Deep Packet Inspection

Interesting facts about Deep packet inspection

What is deep packet inspection?

The action that is done by any equipment of IP network is known as deep packet inspection or DPI. It has been realized that deep packet inspection is not only the ending point of a communication system by the usage of non-header content, which normally acts as the actual payload for different purposes.

Deep packet inspection technology works by passing on a packet to an inspection point so that non-compliance protocols, intrusions, viruses, spam or criteria that are defined earlier can decide about what actions can be taken about the packet. Performance by the DPI would also include collecting information relating to statistics. This makes deep packet inspection software unique from that of shallow packet inspection, also known as stateful packet inspection. Shallow packet inspection only checks out the portion of header in a packet.

There are different advanced functions that are performed by deep packet inspection along with the process of filtering. Deep packet inspection also helps in performing such tasks like censorship, internet data mining and eavesdropping. Those who are the advocates of net neutrality are always scared that this technology would be used to diminish the openness of the functioning of the internet. The wide functionality of deep packet inspection is well-liked by service providers, governments and different enterprises so that they can be used in various types of applications.

The formation of deep packet inspection

The functioning system of Intrusion Detection System or IDS along with that of Intrusion Prevention system or IPS is being combined with a traditional firewall which is known as stateful firewall, by the deep packet inspection. It is by the use of this combination that it becomes easy to determine some of the attacks that cannot be otherwise caught by the IPS/IDS and even the statewall firewall by their own way. This combination of the DPI is being used so that attacks from viruses and worms can be prevented at wire speeds.

Deep packet inspection firewall can help in attacking and in providing protection against attacks of Denial of Service (DoS), when intrusions of sophisticated nature takes place or attacks taking place when the buffer overflows and a percentage of worms that is diminutive in number and which would also be able to fit into a single packet.

Network traffic could be identified and classified by deep packet inspection by basing upon a database that is known as signature database. This signature database would include that information that has been obtained from that part of the packet which contains data. Thus this would help in controlling it in a fine way rather than classifying it in a way that would be based on the information provided by the header.

Techniques like obfuscation and encryption can be utilized by the end points so that this could be able to escape actions that are done by the deep packet inspection in a number of cases. There are many devices that works on deep packet inspection which are able of recognize the packet flows rather than a packet-by-packet analysis. Thus this would help out in controlling of the actions that are based on flow of information that are accumulated.