Browser Sniffing Edit Meaning

1.

To detect the name/version of the web browser that has loaded an HTML page. Most often accomplished with Javascript or VBScript.

<script language=Javascript>

if(app.Name == 'Netscape')

{Alert('Using Netscape')}

2.

Checking up on one's web surfing habits.

1. Reading the history of a person's web browser to see where they have been.

2. Pop-up advertising can be activated by active browser sniffing via spyware. The spyware senses that a person has searched for a term or that a term appears on a web page visited by the user and then a pop-up ad appears that is vaguely related to that term.

3. People that surf via unsecured wireless are likely to have their surfing sessions sniffed also.