PuTTY, Wireshark, and NMAP
This will be a post about the following IT applications: PuTTY, Wireshark, and NMAP.
As I am working my way through "Module 1: Network Support" in the Network Support and Security online class available at the Cisco Networking Academy, I became reacquainted with the IT applications Wireshark and NMAP. Since I recently wrote about it, I also became reacquainted with the IT application PuTTY.
What is PuTTY?
Due to my recent post about my first IT job, I recently downloaded a copy of the PuTTY application onto my Dell laptop. What does PuTTY do and what is it used for? Here is a good description:
PuTTY is a free and open-source terminal emulator, serial console and network file transfer application. It supports several network protocols, including SCP, SSH, Telnet, rlogin, and raw socket connection. It can also connect to a serial port. The name "PuTTY" has no official meaning.
In so many words, with PuTTY running on your computer (laptop or desktop), you can connect to a switch, a router, or a host and make changes to the configuration.
With PuTTY, you can connect to a host, a router, or a switch using a computer protocol called Telnet. It's not recommended that you use Telnet, however. Telnet does not encrypt user names and passwords. As a result, if someone was monitoring your activity with a packet sniffer, such as Wireshark (see below), he or she would be able to determine your logon credentials. Telnet dates from the 1970s and 1980s when computer security had a low priority since users were U.S. government employees.
As a result of this flaw with Telnet, it is highly recommended that you use a computer protocol known as Secure Shell, or SSH. SSH will encrypt your logon user name and password, making it rather difficult for potentially malignant actors to eavesdrop on your data.
Is there a reason for using PuTTY at home? Well, the main draw with an application like PuTTY is that it is an open-source application that is independent of any software or hardware vendor. Unless you have your own collection of servers and routers at home, such as for studying for Cisco's CCNA certification, you might find that PuTTY is of limited use.
That said, there could be instances where you could use PuTTY at home. This might be a subject worth pursuing at some point.
I am slowly making my way through the Network Support and Security online course from the Cisco Networking Academy. In Section 1.5 "Troubleshoot a Network", there are a couple of hands-on labs that utilize both Wireshark and NMAP.
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| Screenshot of PuTTY interface. |
What is Wireshark?
What is NMAP?
I just downloaded and installed NMAP onto my computer. I cannot wait to try it out.
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| Screenshot of NMAP using the command prompt option. |
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| Screenshot of NMAP's graphical user interface (GUI) known as Zenmap. |
More to follow.
UPDATE: I'm going to have to re-write this post.
