The 'Protocol or Port Mismatch' analytic is designed to detect network traffic anomalies where the upper-layer protocol does not align with expected port assignments. For instance, this rule specifically identifies non-HTTP traffic on typically designated ports such as TCP port 80, signaling potential network security risks. By leveraging data from advanced network traffic inspection tools, such as Bro or Palo Alto Networks firewalls, the rule seeks to uncover behavior that may indicate efforts to bypass standard firewall restrictions or obfuscate malicious communication patterns. The detection focuses on specific scenarios—including DNS traffic misdirected from its designated port, web-browsing traffic flowing through ports not typically associated with HTTP, or SSL traffic improperly using non-standard ports. Should this behavior be confirmed as malicious, it could underscore a significant threat, enabling attackers to evade detection, maintain network persistence, or exfiltrate sensitive data over commonly permitted ports.