Information, Computer and Network Security Terms Glossary and Dictionary

Port Mirroring

Port mirroring, also known as port spanning or port monitoring function, is a function in many managed switches that is used on a network switch to send a copy of all network packets seen on one switch port to a monitoring network connection on another switch port. This is commonly used for network appliances that require monitoring of network traffic, such as an intrusion-detection system. A network administrator uses port mirroring as a diagnostic tool or debugging feature, especially when fending off an attack.

Related Terms

Port Mirroring