Threats on the internet change constantly, and so should your NTA (Network Traffic Analysis) solutions. Whether your system is an all-inclusive NDR (Network Detection and Response) solution, an NTA-based IDS (Intrusion Detection System) or IPS (Intrusion Prevention System), or a specialized NTA platform, it needs to be fine-tuned to stay ahead of threats such as zero-day attacks. But that’s easier said than done.
To help you evaluate if your NTA is up-to-date, there are five signs you should look for. These indicators will help you determine if your current NTA setup keeps up with your business’s demands and the market’s latest trends.
Just remember, the perfect NTA isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. Having an updated NTA platform is only part of the whole security strategy.
Signs it’s (Past) Time to Upgrade Your Network Traffic Analysis
Here are five clear signs your NTA needs an upgrade, and why it’s impacting your business:
- Blind spots and false negatives
If your current NTA solution fails to detect certain types of network threats or consistently produces false negatives, it’s clearly a sign that an upgrade is necessary. Declaring something to be false (“There’s no threat”) when it’s true (“There’s a genuine threat lurking in your network”) is considered to be a false negative.
Evidence
- You regularly experience security incidents despite having an NTA in place. And, after the fact, the NTA doesn’t help identify evidence of any threats.
- Data breaches go undetected until notified by external sources.
- Your NTA reports are riddled with irrelevant alerts, such as an employee using a VPN, masking the severe anomalies.
Impact
- Increased risk of cyberattacks, as hidden threats exploit your blind spots.
- Delayed response times, potentially leading to significant damage before the incident is addressed.
- Wasted resources investigating false alarms, reducing efficiency and lessening the focus on true threats.
- Struggling with scalability and complexity
As your business grows and your network expands, your NTA solution may struggle to handle the increasing volume and complexity of network traffic. Your increased success and volume of data could mean the NTA platform can’t keep up.
Evidence
- Your NTA frequently crashes or experiences performance bottlenecks during peak traffic times.
- You can’t effectively monitor new applications or network segments due to limitations in your NTA.
- Your network’s complexity needs custom configurations and scripting workarounds for your NTA, compromising your stack’s health.
Impact
- Network outages and disruptions that hinder your business operations.
- Missed threats in unmonitored segments of your network.
- Increased workload and frustration for security teams due to constant troubleshooting.
- Outdated technology and lack of visibility
If your current solution lacks advanced analytics, real-time network monitoring, or comprehensive reporting capabilities, it’s time to consider upgrading to a more modern and feature-rich NTA solution.
Machine learning for network security has been accessible for over half a decade, so if your vendor can’t claim it’s using it to protect your infrastructure, it could also be a cue you’re staying behind. Machine learning for cybersecurity is very helpful because AI tools mean attackers can easily create new, and thus unknown, threats with less effort than ever before. Behavior analysis—rather than signature-based analysis—is excellent for detecting those.
Evidence
- Your NTA relies on outdated signatures and protocols, leaving you vulnerable to modern attacks that outpace signature systems. Having an outdated signature base usually means you’re no longer under your vendor’s support service, and that’s too risky for any business.
- You lack visibility into encrypted traffic, creating a potential hiding place for malicious activity.
- Your NTA struggles to analyze advanced threats like polymorphic malware and lateral movement. These are staples of malicious activity, since they don’t involve the typical client–server exchange.
Impact
- Increased susceptibility to targeted and emerging threats.
- Blind spots in network activity, hindering threat detection and incident response.
- Potential non-compliance with industry regulations requiring visibility into encrypted traffic.
- Underutilized potential and lack of expertise
NTA solutions come with a range of robust features and functionalities that help you interpret patterns in your network performance and security. However, suppose your organization is not fully utilizing these capabilities and lacks the expertise to interpret the data effectively, or to spot any looming threats. In that case, it’s a sign that an upgrade is warranted—and maybe it’s time to have a proper cybersecurity team in your company.
Evidence
- Low utilization of NTA features.
- Limited user engagement.
Impact
- Missed opportunities for proactive threat detection.
- Wasted resources.
- Increased risk due to knowledge gaps.
- Siloed data and lack of integration
Isolated data and lack of integration with other security tools can also prevent you from gaining a holistic view of your network and effectively detecting threats.
Evidence
- Difficulty correlating data from different security tools
- Manual data analysis processes
- Isolated security operations.
Impact
- Inefficient incident response.
- Delayed decision-making.
- Difficulty gaining a holistic view of network security.
Benefits of Network Traffic Analysis
NTA is a practical asset for your network infrastructure’s security, performance, and efficiency. It’s also a key player in your business continuity, as it allows you to protect your systems if an attacker tries to put your systems down.
Still, is it the missing piece to your network security puzzle? Let’s explore the benefits of NTA, alternative solutions, and the factors you need to consider when making an informed decision.
Protect what’s important and respond quickly
By observing web traffic patterns and spotting suspicious activity, companies with an NTA can strengthen their defenses against the really critical threats, not just a random attempt that an antivirus would stop easily.
Get more out of your network
By looking closely at your network, NTA can find problems like slow connection or latency that your customers might consider a lagging part of their experience.
Stay compliant
NTA’s reporting and auditing features let you demonstrate compliance with industry standards and maintain a safe and legal network infrastructure when you enter a new regulated market.
See everything in one place
By integrating NTA with other security systems, such as a Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) solution and endpoint security solutions, like the classic, verified antivirus, you can consolidate your security operations in one easy-to-understand dashboard.
Scale up confidently
A scalable NTA solution can grow with your network, adopt new technologies, or expand your operations. If you keep tabs on your network and how strained your bandwidth is, you’ll know when to scale up operations without your organization taking a hit.
