Figure 2 shows the No., Protocol, and Length columns unchecked and hidden.įigure 2: Before and after shots of the column header menu when hiding columns.īecause I never use the No., Protocol, or Length columns, I completely remove them. Then left-click any of the listed columns to uncheck them. Right-click on any of the column headers to bring up the column header menu.

We can easily hide columns in case we need them later. How can we reach this state? First, we hide or remove the columns we do not want. In my day-to-day work, I require the following columns in my Wireshark display:

Protocol - Protocol used in the Ethernet frame, IP packet, or TCP segment (ARP, DNS, TCP, HTTP, etc.).

Destination - Destination address, commonly an IPv4, IPv6, or Ethernet address.

Source - Source address, commonly an IPv4, IPv6, or Ethernet address.

Time - Seconds broken down to the nanosecond from the first frame of the pcap.

Frame number from the beginning of the pcap. However, Wireshark can be customized to provide a better view of the activity.įigure 1: Viewing a pcap using Wireshark's default column display. Wireshark's default column is not ideal when investigating such malware-based infection traffic. Malware distribution frequently occurs through web traffic, and we also see this channel used for data exfiltration and command and control activity. Web Traffic and the Default Wireshark Column Display

Web traffic and the default Wireshark column display.

This tutorial uses version 2.6 of Wireshark and covers the following areas: Keep in mind you must understand network traffic fundamentals to effectively use Wireshark. This blog provides customization options helpful for security professionals investigating malicious network traffic.Ī pcap for this tutorial is available here. The default column display in Wireshark provides a wealth of information, but you should customize Wireshark to better meet your specific needs.

What makes Wireshark so useful? It is very customizable. As a Threat Intelligence Analyst for Palo Alto Networks Unit 42, I often use Wireshark to review traffic generated from malware samples. This tool is used by IT professionals to investigate a wide range of network issues. Wireshark is a free protocol analyzer that can record and display packet captures (pcaps) of network traffic.

Wireshark usage