Wield enterprise network visibility tools responsibly
You can't protect what you can't see. This truism contains a concise explanation of why achieving enterprise network visibility is so difficult.
Virtualization, AI, overlay networks, multi-cloud environments and dynamic flow routing are all contributing factors that obscure the network from view. To improve enterprise network visibility, a new generation of network management applications have arrived. These new tools contain sophisticated capabilities that enable enterprises to root out malicious behavior in WAN, cloud and internal networks. Integrated network management and security applications provide better visibility that allows networking pros to protect against attacks, both external and internal.
Of course, like any technology, new security tech can be disruptive. For instance, these latest network security tools likely will require organizational rethinking about the relationship between the security and the networking teams. There are larger issues that must stay front and center, too. Personal security and privacy are key among these. When testing out new network tools for visibility enhancement, it's as important to consider how well they protect the personal data of users. Techniques such as data masking will be as important as threat unmasking.
In January 2020, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) goes into effect and incorporates many principles found in the European Union's GDPR. Such data privacy protections remain inconsistent in the U.S., but other states are expected to follow suit if the CCPA is effective --offering further proof that personal data privacy should be top of mind for company leaders.
The articles in this guide explore why network security and visibility go hand-in-hand and how the new tools can improve visibility to protect distributed networks. Network visibility remains essential to protect company data and systems. But it's just as essential for network security teams to ensure their visibility tools retain end-user privacy.
