The edge of the network is now far out of sight for most IT teams. The typical enterprise has not only their own private, on-site applications and infrastructure, but also public cloud, Software as a Service (SaaS) and devices all trading data in and out of the network. Network monitoring, if not approached with a vigilant strategy, is all but out of control.
Network monitoring is further complicated by the wide spread of access, and the introduction of third-party devices that often are not supported with the same level of interest in protecting the network that the enterprise may employ. What results is a broad attack surface that must be monitored and protected.
Organizations often talk about prioritizing visibility and have every intention of gaining control over their network monitoring, but may fail to define exactly what that means. In the end, they are often stuck with whatever visibility is offered to them from a SaaS provider or other third-party supplier. In addition, enterprises are utilizing automation techniques that, while making configuration easier and more streamlined, further limit the visibility into network activity.
A flood of data: The forecasts indicate that the torrent of data is just getting started. By 2020, it’s expected that there will be 20 million connected devices, representing a nearly constant flow of data between those devices and network centers. What that means for network monitoring is a massive number of endpoints and access opportunities for hackers. It’s also expected that by 2020, there will be 25 gigabytes of data per capita per month.
The result for IT teams is the need for a variety of security monitoring and data compliance resources, and the resources to train team members on monitoring a range of threats inside and outside the perimeter of the enterprise.
Monitoring data leakage: A major challenge with this new flood of data is detecting when data is going somewhere it shouldn’t. It happens when data is being moved to a part of the network that appears legitimate, but then is redirected to another location and then out to a cybercriminal. IT teams need a real-time data monitoring system that allows them to track the flow of data by application type across the entire network.
Securing the network remains a challenge for enterprises, but the first step is identifying where there is limited visibility and taking the opportunity to make adjustments.
To learn more about how you can help your customers evaluating their networking monitoring and deliver them the solutions to keep their networks safe, get in touch with us at eXemplify.