Network Security Monitoring

Network security monitoring (NSM) software is designed to detect and analyze activities that may indicate security issues, offering warnings that allow you to act quickly and protect your business from network intrusions. By collecting metrics on client-server communications, encrypted traffic sessions, and other network operations, the NSM tools can help you identify potential cybersecurity threats.

Network security monitoring software also enables traffic analysis to detect patterns and create automatic alerts and reports, facilitating faster incident response to suspicious behavior. Additionally, visualizations leveraging threat intelligence generate easy-to-understand charts and graphs, aiding admins in investigating traffic, identifying malicious activities, and troubleshooting security threats.

Network monitoring focuses on tracking the overall performance, availability, and health of a network, including metrics like bandwidth usage, latency, and uptime. Its primary goal is to ensure that network devices and connections are operating efficiently and that potential performance issues are identified and resolved.

Network security monitoring, on the other hand, specifically targets the detection and analysis of security threats within the network. It monitors activities for signs of malicious behavior, unauthorized access, and other security-related incidents. Overall, while network monitoring helps ensure smooth network operations, network security monitoring focuses on protecting the network from cyber threats and vulnerabilities.

Network cybersecurity monitoring safeguards your enterprise data—ranging from business stats to personal user information—from malicious actors. Data loss and corruption can harm network performance, end-user satisfaction, and your business reputation. Additionally, monitoring your network’s cybersecurity helps ensure other aspects, like availability, status, behavior, and component configuration, are performing well, which is crucial for improving your security posture.

It also enables you to establish processes for rapid response to security issues, gathering information on data in transit and at rest to increase your chances of detecting threats. These cybersecurity monitoring tools help anticipate user actions, both authorized and unauthorized, reducing the time needed to discover and address security breaches. Rapid detection is crucial, as cyberattacks can happen in seconds.

When choosing network security monitoring tools, consider the following key features:

• Real-time threat detection and alerts: Ensure the tool provides instant alerts for suspicious activities, enabling you to respond quickly to potential threats.
• Comprehensive log management: Look for tools that centralize and normalize log data from various sources, providing a clear, unified view of network activity.
• Automated response capabilities: Choose a tool that offers customizable rules for automated actions based on predefined guidelines, helping to streamline threat response.
• User access monitoring: Ensure the tool can monitor and manage user access rights, identifying unauthorized access and internal misuse.
• Integration with existing systems: The tool should integrate seamlessly with other security solutions for a comprehensive security posture.

Consider these best practices for network security monitoring:

• Manage user permissions: Restrict access to only those users who need it and assign necessary privileges to prevent malicious actions, such as file deletion or data theft. Regularly update permissions, especially when roles change, to avoid unauthorized access.
• Ensure perimeter safety: Your network perimeter separates your LAN from the public internet. Regularly check and update firewall rules to protect your perimeter, and maintain an inventory of network devices, including personal devices, to spot potential threats.
• Perform training and standardize protocols: Train end-users on recognizing suspicious activities and proper reporting procedures. Ensure they understand how to use network elements, maintain passwords, and follow protocols. Clearly define chains of command for responding to security alerts.
• Monitor your network consistently: Regularly patch, implement endpoint protection, and collect logs to ensure accurate security data. Consistent IT security monitoring helps spot trends and improve intrusion detection.

SolarWinds^® Security Event Manager (SEM) offers automated network monitoring that flags events in real-time through log correlation, helping you uncover actionable intelligence on cybersecurity, compliance, and daily operations. With visualization features like trees, graphs, and charts, SEM highlights critical security data, providing the context needed to make informed decisions quickly.

SEM scans your network using community-sourced threat intelligence to detect:

• Internal communications with malicious hosts
• Incoming network intrusions
• Spam, denial of service attacks, and phishing attempts
• System errors and antivirus failures
• Intrusion detection triggers

SEM also allows you to respond rapidly by enabling/disabling accounts, detaching ransomware USB drives, and shutting down machines. It centralizes security data, providing a comprehensive view of suspicious behavior to help you address threats without delay.

Other SolarWinds tools to help monitor networks:

• Network Configuration Manager
• Network Performance Monitor
• SolarWinds Observability Self-Hosted & Security Observability

Related features:

• Network Security Tool
• Network Firewall Security Management
• Centralized Log Management
• Security Orchestration and Automation
• Security Information Management