Deep packet inspection

Deep Packet Inspection ( DPI ; also complete packet inspection or information extraction , IX ) is a method in the network technology , data packets to monitor and filter. At the same time, the data part and the header part of the data packet are examined for certain characteristics such as protocol violations , computer viruses , spam and other undesired content. The difference to classic packet filters is that they only check the header part of the packet, but not the data part. Deep packet inspection also enables data flows to be regulated .

Currently, DPI is mostly used in enterprise applications by providers, often on behalf of governments, in a wide variety of application areas. It enables a considerable safeguarding of the flow of information , but is also used for data retention , for listening to and collecting information and for censorship on the Internet . Critics also fear that the DPI technology could be used in the future to limit the net neutrality of the Internet. In Turkey, DPI is used by providers to redirect the official download pages when downloading well-known software such as VLC, WinRar, Skype, 7-Zip or Opera and to serve software infected with spyware.

One technique against DPI is to use HTTPS strictly instead of HTTP.

See also

• Firewall
• Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI)

Web links

• Legality of the "Deep Packet Inspection" (PDF; 1.5 MB), article by Mark Bedner within the framework of a working group at the University of Kassel: Overview of the use of DPI and the legal situation in Germany. November 26, 2009.
• Deep Packet Inspection and Internet Censorship: International Convergence on an 'Integrated Technology of Control' (English), study by Ben Wagner, published by the organization Global Voices Online : Overview of DPI with a focus on its use as a censorship instrument. June 25, 2009.
• ORF Futurezone: Deep Packet Inspection: Your nose deep in the network . July 7, 2009.
• Deep Packet Inspection - Technology, Applications & Net Neutrality (English) White Paper from the IT company Ipoque: Overview of DPI with a focus on use in network management. September 2, 2009.
• Constanze Kurz: War Technique : The Blinking of the Eagle , article on Eagle Glint , a DPI system for monitoring communication, FAZ.net, September 30, 2011.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Securityfocus.com http://www.securityfocus.com/infocus/1817
2. ↑ ^{a b} Martin Holland: Opera, VLC, WinRAR, 7-Zip, Skype: Turkish provider replaces downloads with spyware. In: heise.de. March 9, 2018, accessed March 9, 2018 .