Getting packet sniffed at my dorm?

[orijinal]

My computer is part of a dormitory, and we get our internet from a local ISP. I have a paranoid feeling that my suitemate has been packet sniffing me or reading my aim conversations through the network.

Is this possible? Is there any way around this?

 

[ElectricSheep]

My computer is part of a dormitory, and we get our internet from a local ISP. I have a paranoid feeling that my suitemate has been packet sniffing me or reading my aim conversations through the network.

Is this possible? Is there any way around this?

Its possible he's running a sniffer. If you're really paranoid about it, start using encrypted network services, or get yourself set up with external proxy host that you can VPN or SSL Tunnel to. That will make any packets that are sniffed out of your host on the local network indecipherable.

 

[zblaxberg]

english please

Its possible he's running a sniffer. If you're really paranoid about it, start using encrypted network services, or get yourself set up with external proxy host that you can VPN or SSL Tunnel to. That will make any packets that are sniffed out of your host on the local network indecipherable.

sry...but for someone who has no clue what that means can you please explain how that would be done? I'm going to college next year and want to make sure that won't happen to me. Is this possible on a macbook pro?

 

[Chaszmyr]

Is your suitemate a big computer geek? If not, he doesn't know how to do it (and likely doesnt know it can be done) and you don't need to worry about it.

 

[bwanac]

You could always just ask.