Protecting Against Social Engineering Using Wireshark: Effective Strategies With Real-World Examples

Abstract

In the domain of cybersecurity, defending against social engineering attacks remains a critical challenge. This abstract explores effective strategies and real-world examples of using Wireshark—a powerful network protocol analyzer—to mitigate the risks posed by social engineering tactics. Social engineering attacks exploit human psychology rather than technical vulnerabilities, making them difficult to detect through conventional security measures alone. This chapter delves into various strategies for leveraging Wireshark in defense against social engineering. Key aspects include configuring Wireshark for optimal security monitoring, setting up filters and profiles to capture relevant traffic, and decrypting SSL/TLS communications to uncover malicious intent hidden within encrypted data. Detection techniques encompass monitoring DNS and HTTP traffic for signs of phishing attempts, identifying malware communications, and conducting behavioral analysis to spot anomalies in network behavior