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What Information Can Be Fetched Using Mac Address

Discussion in 'Hardware' started by digi_media, May 13, 2016.

  1. #1
    Hey Guys,
    Please anyone explain to me, what information can be fetched using Mac Address of a computer.
    I mean, I have a computer, whose Mac Address is stored in Boss's Computer. So What Information He Can Fetch from My Computer.
    Thanks !!:)
     
    digi_media, May 13, 2016 IP
  2. mmerlinn

    mmerlinn Prominent Member

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    #2
    Nothing if your computer is secure. Everything if it is not secure.
     
    mmerlinn, May 13, 2016 IP
  3. digi_media

    digi_media Active Member

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    #3
    Can you please elaborate. I mean secure means what, having antivirus, firewall or something else?
     
    digi_media, May 14, 2016 IP
  4. mmerlinn

    mmerlinn Prominent Member

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    #4
    Secure means NO ACCESS to your computer. For example, if he has your password, your computer is not secure.
     
    mmerlinn, May 14, 2016 IP
  5. digi_media

    digi_media Active Member

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    #5
    He has nothing other than Mac Address.
     
    digi_media, May 14, 2016 IP
  6. jrbiz

    jrbiz Acclaimed Member

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    #6
    I am not a hardware expert, but your MAC address is the unique identifier for your machine. It is burned into your Ethernet chip and cannot be changed. So, if your boss has tools that allow him to capture MAC addresses as part of a traffic analysis, he can identify your machine and where you are going on the network and on the Internet.
     
    jrbiz, May 24, 2016 IP
  7. PoPSiCLe

    PoPSiCLe Illustrious Member

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    #7
    First:
    a MAC-address is not unique, nor is it hardcoded. It's easy to change, or spoof.
    Second:
    a MAC-address is completely useless for anything related to getting information - it CAN be used to spoof access to networks, if someone have been stupid enough to set it up with MAC-address as validation
    Third:
    your boss has no need for this information to check your network-traffic - as long as the company has a somewhat proper setup, checking network traffic is simple as pie
     
    PoPSiCLe, Jun 18, 2016 IP
    jrbiz likes this.
  8. jrbiz

    jrbiz Acclaimed Member

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    #8
    We are both right, but @PoPSiCLe is "more right" for all practical purposes. The MAC address is an unique identifier that is burned into a machine's NIC card and cannot be changed. However, it apparently is straightforward to spoof that address within the OS which really defeats the purpose of a MAC address, of course. I did not know that.
     
    jrbiz, Jun 18, 2016 IP
  9. PoPSiCLe

    PoPSiCLe Illustrious Member

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    #9
    "unique" in the way that no two cards/chips from the same manufacturer should have the same MAC. Given that there is no global database for these, and there is a limit on how many MAC addresses you can create within the set limits, MAC collision is a real thing
     
    PoPSiCLe, Jun 19, 2016 IP