Wireshark Display Filters: Essential Filters Every Cybersecurity Analyst Should Master

Oliver Bennet
4 min read1 day ago
Photo by KeepCoding on Unsplash

Wireshark, a powerful network protocol analyzer, is a cornerstone tool for cybersecurity analysts. Its ability to capture and dissect network traffic provides invaluable insights into network behavior, potential threats, and security vulnerabilities. However, the sheer volume of network traffic can be overwhelming. This is where Wireshark’s display filters come into play. By applying specific filters, analysts can narrow down the captured packets to focus on relevant information, significantly improving efficiency and accuracy in their investigations.

In this article, we will explore some of the most essential Wireshark display filters that every cybersecurity analyst should master.

Basic Filtering Techniques

Before diving into advanced filtering techniques, let’s start with some fundamental concepts:

Protocol Filtering:

  • tcp: Filters for TCP packets
  • udp: Filters for UDP packets
  • icmp: Filters for ICMP packets
  • http: Filters for HTTP packets
  • dns: Filters for DNS packets
  • ftp: Filters for FTP packets
  • smtp: Filters for SMTP packets

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Oliver Bennet
Oliver Bennet

Written by Oliver Bennet

20 Years of Open-Source Experience. Currently I Write about DevOps, Programming and Linux Technologies.