Network Security Monitoring Tools - Explore the Different Types
Unveiling the inner workings of a network is a core component of network security: it’s also a continuous chore that only gets harder as organizations grow and shift over time. Network monitoring tools allow security teams to access, sort, and analyze the individual actions being taken by devices and users within each network.
What is Network Security Monitoring?
Network security monitoring is a set of practices that gather, analyze, and act on network data. It incorporates as much raw data as possible, including:
- Logs
- Traffic behavior
- Endpoint requests
The quantity of this data now requires the use of cybersecurity tools.
With adequate knowledge and the right tools, all of this information is funneled to the security team in a way that helps identify unauthorized access and malicious actions within a system. By continuously monitoring network activity, you maintain visibility into overall security posture and quickly detect potential vulnerabilities.
Types of Data Used in Network Security Monitoring
Because modern networks span such large numbers of devices and processes, there’s an overwhelming number of potential places to start looking.
The following types of data are essential to effective network security monitoring.
Log Data
In computing, a log is a recorded instance of an event, usually containing metadata and a timestamp.
They’re the foundation for ongoing, granular visibility into a device’s activities across a network. Because logs can be stored in various formats, they’re easily shared and normalized – anything from plain text to specialized log management systems allows for their efficient retrieval and analysis.
Alert Data
Network alert monitoring systems continuously scan IT environments for threats, identifying issues, such as:
- Unusual traffic patterns
- Unauthorized access attempts
- Performance anomalies
By detecting these risks early, alerts enable IT teams to take swift action, preventing minor issues from escalating into major security incidents. This approach helps organizations avoid costly downtime, financial losses, and reputational harm.
But, not all alerts indicate real threats…
False positives, which are alerts triggered by harmless activity, can occur due to misconfigured settings or overly aggressive security measures.
Managing them is key to ensure security teams focus on genuine threats without unnecessary distractions.
Behavioral Data
Network behavior analysis strengthens security by monitoring traffic patterns and identifying anomalies that may indicate threats. Unlike traditional security measures, such as:
- Signature-based detection
- Packet inspection
- Blocking malicious sites
This approach focuses on understanding how a network typically operates.
By collecting data from multiple sources and applying machine learning, network behavior analysis detects deviations from normal activity that could signal potential attacks. Sudden, unexpected changes in traffic patterns may suggest the presence of malicious activity, enabling security teams to respond before threats escalate.
File Data
Files exist in various formats, including documents, audio, video, and database files, and organizations frequently share them with stakeholders and partners as part of their operations.
However, transmitting files outside corporate networks or uploading them to remote servers increases security risks. To mitigate these threats, signature-based detection is commonly used to identify malicious activity. In cybersecurity, a signature refers to a recognizable pattern associated with a known attack, such as:
- A specific byte sequence in a file
- Unauthorized software execution
- Abnormal network access
Antivirus and security tools rely on predefined signature databases to detect and block threats based on these unique identifiers, helping to safeguard files and prevent unauthorized access.
Incorporating all of this data into the network analysis pipeline is key to achieving network security best practices.
Tools to Monitor Network Security
Given all of these possible sources of data, their analysis and use within network security demands a suite of suitable corresponding tools.
防火牆
Firewalls are essential network security tools; sitting between the private internal network and the requests coming from the public internet, they use this leverage to monitor traffic.
By examining packet headers, source and destination IP addresses, port numbers, and communication protocols, firewalls decide whether to allow or block data from being transferred in or out. These decisions are installed by the security team according to protocols, which identify precisely which connections are allowed.
安全資訊與事件管理
Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) tools ingest log data and analyze it for strange and suspicious application, device, and network connections. Integrating with both on-prem networks and cloud services alike, modern SIEMs are able to take advantage of even non-standard sources of log data.
Like firewalls, SIEM systems then allow security teams to define their organization’s normal system behavior via profiles. Any deviations from this are sent to analysts in the form of alerts, for further manual inspection. Modern SIEM solutions incorporate machine learning and automated behavioral profiling to detect anomalies in real time.
These advanced capabilities allow SIEMs to dynamically adjust rules and identify security events that require further investigation, enhancing network security monitoring capabilities.
Intrusion Detection
Network-based Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) play a crucial role in network security by monitoring traffic at key points within a network to detect and block threats.
These systems analyze activity and compare it against a database of known attacks, which security experts configure manually. If a match is found, the malicious activity is prevented from progressing through the network. While firewalls act solely at network boundaries, IDS and Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS) can assess movement across multiple network devices.
Because of this, they’re well-positioned to keep track of individual device and user behavior data. Deviations from this can then be identified and shut down before the attacker can move laterally and gain illicit access.
電磁阻器和 XDR
Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) is a tool designed to continuously monitor endpoints for signs of potential threats, such as:
- Desktops
- Laptops
- 行動裝置
- 虛擬機器
- IoT technology
Since endpoints provide multiple entry points for attackers, EDR plays a critical role in detecting and mitigating security risks. By analyzing suspicious behaviors, known as Indicators of Compromise (IOCs), EDR can identify both known and emerging threats.
Plus, it enables threat hunting by searching for malicious activity, helping you respond swiftly to potential breaches.
Extended Detection and Response (XDR) operates at a higher level within the security tool stack: it’s able to integrate alerts generated from other network security systems and compare them against other network or device data to verify their legitimacy.
By correlating them into incidents, security analysts are provided with a more comprehensive picture of each potential cyberattack. Rather than trawling through individual puzzle pieces, XDR can place alerts into their wider context – reducing false alerts and making network security monitoring far more efficient.
Reduce Network Security Complexity Monitoring with Check Point
Check Point Quantum is a market-leading firewall solution that seamlessly ingests and analyzes high-volume and encrypted network traffic.
Keep granular control over which activity is allowed to reach your sensitive networks with its unified policy management dashboard and Check Point’s own global threat intelligence. Together, you can instantly find and block malicious network activity without sacrificing end-user latency.
Choosing the correct suite of security tools can make the greatest difference to on-the-ground security, empowering lean teams to unlock the full reach of proactive network security. Picking the right firewall can make all the difference, which is why the team put together a next-generation firewall buyer’s guide to determine the most important features for your use case.
Explore Check Point Quantum for yourself with an in-depth demo.
