Re: Yahoogroups and Carnivore

["Steven M. Bellovin" <smb () research att com>]

In message <5.1.0.14.2.20010917155726.049e6708@127.0.0.1>, "Patrick W. Gilmore"
 writes:
> At 03:42 PM 9/17/2001 -0400, Cristopher Daniluk wrote:
> > That's just a silly statement, it's a text processor/parser. It's another
> > layer. Of course its going to have an effect. On the average person, I would
> > venture to guess its overwhelmingly negligible, but it could very well
> > bottleneck someone like Yahoo.
>
> My understanding is that it is no inline, it uses a "monitor port" on a 
> switch which duplicates all traffic.
>
> If that is the case, then it is not a silly statement, it is factually correct
> .
>
> Can anyone confirm or deny the above?

Your understanding correct.  They use a splitter, and put the 
monitoring machine on one of the legs.  (The independent review of 
Carnivore is at http://www.usdoj.gov:80/jmd/publications/carniv_entry.htm;
comments on that review are at 
http://www.crypto.com/papers/carnivore_report_comments.html)

                --Steve Bellovin, http://www.research.att.com/~smb
                                  http://www.wilyhacker.com