Roland Knall
Roland Knall is a seasoned software developer and systems architect based in Salzburg, Austria, with over 25 years of experience . He has extensive expertise in network technology, focusing on network analysis and packet capture . As a core developer of the Wireshark network analyzer, Roland has contributed to its open-source development for nearly a decade, including six years on Wireshark’s core team . He is also a member of Wireshark’s Technical Steering Committee , helping shape the project’s direction. He is active in the open-source community and regularly shares his knowledge through conference talks and panel discussions, including Wireshark’s SharkFest user conferences .
Session
Modern industrial networks pose unique challenges for packet analysis. This talk will introduce Wireshark users to the world of Operational Technology (OT) networks – the networks that control physical equipment in factories, power plants, and critical infrastructure – and explain how they differ from traditional Information Technology (IT) networks. We will explore how OT networks prioritize deterministic, time-critical communication in a way that IT networks do not, and why capturing and analyzing packets in OT environments is often more challenging. Attendees will learn about the distinct network architectures and protocols used in OT (from fieldbus and PLC communications to SCADA systems), and how factors like cycle times and real-time scheduling shape traffic patterns. We’ll discuss why OT traffic tends to be highly regular and cyclic (enabling whitelisting of expected flows) in contrast to the bursty, ad-hoc traffic of IT networks . The talk will also highlight security implicat