Network traffic analysis: ways to use the data
Talk about the possible use of network traffic research has been going on for years, but still there are those who don’t know what it is and why it is necessary. If you still belong to the category of such people, read the key points.
A preliminary study of the features will allow you to take advantage of all the benefits of this security method. Network administration without initial knowledge will not bring the desired result and, perhaps, will probably be frustrating. However, you still should not be afraid of the upcoming changes, because this is the only way to control the process.
Key differences between network traffic analysis and other options
The company’s infrastructure needs reliable protection, so the refusal to use the analysis is unacceptable. For this purpose, you can use various tools, both paid and free. The differences between these options are in functionality, so the final decision should be made taking into account the individual peculiarities of the company.
Connecting NTA systems allows you to improve security and quickly detect the presence of “intruders”. This is not the only feature of traffic analysis. There are several other differences worth mentioning:
- Traffic analysis. For the system to work properly, it is necessary to analyze traffic at the perimeter and in the company’s infrastructure. This helps to ensure the reliability of the system, as fraudsters try to find a security breach. Most often, these are systems that are controlled at the perimeter.
- Attack detection. Fraudulent attacks should not go unnoticed, because they harm the entire system. The problem lies in how the dangers are detected. The combination of several techniques (detection, compromise, and much more) allows you to quickly find the source of network problems.
- Proactive search. Investigation of dangers in threat hunting often does not bring results. To get rid of this, you need to pay attention to network interactions. Since the analysis will reveal breaches, administrators use it.
It is difficult to overestimate the usefulness of applying the system in practice. Attackers are also evolving, so you need to make sure you have up-to-date protection for your network connections.
Analysis data use cases
The idea that analysis systems can only be used to search for threats is no longer valid. Today, administrators are creating new use scenarios for using the data. To obtain results, analysis is used to deploy information that is stored on the company’s servers.
A striking example of use is to determine the chronology of an attack and obtain information about other similar hacking attempts. To localize the problem, you need a few simple steps:
- detection of unidentified devices connection;
- familiarization with the history to search for other sources of threats;
- elimination of the source of danger.
If other login attempts are found during the analysis of “raw” traffic, this indicates that the attacks were targeted. In this case, it is possible to localize the threat and close the detected breach in the system being used. By connecting the system, the level of security is increased.
Traffic analysis and threat hunting
The history of incoming and outgoing connections is stored in the system and allows specialists to make hypotheses. Detection of suspicious activity in the system may be due to inaccurate use of the network by employees or an attack on the company’s infrastructure.
To make sure your connection is secure, you need to review the network activity data. To do this, you should check the history and analyze the detected devices. Since the network must be explored to carry out an attack, it becomes much easier to detect a threat.
The study of traffic is used to confirm or refute the hypothesis. Abnormal requests, which are atypical for the network, indicate the presence of extraneous connections. This is enough to stop the actions and restore protection.
Control of regulations
It is common for corporate systems to gain access from various devices, hide activity, and transmit passwords without proper protection. In all these cases, traffic analysis becomes a necessary tool for detecting attacks on the local network.
As the number of mistakes made during the use of the network depends on the number of users, the control of regulations becomes time-consuming and complicated. The more employees use a single system, the higher the likelihood of problems.
The same traffic analysis helps keep www.imonetizeit.com/smartlink/ secure and accessible. The administrator receives detailed information about the network. Based on this, he draws conclusions about the presence of threats. This is possible thanks to recognizing 50 network connection protocols.
If necessary, you can make sure that you have easy access to connection information. Widgets contain information about all interactions within the network, so you don’t have to view each of them separately. Just click on the widget and get acquainted with the collected data.
Conclusion
The belief that the use of network traffic analysis is limited is a myth. Much depends on the specialist who conducts network research, and which of the proposed tools he uses. Thus, it is possible to perform several tasks at once:
- control incoming and outgoing traffic in the network;
- identify and localize suspicious activities;
- store and access connection history.
For successful use, it is suggested to perform regular inspection of network connections and closely monitor the history.
