Page 98 - Cyber Defense eMagazine June 2020 Edition

Considering the impact of network outages and performance issues, in terms of both productivity as well
as cost, it is essential for enterprise of all sizes to have an efficient network management solution in
place, to enable proactive measures towards resolving performance problems and gaining valuable
network insights. One of the most essential network management tools is network monitoring.

For IT professionals, network monitoring is a vital discipline. Network monitoring tools are designed to be
proactive as well as reactive, which means they can preemptively detect discrepancies in the system,
helping to avoid system crashes before they occur.

Essentially, network monitoring solutions are tools that allow IT administrators to monitor networks more
efficiently. Solutions across the network monitoring market are vast and varied, depending on myriad
factors including system specifics, automation, as well as business size & scale.

Burgeoning requirement for IoT security solutions

The emergence of advanced technologies, from connected devices to cloud computing to IoT (Internet
of Things) has added great impetus to the adoption of network monitoring tools across the industrial
landscape.

Studies suggest that IoT could become a multi-trillion-dollar industrial sphere by 2020. As such, IoT is
already making its mark across several industries, including transportation, healthcare, utilities,
manufacturing, etc. The technology is anticipated to assert a significant influence on professional and
consumer lives across the globe, in addition to transforming perceptions regarding networks in general.

Despite its revolutionary nature, however, IoT does have one major area of concern, security. Lack of
efficient IoT security solutions has posed a considerable challenge for IoT adoption. For instance, IoT
devices are highly susceptible to malware attacks. One of the most notable malware strains to affect IoT
devices was Mirai, in 2016. The malware, which affected security cameras and wireless routers, led to a
massive DDoS attack on Dyn, the internet provider for prominent sites including Spotify, Twitter and
more.
Given this vulnerability of IoT devices, network monitoring is an ideal solution to detect abnormalities in
their performance and prevent attacks before they take place.

Key players in the network monitoring industry are taking stock of this and developing innovative solutions
that offer robust IoT security. For example, PathSolutions, a network performance management firm, has
recently introduced its TotalView 10 solution, which can offer network security policy monitoring, IP
address management, device monitoring, among other benefits to IoT devices. The technology helps
monitor the network for unauthorized access and identifies any suspicious activities which could indicate
potential security breaches.

Cyber Defense eMagazine –June 2020 Edition 98
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