[ Thanks to Da Beave
for this link. ]
“As a security researcher, penetration tester, and all
around network security guy, Kismet has always had a special place
in my heart when it comes to network security testing tools. When
I’m on-site, doing an internal penetration test or network security
audit, it is not uncommon to see Kismet running on my laptop.
Sometimes it is simply out of general curiosity to see “what’s out
there”, it might also be to determine if a “rogue access point” is
operating, or I might be looking for a way to build a “covert
channel” (ie – back door) out of the network. It’s also possible
that I’m just bored, and want to see what is flowing through the
air.“I’ve been a Kismet user for a long time, and it is one of the
many “tools” in my “tool box”. If you’re not familiar with Kismet,
check out http://www.kismetwireless.net.“Kismet is basically a passive wireless network/device discovery
tool. When Kismet is properly configured, you simply fire it up and
it will tell you what wireless devices are in your area
(802.11b/a/g/n/DECT).“You might recall that back in August 2010, Google got into a
little bit of trouble using this utility. Basically, those goofy
looking Google “streetview” cars that take pictures of streets were
doing a little more than that. Using Kismet and GPS data, they were
collecting information about wireless networks, along with packet
payload data, which led them into trouble.”