A Network Traffic Analysis (NTA) solution is a powerful cybersecurity tool that every business owner should consider having. Cyber attackers’ typical modus operandi often involves finding and exploiting network vulnerabilities. NTA is useful in detecting unusual or potentially dangerous patterns in enterprise networks and taking appropriate actions to thwart attempted attacks before they can cause damage. The system achieves this by constantly monitoring and analyzing enterprise networks to differentiate usual from unusual traffic. 

The benefits of having an NTA system as part of the cybersecurity strategy are tremendous. However, choosing the right NTA system can be problematic, considering they are all not built the same. The general rule of thumb is to select the best solution for your needs within your means. 

Here are three factors to consider when evaluating what NTA solution is right for your business: 

Data Type 

The first and one of the most important factors to consider is the kind of data you wish to monitor. Different types and sources of data exist, and not all NTA systems are designed to collect and track all of them. They include: 

• Flow data: a flow-based system tracks what connections have been set up on a network. It offers a high level of traffic visibility but has little detail about what’s flowing. 
• Packet data: a packet-based system lets you have a mirror image of network packets as they move through a network, allowing you to see how users use your services. 
• Wi-Fi: a Wi-Fi-based system tracks data and traffic over a Wi-Fi network. 

Whether a system is flow-, packet-, or Wi-Fi-based, they all provide real-time and historical data. However, should you desire to monitor all data types, ensure you have sufficient resources to work with a solution(s) that lets you do that. 

Visibility 

Once you’ve settled on a data type, the next significant factor is visibility. Your NTA solution of choice should provide a unified and contextualized visibility. It should provide rich detail about network traffic and additional context at every endpoint. Such a solution empowers your security team to have full knowledge of users, devices, entities, activities, and services on the network. With such detailed and contextualized visibility, possible blind spots that attackers can exploit are detected and eliminated. 

Automated Threat Detection and Response 

What’s a good NTA solution if it can’t detect and automatically respond to cybersecurity threats? You want an excellent NTA system with advanced features and capabilities to automatically analyze network behaviors, detect and eliminate threats, and provide proof of actual infections. It should be powered with the latest tools, such as AI, machine learning, and behavioral models for automated threat detection and response. 

Let professionals at Thinline Help 

Your security team cannot protect your network from threats without comprehensive and contextual visibility, and NTA tools help fill this gap. However, the ability to keep threats at bay largely depends on having the right NTA solution. The criteria above can play a huge role in choosing the right one for your organization. However, if you’re still stuck on how to go about it, Thinline Tech can help. 

We are a full-service IT company offering a wide range of solutions, including cybersecurity. We can help you choose a robust NTA tool that identifies anomalies, maximize performance, and keeps an eye out for attacks. Contact us today to find out how.