Improve Your Network Security with Multidimensional Threat Detection

Securing enterprise networks is a formidable challenge, with threats often lurking in the shadows for extended periods. Attackers skillfully exploit legitimate traffic and known protocols, remaining undetected for weeks or even months. This blog explores the critical role of network detection and response (NDR) systems; the importance of pervasive, packet-level network visibility; and the pivotal role of using multiple methods of real-time threat detection at the source of network packet capture.

NDR's Early-Detection Role

NDR systems primarily serve to detect threats early, potentially preventing damage to an enterprise. These systems are essential for identifying and thwarting attacks that rely on software vulnerabilities and untrained network users.

Highly Scalable Network Packet-Level Visibility

In the ever-changing cybersecurity landscape, one thing is clear: You can’t detect what you can’t see. To effectively combat threats, comprehensive packet-level network visibility is essential. The days of solely relying on perimeter-based threat detection are gone. Attackers often bypass these defenses, as exemplified by phishing attacks, where a single click on a malicious link can grant access to the network.

Pervasive, packet-level network visibility is the answer. NETSCOUT's Omnis CyberStream sensors, with their scalability and versatility, can be deployed across the entire network environment, providing packet-level visibility into north-south and east-west traffic. This is NETSCOUT’s Visibility Without Borders—a game-changer for robust threat detection.

Detection at the Source of Packet Capture

Determining the optimal location for storage and detection is a critical aspect of NDR. NETSCOUT’s approach is to perform detection at the source of packet capture, offering several advantages:
Real-time analysis: Real-time analysis at the source of packet capture minimizes potential damage and speeds up threat detection.

• Comprehensive insight: Direct packet analysis provides in-depth network traffic insight, enhancing threat detection and forensic analysis.
• Scalability: Analyzing data at the source of packet capture allows for seamless scalability as your network expands, without the cost of data transmission and storage in remote repositories.
• Minimized latency: Analyzing data at the source of packet capture reduces data transmission to external locations.

NETSCOUT’s Omnis CyberStream sensors employ patented and proven deep packet inspection (DPI) and Adaptive Service Intelligence (ASI) technology to transform raw packets into actionable metadata, known as NETSCOUT Smart Data, crucial for various detection techniques.

OCI's Multidimensional, Real-time Detection Methods

In the constantly evolving world of cybersecurity, the ability to detect and respond to network-based threats is vital. NETSCOUT's Omnis Cyber Intelligence (OCI) system offers a comprehensive set of multidimensional real-time threat detection methods:

• Threat intelligence: A robust list of indicators of compromise (IoCs) gleaned from NETSCOUT's traffic analysis, identifying potentially malicious IP addresses.
• Behavioral analytics: Recognizing unusual traffic patterns, such as port scans, enumeration of Active Directory components, and unusual DNS requests among other detections.
• Attack surface events: Triggered by new discoveries on the network, such as a newly detected host or application.
• Compliance events: Events that highlight practices or protocols considered insecure or outdated, including old versions of SSL and insecure cipher suites.
• IDS events: Signature-based detections of known attacks, based on the Suricata IDS detection engine with numerous rule sets and custom rules available.
• Policy violations: Specific actions or traffic patterns that violate established internal policies, tailored to your specific organization.
• File extraction detection: Identification of malicious file transfers or downloads, with the ability to extract the files for additional evaluation.

The Synergy of OCI's Multidimensional Detection Methods

Why is it crucial to have an integrated system such as OCI that incorporates all detection types? Individually, each detection type has its strengths. The real power emerges when these systems collaborate. Such as

• Reducing noise: Even with precise tuning, there's always some noise in detections. However, when multiple detection types corroborate an attack, it's a clear signal for investigation.
• Detections summary: OCI’s detections summary provides a visual representation of unique detections for each host, allowing rapid identification of potential attacks.
• Early threat detection: OCI’s comprehensive approach enables the detection of threats before traditional threat indicators or IDS signatures are available, offering proactive security.
• Customized rules: OCI empowers users to create tailored rules and alerts for specific systems, reducing false positives and enhancing the actionability of alerts.

In conclusion, a robust network detection and response system is fundamental in modern cybersecurity. NETSCOUT's Omnis Cyber Intelligence platform, equipped with highly scalable, packet-level network visibility and multidimensional threat detection, empowers organizations to protect their networks against both known and unknown emerging threats. By combining these methods with real-time analysis at the source of packet capture, OCI offers unparalleled threat detection capabilities, reducing false positives and enhancing overall network security. With pervasive, packet-level network visibility as a cornerstone, NETSCOUT’s Visibility Without Borders ensures comprehensive protection in today’s complex threat landscape.

To learn more about multidimensional threat detection and potential use cases, read our white paper and learn more about NETSCOUT’s Omnis CyberStream and Omnis Cyber Intelligence.