Specifically, I regularly use it to troubleshoot firewall rules. The second major use of Wireshark is to troubleshoot security devices. The tool can then craft upstream firewall rules that block the unwanted traffic. For example, if a denial of service occurs, Wireshark can be used to identify the specific type of attack.

First, peering into the details of packets can prove invaluable when dissecting a network attack and designing countermeasures. However, as a security professional, there are two important reasons to sniff network traffic. Anyone who uses a tool like Wireshark without first obtaining the necessary permissions may quickly find themselves in hot water legally. Before anyone uses Wireshark, an organization should ensure that it has a clearly defined privacy policy that spells out the rights of individuals using its network, grants permission to sniff traffic for security and troubleshooting issues, and states the organization's policy requirements for obtaining, analyzing and retaining network traffic dumps. The phrase 'sniff the network' may conjure Orwellian visions of a Big Brother network administrator reading people's private email messages.

Wireshark capture all network traffic