Network Sniffing is best described as:

• A. A protocol for synchronizing clocks.
• B. A technique that passively monitors or collects network communications and decodes protocols.
• C. A device used to route traffic between networks.
• D. A diagram of network components.

Answer: (B)

Network sniffing is the process of observing and analyzing the data moving across a network. It usually happens passively, with the sniffer listening to the traffic without injecting or altering packets. By capturing packets and decoding the protocol layers (Ethernet, IP, TCP, HTTP, etc.), it reveals who is communicating, what services are in use, and the content being transmitted. This matches the description of a technique that passively monitors or collects network communications and decodes protocols. It isn’t about clock synchronization, routing devices, or network diagrams.