A method of remotely identifying operating system of a remote network element, wherein the remote network element has a plurality of ports and an Internet connection, the method comprising: scanning the ports of the remote network element for determining which ports are open of the plurality of ports; sending, by a processor, a sequence of packets to the remote network element over the internet, and wherein packets in the sequence of packets are different from one another; receiving reply-packets from the remote network element, wherein the reply-packets are the reply of the remote network element to the packets, and analyzing a signature of the reply-packets; and identifying the operating system of the remote network element by comparing the signature with documented signatures of existing operating systems, wherein the sequence of packets and the reply packets are selected from a group consisting of: internet control message protocol (ICMP); transmission control protocol; and user datagram protocol, characterized in that said sequence of packets consists of ten packets: a first packet that is a standard ICMP ping packet; a second packet that is a nonstandard ICMP ping packet comprising a nonzero code; a don't fragment flag; and a random type of service value; a third packet that is an ICMP standard time-stamp packet; a fourth packet that is an ICMP standard information-request packet; a fifth packet that is an ICMP address-mask request packet; a sixth packet that is a TCP packet comprising at least one option, and a synchronization flag, wherein the sixth packet is addressed to an open port of the remote network element; a seventh packet that is a TCP packet comprising at least one option, and acknowledge plus push flags, wherein the seventh packet is addressed to an open port of the remote network element; and an eighth packet that is a TCP packet comprising at least one option and a finished flag, wherein the eighth packet is addressed to an open port of the remote network element; a ninth packet that is a TCP packet comprising at least one option and a FIN plus ACK flags, wherein the ninth packet is addressed to a closed port of the remote network element; and a tenth packet that is an UDP packet addressing port zero. scanning the ports of the remote network element for determining which ports are open of the plurality of ports; sending, by a processor, a sequence of packets to the remote network element over the internet, and wherein packets in the sequence of packets are different from one another; receiving reply-packets from the remote network element, wherein the reply-packets are the reply of the remote network element to the packets, and analyzing a signature of the reply-packets; and identifying the operating system of the remote network element by comparing the signature with documented signatures of existing operating systems, wherein the sequence of packets and the reply packets are selected from a group consisting of: internet control message protocol (ICMP); transmission control protocol; and user datagram protocol, characterized in that said sequence of packets consists of ten packets: a first packet that is a standard ICMP ping packet; a second packet that is a nonstandard ICMP ping packet comprising a nonzero code; a don't fragment flag; and a random type of service value; a third packet that is an ICMP standard time-stamp packet; a fourth packet that is an ICMP standard information-request packet; a fifth packet that is an ICMP address-mask request packet; a sixth packet that is a TCP packet comprising at least one option, and a synchronization flag, wherein the sixth packet is addressed to an open port of the remote network element; a seventh packet that is a TCP packet comprising at least one option, and acknowledge plus push flags, wherein the seventh packet is addressed to an open port of the remote network element; and an eighth packet that is a TCP packet comprising at least one option and a finished flag, wherein the eighth packet is addressed to an open port of the remote network element; a ninth packet that is a TCP packet comprising at least one option and a FIN plus ACK flags, wherein the ninth packet is addressed to a closed port of the remote network element; and a tenth packet that is an UDP packet addressing port zero. a first packet that is a standard ICMP ping packet; a second packet that is a nonstandard ICMP ping packet comprising a nonzero code; a don't fragment flag; and a random type of service value; a third packet that is an ICMP standard time-stamp packet; a fourth packet that is an ICMP standard information-request packet; a fifth packet that is an ICMP address-mask request packet; a sixth packet that is a TCP packet comprising at least one option, and a synchronization flag, wherein the sixth packet is addressed to an open port of the remote network element; a seventh packet that is a TCP packet comprising at least one option, and acknowledge plus push flags, wherein the seventh packet is addressed to an open port of the remote network element; and an eighth packet that is a TCP packet comprising at least one option and a finished flag, wherein the eighth packet is addressed to an open port of the remote network element; a ninth packet that is a TCP packet comprising at least one option and a FIN plus ACK flags, wherein the ninth packet is addressed to a closed port of the remote network element; and a tenth packet that is an UDP packet addressing port zero.