Packet Capture (PCAP)

PCAP stands for Packet Capture and refers both to the process of capturing network packets and to a widely used file format for storing recorded network communications. PCAP files contain information about captured data packets and enable subsequent analysis of network traffic. Depending on the capture, analysts can examine source and destination addresses, protocols, ports, timestamps and other packet information. Tools such as Wireshark and tcpdump can create, open and analyse PCAP files. In network administration, the format is commonly used for troubleshooting, performance analysis, protocol diagnostics and forensic investigations. As captured packets may contain confidential or personal data, appropriate data protection and security requirements should be considered when storing, sharing and analysing PCAP files.