Perl script as a sniffer with built-in statistics

Baby Shark

Article from Issue 180/2015
Author(s):

If you need to browse through packets rushing by on the local network, Wireshark provides a useful service. But, if you prefer to build your own tools, why not use the command-line version, TShark, and a terminal-friendly Curses UI?

The easily installed and feature-rich analysis tool Wireshark reveals that calling a single news site on the Internet can cause more than 3,000 network packets to zoom back and forth between the browser and various servers, which can leave the respective user's fingerprints on a couple of dozen different websites.

Gullible Browsers

Have you ever wondered why each port of call on the Internet brings up the goodies you recently perused on Amazon, not to mention those pesky Facebook Like buttons? It seems that the original policy introduced by Netscape back in the dark ages of the Internet to ensure privacy despite cookies has been laid to waste by gatecrashers, such as DoubleClick.

You can now always assume that not only do the pages you surf know that you are back, but so do a dozen other curious sites that pay for the privilege. If you don't take drastic steps, the browser will gullibly broadcast your identity, including your surfing habits, all over the world.

[...]

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