Analyzing network flow records
Go with the Flow
© Lead Image © Artur Szydlowski, 123RF.com
Detect operating systems, installed software, and more from easily collected metadata.
What operating systems are installed on your network, and what software is running on them? Questions like these are often posed in IT departments – especially if users are operating their own shadow IT [1] or when documentation, automation, and software distribution need some care and attention. However, you have good reasons to ask these questions: Attackers are also interested in your systems.
Many methods of discovering the current status quo have been developed in recent years; they rely on either actively measuring [2] (e.g., with Nmap) or passively sniffing network traffic [3]. The passive method analyzes all or parts of your network traffic, from which you can draw conclusions. For example, a device that regularly visits the IP address for the domain name update.microsoft.com would lead to the conclusion that the operating system comes from Microsoft.
In this article, we present a new approach based on network traffic analysis that exclusively considers the widespread and often easily available network communication metadata in the form of flow records. Metadata analysis of network connections can offer many benefits: It requires far less memory and computational power than the analysis of complete packets, it is compliant with data protection, and it does not need port mirroring on the router; moreover, it is comparatively fast.
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
US / Canada
UK / Australia
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
System76 Releases COSMIC Alpha 7
With scores of bug fixes and a really cool workspaces feature, COSMIC is looking to soon migrate from alpha to beta.
-
OpenMandriva Lx 6.0 Available for Installation
The latest release of OpenMandriva has arrived with a new kernel, an updated Plasma desktop, and a server edition.
-
TrueNAS 25.04 Arrives with Thousands of Changes
One of the most popular Linux-based NAS solutions has rolled out the latest edition, based on Ubuntu 25.04.
-
Fedora 42 Available with Two New Spins
The latest release from the Fedora Project includes the usual updates, a new kernel, an official KDE Plasma spin, and a new System76 spin.
-
So Long, ArcoLinux
The ArcoLinux distribution is the latest Linux distribution to shut down.
-
What Open Source Pros Look for in a Job Role
Learn what professionals in technical and non-technical roles say is most important when seeking a new position.
-
Asahi Linux Runs into Issues with M4 Support
Due to Apple Silicon changes, the Asahi Linux project is at odds with adding support for the M4 chips.
-
Plasma 6.3.4 Now Available
Although not a major release, Plasma 6.3.4 does fix some bugs and offer a subtle change for the Plasma sidebar.
-
Linux Kernel 6.15 First Release Candidate Now Available
Linux Torvalds has announced that the release candidate for the final release of the Linux 6.15 series is now available.
-
Akamai Will Host kernel.org
The organization dedicated to cloud-based solutions has agreed to host kernel.org to deliver long-term stability for the development team.