Network Monitoring

What is it?
Network monitoring is, as the same suggests, is the use of a program which monitors a computer network. Analyse of the network can be achieved by capturing, viewing and analysing packets or even filter them to help you find what you are looking for.

Why is it used?
Network monitoring is important as it allows a user to check for slow or failing systems. It is also used to detect malicious traffic on the network (although an Intrusion Prevention System aka IPS is better suited for the task) or debugging protocol implementation. Network monitoring software can check whether network components, such as switches, routers and servers are functioning correctly.

How do you use it?
Below shows and explains the capabilities of each different Network Monitoring software.

WireShark

Wireshark is a network protocol analyser. Wireshark allows you to take an in-depth perspective of hundreds of protocols, capture live packets and filter them. Wireshark is available on Windows, Linux, OS X, Solaris, FreeBSD, NetBSD, and more. Decryption support for many protocols including WEP, WPA/WPA2 and more.

[https://www.gfi.com/products-and-solutions/network-security-solutions/gfi-languard? GFI LanGuard]

GFI LanGuard allows you to scan small or large networks, searching for vulnerabilities in software. Information coming from up to 60,000 devices, running on Windows, Mac OS or Linux, will be shown in a centralized web console, so you'll be able to see the state of your whole network at any moment and from any location.

Total Network Monitor

Total Network Monitor is designed to continuously monitor your local network. It will alert you of any issues detected in advance and create a detailed report on the circumstances of the failure.

WirelessNetView

WirelessNetView runs in the background, monitoring the activity of wireless networks around you. For each network, it displays the following information: SSID, Last Signal Quality, Average Signal Quality, Detection Counter, Authentication Algorithm, Cipher Algorithm, MAC Address, RSSI, Channel Frequency, Channel Number, and more.

BYOD (Bring your own device)
You should be careful if choosing to implement BYOD into your organisation. Employees may lack the knowledge to properly protect their system against threats. BYOD can expose your organisation to threats.

Data leakage can also occur if data is stored on a device not owned by the organisation. If an employees leaves or is fired he may still have access to the organisations data if BYOD was in effect and his device was used to access and modify the data.

Evaluation
The importance of network monitoring is often underestimated. It allows for identification of security threats, performance monitoring and allows for issues to be fixed faster.

Network Monitoring can provide a level of security. Understanding what "normal" performance looks like for your organization allows you to spot any anomaly.

Monitoring the performance of the network allows for easy identification of systems which may be slow or failing. When identified they can be quickly fixed.