A Video Surveillance System for the Network – The Top Five Benefits of Network Forensics

It is no surprise that most home alarms are purchased after a break-in has occurred. Unfortunately, most businesses apply the same decision-making process to their own networks. The majority of network security spend is placed on preventative measures, such as firewalls and secure web gateways, but the reality is that network breaches continue almost at will despite the billions spent on these devices.

Making matters worse, the average dwell time for an intruder is currently 78 days, meaning attackers are remaining on networks undetected for more than two months. Would you settle for having a burglar roaming undiscovered throughout your house for that time, eating your food and rummaging through your personal belongings? Of course not! For this reason, time is of the essence when it comes to spotting a break-in.

As with any break-in, having evidence is the key to understanding
what happened, how the break-in occurred, what was stolen, and how to
best remedy the situation to avoid future occurrences. This is why
having a network forensics solution in place is so important.

Network forensics, analogous to an indoor home video recording
system, allows the recording of all network traffic – good and bad –
so that when a breach occurs, security teams can respond immediately.
Having this packet traffic recording system in place helps reduce
dwell time, helps reduce risk of loss, and minimizes damages.

While there are many benefits to having a network forensics solution
in an environment, here is what we consider to be the top five:

1. 1. Eliminates network blind spots. Top on the list for a network
      forensics solution is the ability to quickly record all network
      traffic. This means having a solution that can record traffic at
      high speeds without losing data integrity. After all, you cannot
      stop what you cannot see.
   2. Provides instant knowledge. It’s important to have a network
      forensics tool that can provide quick answers. Who broke in? What did they touch? What did they leave behind? What was stolen? What other systems were compromised? All of this and more needs to be answered in minutes, not hours or days. Remember, the faster a team can identify an intruder and what they did, the faster they can respond.
   3. Improves security. A network forensics solution should
      provide clear insights and findings as to how the breach occurred,
      where the attacker went, what systems and/or endpoints were
      compromised, and more. By leveraging this information, a security team can spot previously unseen weaknesses and shore up existing defenses.
   4. Improves response. With so many legal and regulatory issues
      relating to breach notification and loss of personal identifiable
      information (PII), having a network forensics solution in place
      gives further assurances as to what actually happened, what needs to be responded to, and the severity of a breach.
   5. Simplifies recovery. In order to claim losses for
      investigative or insurance purposes, businesses today may need to show actual damages and losses of due to cyber attacks. A solid network forensics solution can pinpoint actual data losses, further easing the need to show damages or loss of intellectual
      property.
   6. BONUS – Peace of mind. Six? Yes, this is outside our
      “Top Five” list, but it’s worth noting that as with a home
      alarm system, part of why network forensics is a must have for
      organizations of any size comes from having the peace of mind
      knowing that the network, data, intellectual property, and other
      assets are covered should a cyber criminal break in.

The reality is, every business network is subject to attack and
breach. Additionally, history shows that placing all efforts on
preventative measures is not enough – it only takes one vulnerability;
one open window to gain access and do damage. Knowing this and our top
five benefits, it is clear that having a network forensics solution is
a must. But as with a home alarm, the best time to purchase a network
forensics solution is BEFORE the break-in occurs.

Original Article