SharkFest'24 EU

Network traffic @ your home
11-07, 16:15–17:15 (Europe/Vienna), Ballroom A+B+C

Wireshark has become an omnipresent tool in the realms of IT, OT, IoT, and cybersecurity.

Recognizing that today's higher education students rely less on textbooks and more on dynamic learning experiences, educators must adapt and develop innovative methods to effectively engage students and help them achieve their aims.

The goal of this presentation is to flatten the learning curve of network packet analysis. By using captures within the learner’s living space, we can teach necessary skills and gain insights without much overhead. In addition, the particular communication behaviour of smart devices (lights, television, vacuum cleaner, Xbox, doorbell, pet cam, … ) is often unknown to many people.

The objective of this interactive session is to provide participants with ideas on harnessing Wireshark's capabilities for their own activities while showcasing its usage in higher education and research endeavours.


This inspirational session will feature two senior lecturers from different European Universities of Applied Sciences, who will share their insights and best practices on leveraging Wireshark in both educational and research contexts.

The primary focus of this presentation is on using Wireshark correctly to become more efficient packet analyser. Drawing from our personal experiences as lecturers and researchers, we will discuss practical examples that underscore the tool's versatility and value.

This session is interactive and includes hands-on tasks with trace files. Trace files will be provided to the participants.

Some info about Ville Haapakangas:
• Senior Lecturer at Tampere University of Applied Sciences (Tampere, Finland)
• Lecturer in Computer Networks and Cybersecurity, several cybersecurity related research projects
• A speaker at Sharkfest22EU and Sharkfest23EU and a participant of SharkFest EU for a few years now

Some info about Tom Cordemans:
• Lecturer at Odisee University of Applied Sciences (Gent, Belgium)
• ICT Technologist at DistriNet Research Unit @KU Leuven (Gent, Belgium)
• A speaker at Sharkfest23EU and a participant of SharkFest EU for many years now.

Ville Haapakangas is a Senior Lecturer at Tampere University of Applied Sciences in Tampere, Finland, with a strong focus on Computer Networks and Cybersecurity. He is especially interested in using Wireshark as a pedagogical and research tool. Ville’s involvement with SharkFest EU extends over several years as both a participant and a speaker.

Tom Cordemans is a senior lecturer at the Odisee University of Applied Sciences and a researcher at the DistriNet Research Unit of KU Leuven in Gent, Belgium with a strong focus on IT, IoT and OT networks. He is a daily user of Wireshark and sharing knowledge and expertise is his trigger to give workshops and presentations.