# zeek/zeek

Zeek is a powerful network analysis framework that is much different from the typical IDS you may know.

Repository: https://github.com/zeek/zeek
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/zeek
Homepage: https://www.zeek.org
Language: C++
License: NOASSERTION
License Family: other
Topics: bro, network-monitoring, pcap, security, nsm, dfir, zeek, ndr
Last push: 2026-08-26T23:18:38+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 99/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 99, release rhythm 98, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 5171, "days_push": 7, "days_rel": 14, "gap_med": 10.5, "n_releases_24m": 37}
- flags: no_license
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 7908, forks 1402 (observed 2026-08-28T04:10:09.627205+00:00)

## What it is
Zeek (formerly Bro) is an open-source network security monitor and analysis framework that passively inspects network traffic and produces high-fidelity transaction logs. It includes a domain-specific scripting language for writing custom monitoring policies and protocol analyzers for deep application-layer inspection.

## Use cases
- monitor network traffic for suspicious activity
- analyze pcap files for security investigations
- generate structured logs of HTTP, DNS, TLS and SSH traffic
- detect anomalies and known attack signatures on a network
- build custom network detection policies with a scripting language
- feed network telemetry into a SIEM
- audit network usage and capacity planning

## When to choose
- you need deep, stateful, application-layer visibility into network traffic
- you want a programmable, extensible network monitoring framework rather than a fixed-rule IDS
- you need high-performance passive monitoring on high-traffic networks
- you want rich structured logs for DFIR or SIEM ingestion

## When to avoid
- you need active inline blocking or prevention rather than passive monitoring
- you want a simple point-and-click IDS with no scripting
- you lack the resources to deploy and maintain a sensor on your network
- you only need host-based security monitoring

## Facets
- artifact type: framework
- maturity: stable
- function: security, monitoring, networking, parser, logging
- domain: security, networking, monitoring, developer-tools
- platform: bsd, cross-platform, cli
- tags: network-security-monitor, ids, nsm, dfir, pcap-analysis, traffic-analysis, scripting-language, intrusion-detection, linux, macos

## Member repositories
- zeek/zeek (main) score 99

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:10:09.627205+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-29T17:33:21.017619+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/zeek/zeek (fetched 2026-08-28T04:10:09.627205+00:00, sha 8f41b3139b96)
  - homepage: https://www.zeek.org (fetched 2026-08-29T08:30:42.157440+00:00, sha c2e93303c078)
  - site_page: https://zeek.org/about (fetched 2026-08-29T08:30:42.169264+00:00, sha 419a99951f7b)
  - site_page: https://zeek.org/about/mission-vision-values (fetched 2026-08-29T08:30:42.171498+00:00, sha 5dba91d4c75e)
  - site_page: https://zeek.org/faq (fetched 2026-08-29T08:30:42.166540+00:00, sha ae52f47ff623)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.