Re: capture/sniff/reconstruct graphic files

In article <1148674550.140003.169680@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
a_monk <dfox138@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
How easy or difficult for one to capture/sniff/reconstruct graphic
files, e.g., tiff, jpeg, traversing an ethernet network?

It isn't trivial, but with the right tools it isn't particularily hard
either.

Let say, a medical record is scanned and being e-mail it to a patient,
if someone in the clinic sets up to capture/sniff data transversing the
ethernet network, could this person to view the medical record of the
patient?

Most networks these days are "fully switched", and in order to
capture the data, one would need to have access to the infrastructure
on the direct route between sender and receiver. If someone does
manage to get control of a router or switch on the direct path,
then Yes, the data being sent could be decoded.

Any email system that is used to transfer medical information
should be using encryption, even if the email system is only
"in-house". I have been told (but have not verified) that MS Exchange
encrypts the data transmission and that it stores the files in
encrypted format on the server.

Sensitive medical records should not be emailed to patients, unless
perhaps they are protected by encryption. There are just too many
places along the route where the data could be captured.

If I understand correctly, in all of the USA, and in several provinces
in Canada, it would be illegal to email sensitive patient information
through non-protected means. (But I don't beleive the restrictions
apply to fax.)
.