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As IT systems spread through all aspects of business operations, network security monitoring for unwanted activity is more crucial than ever. In today’s always-on world, cyber monitoring needs to be a 24/7 affair.
What is Cybersecurity Monitoring?
It’s difficult to imagine running a business today without the internet. Even the most basic businesses often are entrenched in technology with elaborate networks, wifi, payment processors, email, web application, and much more — sometimes without giving them much thought.
But where there is information transferring from one device to another, there are bad actors who would like to steal that information and use it to turn a profit.
This is where network security monitoring or cybersecurity monitoring comes into play. Cybersecurity monitoring is the analysis of network traffic to distinguish normal traffic from unauthorized traffic. By monitoring and logging traffic, a business can reduce its cyber risk by enabling quick response to potential intrusions.
A good cyber monitoring system will give you real-time insight into your network traffic, alert you to potential threats, and respond to intrusions quickly.
Interested in learning more? Check out these other blogs on cybersecurity:
The Drawbacks of Partial Security Monitoring
You’re only open during business hours, so why do you need cyber monitoring after hours? Many businesses have this philosophy, and believe that simply having the right network security monitoring tools is sufficient for cyber risk mitigation.
Sure, you may save on staff to monitor your network after hours, but who will respond when your cybersecurity tools detect an intrusion? You can attempt to compensate for this by shutting down all of your systems at the end of the day. But in today’s cloud-connected and service-on-demand world, this is increasingly impossible.
Practically speaking, in an always-on world, your services, including your website, need to be available 24/7, even when your staff is not. With the increase in international cybercriminal gangs, after hours intrusions may be more likely than breaches that happen during business hours.
What is Continuous Monitoring in Cybersecurity?
With rising risk in information security, you need cybersecurity with continuous monitoring. This means not only having cyber tools for 24/7 threat monitoring, but also a staff to respond to these threats in real time.
You could attempt to handle these network monitoring services in-house. But you’ll likely find that it costs you quite a bit compared to an outsourced security operations center offering cybersecurity as a service.
By handling multiple clients, a managed security service provider (MSSP) is able to provide 24/7 cyber monitoring at a fraction of the cost to do it in-house.
There are many options when it comes to MSSPs. Not only do you want 24/7 monitoring, but also the assurance that your data is secure. While many businesses do well with an offshore solution, the risks inherent in dealing in cybersecurity across oceans may make onshore options a better bet.
Cybersecurity Monitoring Tools
When it comes to cyber monitoring, your ability to monitor is limited by the visibility you have into your networks. Your visibility will depend on your cybersecurity tools.
Cybersecurity monitoring is available in many standalone software programs. Additionally, monitoring is one of many features included in cyber-risk management platforms.
A cybersecurity monitoring tool needs to be set up to monitor the traffic going to and from every device that your business uses. Many cybersecurity monitoring tools allow you to create a cybersecurity dashboard to give yourself quick insights into your network.
In addition to giving you visibility into your network traffic, good cybersecurity monitoring tools can learn your systems to detect intrusions. These tools will not only learn your business’s network traffic baseline, but also how your network activity fluctuates throughout the day, week, month, or year allowing you to easily spot anomalies.
The best cybersecurity monitoring tools will respond to unusual network activity. Practically all software options can send alerts upon discovering abnormal traffic. The best network security monitoring toolsnetwork security monitoring tools will take automatic action to prevent the intrusion and protect the network.
Reduce Cyber Risk With Foresite’s Cybersecurity Monitoring Solutions
At Foresite, we know cybersecurity. We handle cyber monitoring, alerting, and intrusion prevention for businesses of all sizes.
As a full-service cybersecurity solutions provider, we take a comprehensive approach to cybersecurity. Our platform solutions are designed to work in concert to provide a holistic security profile for your entire enterprise.
Foresite operates a 24/7 security operations center based in the US and UK. Our onshore operations ensure fast response and clear communication.
Our proprietary ProVision software is an all-in-one automated security solution that serves as the first line of defense for our clients.
ProVision Open XDR is a network monitoring and alerting solution. It is highly configurable allowing data reports at any level of magnification. Our security operations center as a service is built into the platform.
Our software and our SOC work in tandem to execute the security strategy that we develop with you. Our team of security experts will walk you through every aspect of cybersecurity to arrive at a cybersecurity package that works for your business and your budget.
To get started with our cybersecurity solutions, contact us today for a free consultation.
Tristin Zeman
Tristin Zeman is the Digital Marketing Manager at Foresite. For the past 10 years, she has helped organizations of all sizes create and scale marketing programs through digital and traditional marketing channels and efficient marketing operations.
