a hacker uses them. Because TCP/IP sends authentication across the network in the clear, anyone listening with a protocol analyzer can eventually learn traffic patterns, and logons and passwords going across the LAN. Aside from physically guarding all conductors in the LAN (not practical), is there any other defense against this kind of exposure?Physical security and configuration management are the biggest hammers in the toolbox.One thing to do is configure switches to allow only known media access control addresses to connect, and to shut any down if the MAC changes.Locking the workstations so tight that users cannot put the network interface card in promiscuous mode can help. Tools such as AntiSniff and ProDetect search out sniffers on the LAN.Migrating away from applications such as Telnet and FTP, which send clear text passwords, is recommended. Another approach is to implement VPN client software inside the LAN, so that little clear text traffic crosses the wire. This can help protect sensitive applications. Related content news Dell provides $150M to develop an AI compute cluster for Imbue Helping the startup build an independent system to create foundation models may help solidify Dell’s spot alongside cloud computing giants in the race to power AI. By Elizabeth Montalbano Nov 29, 2023 4 mins Generative AI news DRAM prices slide as the semiconductor industry starts to decline TSMC is reported to be cutting production runs on its mature process nodes as a glut of older chips in the market is putting downward pricing pressure on DDR4. By Sam Reynolds Nov 29, 2023 3 mins Flash Storage Flash Storage Technology Industry news analysis Cisco, AWS strengthen ties between cloud-management products Combining insights from Cisco ThousandEyes and AWS into a single view can dramatically reduce problem identification and resolution time, the vendors say. By Michael Cooney Nov 28, 2023 4 mins Network Management Software Cloud Computing opinion Is anything useful happening in network management? Enterprises see the potential for AI to benefit network management, but progress so far is limited by AI’s ability to work with company-specific network data and the range of devices that AI can see. By Tom Nolle Nov 28, 2023 7 mins Generative AI Network Management Software Podcasts Videos Resources Events NEWSLETTERS Newsletter Promo Module Test Description for newsletter promo module. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe