Network security monitoring (NSM) involves collecting and analyzing data, which in turn give companies the opportunity to detect and respond to intruders in their network.
In this way, companies can take action before intruders manage to accomplish their missions, and prevent further damage to the company.
Network security monitoring is however not a way to prevent intrusions themselves. NSM is based on the idea that prevention eventually fails, and when it does, you need to be able to detect it and respond accordingly.
Network visibility is one of the areas that NSM focuses on. This provides a detailed understanding of what is going on. Manual analysis of the network traffic plays a vital part, and people with experience and knowledge is therefore crucial for its effectiveness.
Unlike firewalls, antivirus or intrusion prevention systems, NSM does not block, filter or deny any traffic. The role of network security monitoring is to complement these tools and systems, by providing visibility in the network. With visibility, intruders who bypass the prevention measures can be detected, and your company will be ready to initiate a response.
Why is network security monitoring so important?
Determined intruders will always be able to find at least one way into a network. Since products and technologies are just tools for preventing intrusions, network security monitoring is necessary for detection and response.
By using NSM, you can also prevent your organization from being used as a stepping stone for attacks on customers, suppliers, and other organizations.
Cybercrime has become a profitable career path, which attracts a large amount of people all over the world. The risk of intrusion will only continue to rise in the years to come. Is your company ready to detect and respond to network intrusions?