Possible solutions to an outdated NTA
NTA upgrade: This option can be cost-effective if your current NTA solution has a solid foundation and good vendor support.
Fresh Start with NTA: A complete overhaul might be necessary if your current NTA is:
- Outdated and unsupported: Lacking essential features, vulnerable to modern threats, and no longer receiving updates or signature bases.
- Ineffective and underutilized: Fails to provide actionable insights, prone to false positives, and offers limited visibility into network activity.
- Incompatible with your network: Struggles to handle your network size, complexity, or diverse data formats.
Alternative solutions: While NTA excels in network visibility and threat detection, other solutions might better suit specific needs.
- SIEM (Security Information and Event Management): If centralized log analysis and correlation are top priorities, SIEM can offer broader event monitoring and incident response capabilities.
- NDR (Network Detection and Response): NDR solutions rely on NTA, so certain vendors might list them as comparable. But NDR takes the analysis a bit further. If you focus on automated threat hunting and rapid response, NDR tools excel in real-time analysis, prioritization, and incident containment workflows.
Making an informed decision on a NTA platform
Ultimately, the choice depends on factors such as:
- Your specific security challenges.
- Existing security infrastructure and integration needs.
- Budgetary constraints and resource availability.
- Ownership in your company—do you count on someone who can manage the NTA platform?
5 Steps to Implement Network Traffic Analysis
Whether you choose to upgrade your existing NTA or start from scratch, it’s important to follow a systematic approach.
An upgrade is cost-effective, will run on your premises from the get-go, and might even be included in your subscription plan if you’re under a security-as-a-service contract. Still, you might have less flexibility in this case than starting from scratch. So, if you opt for a fresh start, you’ll most likely access up-to-date technology with a greater leeway to adapt NTA to your current network. The cons are that the upfront costs and time investments could be too taxing.
With this said, let’s go through the steps to implement an NTA:
Step 1: Assess your current network and define objectives
Take a close look at your current network setup. Define specific goals for NTA, whether they are tightening security, improving performance, or meeting compliance requirements.
Step 2: Research and choose NTA solutions
Explore available NTA solutions in the market. Examine options that align with your goals, considering scalability, compatibility, and seamless integration with your current setup.
Step 3: Decide between upgrading and starting fresh
Evaluate the effectiveness of your current NTA system. Decide whether upgrading is feasible, or if starting fresh with a modern solution is a more strategic approach. Take into account factors like compatibility with your systems as well.
Step 4: Consider your budget and develop an implementation plan
Keep an eye on your budget as you plan. Don’t forget to add items to your NTA bottom line, including budgeting for licensing, hardware, training, and ongoing support.
Step 5: Conduct pilot testing and monitor ongoing performance
Before the big launch, conduct thorough pilot testing. Train your IT team, monitor performance closely, and adjust as needed. Ensure your NTA solution stands as a vigilant guardian throughout your network journey.
What to Look For? Key Network Traffic Analysis Features
If you’re selecting or implementing a network traffic analysis (NTA) solution, it’s a good idea to consider the following key features:
- In-depth visibility and decryption
Don’t let encryption hide malicious activity. Choose an NTA solution that analyzes both encrypted and unencrypted traffic to uncover hidden threats within data tunnels. Also, look for capabilities that go beyond packet headers to analyze protocols, applications, and user behavior to provide detailed insight into network activity. Always pick an NTA that tracks lateral movement to expose adversaries moving through side channels and prevent threats from going undetected within your network.
- Advanced threat detection and analytics
Decide on an NTA with advanced analytics that leverages machine learning and behavioral analysis to identify sophisticated, never-before-seen attacks.
Seek an NTA that identifies anomalies in network traffic patterns, alerting you to potential threats before they escalate. Look for an NTA that prioritizes threats based on severity and risk, guiding your team to focus on the most critical issues first.
- Scalability and performance
Your NTA shouldn’t lead to a traffic jam as your network expands. Choose a solution that scales effortlessly, handling data surges without compromising performance. Opt for a solution that efficiently operates your hardware and network resources.
- Integration and automation
Don’t let your security tools live in silos. Choose an NTA that integrates with other security solutions, creating a unified defense ecosystem. But don’t get lost in data for it. Decide on an NTA that provides actionable insights and recommendations, not just abstract numbers. Presets are helpful in this case.
- Consider the human touch
Remember, even the most powerful NTA is only a tool. Its effectiveness depends on your team’s expertise and your company’s culture with cybersecurity. Not even the priciest NTA will help you against a phishing campaign.
Best Practices–How to Get the Most Out of Network Traffic Analysis
Let’s take a look at the best practices for getting the most out of NTA:
- Work with focus: Align monitoring metrics with your top security priorities, whether it’s hunting hidden threats or improving network performance. Don’t get bogged down in data overload.
- Get better, all the time: Treat your NTA like a living security tool. Analyze its performance regularly, learn from false positives and negatives, and update its rules and alerts as your network and threat landscape evolves.
- Team up against threats: Integrate it with other security tools like SIEM and firewalls. Imagine them as a united intelligence network, sharing data, streamlining response workflows, and enabling swift, coordinated action against any threats that dare to (try to) swarm your company.
- Smarter work, not harder work: Repetitive tasks like baseline establishment, anomaly detection, and low-level threat responses are prime candidates for automation. When your cybersecurity team becomes a group that can think strategically rather than push buttons, you’ll have more chances of thwarting threats in time.
- Know what’s working: Don’t simply set it and forget it. Regularly assess your NTA’s impact on threat detection, response times, and overall security posture.
By carrying out these best practices, you can open up the full potential of network traffic analysis—and close down on stealthy threats.