What does non-RFC compliant traffic usually indicate?

Non-RFC compliant traffic usually indicates potential malicious activity because it often involves the use of packet manipulation, exploitation of vulnerabilities, or behavior that diverges from established standards set by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) in Request for Comments (RFC) documents. These documents specify the protocols that govern how data is sent over the internet, and any deviations from these standards can suggest that the traffic is not being generated by legitimate applications or services.

In many cases, malicious actors may craft non-compliant packets as a way to bypass security measures, carry out cyberattacks such as denial-of-service attacks, or exploit vulnerabilities within network systems. Monitoring for non-RFC compliant traffic can be a critical component of threat detection and incident response strategies, helping organizations identify and mitigate risks effectively.

Therefore, recognizing non-RFC compliant traffic as a potential indicator of malicious activity is essential for maintaining robust network security and ensuring data integrity.