Book Review by Andrew Johnson, CISSP, CISA, GPEN, et al

Wireshark Network Analysis: The Official Wireshark Certified Network Analyst Study Guide was written by Laura Chappell, a name that should be familiar to even the most casual Wireshark user. She is without a doubt the most well-known Wireshark trainer and has many years of experience producing and delivering Wireshark training. All of that knowledge and experience has culminated in this definitive resource.

The most important thing to do when considering purchasing a book like Wireshark Network Analysis is to understand what it is, what it isn’t, and adjust your expectations accordingly. Given the vast breadth of material this book covers in its 700+ pages, it is impossible to be an authoritative resource on everything it touches upon. It is first and foremost a book written specifically for the Wireshark certification, and it covers the Wireshark application inside-and-out. This book also does an excellent job of introducing network analysis in general and explains key aspects of many common network protocols. However, it is not a comprehensive guide on all those topics (but isn’t that what the RFCs are for anyway?).

One of the first things you will likely notice when reading this book is that it was written to be fun. If you were one of the lucky few that preordered a copy, you had the option of getting a signed copy. The inscription in mine instructs me to, “Enjoy every bit!!” The inscriptions in coworkers’ copies contained various other network-based puns. There are countless humorous touches that will likely bring a smile to your face throughout the course of this book. For example, the “Acknowledgements” section is aptly entitled, “ACKs.” This book contains a lot of cute humor that is reminiscent of Shon Harris’ All-In-One CISSP book. I personally found it enjoyable and felt that it made an extremely technical book much more readable.