Decryption is the exact reverse of the process of encryption. To understand secure protocols, let me try to explain the basics of encryption and decryption in simple terms.Įncryption is a technique used to make readable (clear text) data unreadable (cipher text), typically using complex mathematical algorithms. Secure protocols encrypt traffic travelling between two end points thus all the traffic available on the network is unreadable unless and until decrypted. To keep a network traffic sniffer from revealing login credentials, secure protocols such as https, ssh, sftp, etc, are used instead of their respective clear text protocols like http, telnet and ftp. Wireshark, an interesting open source network sniffer, can not only read network traffic, but can further decrypt https traffic provided you have the private key! Lets learn more about decrypting https traffic using this tool.

In this article, the author demystifies the business of encrypting and decrypting network traffic, and translates arcane terms such as https, ssh, sftp, etc.

Decrypt https traffic wireshark