Re: FW: POP3 passwords

[Sec1 () webmetoo com]

They probably figure it isn't worth the time to
go through all the spam emails on the account to get to something
usefull enough to warrant the sniff.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: JGrimshaw () ASAP com [mailto:JGrimshaw () ASAP com]
> Sent: Monday, October 20, 2003 12:22 PM
> To: Zachary Mutrux
> Cc: Security-Basics
> Subject: Re: POP3 passwords
>
>
> Since most people are still dial-up, the odds of someone tapping into 
> their phone line with the intent to steal their POP3 passwords are not 
> very good...it's a point-to-point connection.
>
> Same goes for DSL connectivity.  That is generally a point-to-point 
> connection, at least as far as I have seen.
>
> Since you have to be physically on the subnet to sniff it and start packet 
> capturing (in a wired world, at least), that minimizes a threat.
>
> Broadband like a cable modem, on the other hand, is indeed wide open.  Why 
> it's not such a big problem, I don't know.  Perhaps the miscreants are 
> having more fun examining unprotected local shares on windows boxes, and 
> just stealing the Outlook PST files directly.
>
>
>
> "Zachary Mutrux" <zmutrux () compumentor org> 
> 10/17/2003 06:40 PM
>
> To
> "Security-Basics" <security-basics () securityfocus com>
> cc
>
> Subject
> POP3 passwords
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Why has it not been a bigger problem that POP3 passwords are unencrypted
> when sent over the public Internet? Seems like they would be pretty easy 
> for
> a miscreant to steal.
>
> zm
>
> --
> Zac Mutrux
> Technology Consultant
> CompuMentor
> 415-633-9437
>
>
>
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