Ping Sweeps and Port Scans Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ping Sweeps and Port Scans - Assignment Example Computer activities fall into broad categories of the ones which enhance proper functioning of other programs running on a computer whereas others which render expected functioning difficult. We must safeguard our computers against the malicious activities. Information about a computer such as the details about its operating system, details about programs running on it, information about various protocols, details about usage of ports and responses to different functions are amongst those targeted by hackers and jammers in a network. Ping sweep is a very fundamental scanning activity used to primarily determine the range of IP addresses which map to live hosts (TechTarget, 2002). Usually we ping a computer to know the active presence of the desired host. However, ping sweeps do it for a multitude of computers. Ping sweep is also known as ICMP (Internet Control Message Protocol) sweep (TechTarget, 2002). Ping sweeps can be performed voluntarily by an organization to determine active hosts. Upon determination we use this data to perform data transactions/sharing between desired active hosts. It can also be performed by an outsider with an intention to drag information out of a computer database for wrong purposes. The process of knowing active hosts in ping sweep is similar to an act where a pickpocket identifies his prey in a crowded bus (Murali, 2004). Every sweep is an attempt with hope. We can take stringent security measures to avoid responding to external pings. Once the computer responds to ping sweep, there begins the next process of port scanning. Port scan is the process of sending messages to a port for determining the type of network services offered by the host (Ireland, S, 2009). Upon receiving messages the ports respond with their status of being in use or being dormant. Depending upon this status information, the tuned port can now be used for hacking useful and often confidential information. The ports represent potential communication