The other method is an agent-based system. These tend to deliver a large part of the solution in a software-as-a-service (SaaS) model, which just means you'll be accessing the software via the web (though this may bring security considerations to the fore depending on the business). Agents, or monitoring programs that live on each individual device, will run and report back on important telemetry. The advantage of this method is that you can typically get more in-depth data than using an agentless system, since the agents will generally have a greater level of hardware access. The disadvantage is that the agent application will need to be installed on each individual device you're monitoring and that can get sticky even with automation. For one thing, it can cause problems if devices don't support the operating systems that the agent software wants for installation.Ī third type of tool, which we didn't include in this roundup, is the specialist category. Generally, these include security monitors and scanners as well as wireless network analyzers, like Ekahau Pro. Taking that product as an example, while it has some overlapping features with the tools we've reviewed here, like traffic analysis, it's also lacking some, such as a web-based interface or remote control. That's because Ekahau is a specialist it's purpose-built for a very specific mission, namely wireless network configuration at scale. That means it has several capabilities you won't find in the tools we've reviewed as part of this roundup because they simply don't need them.
One example is CAD-generated floorplans that map out your wireless signal strength because they come with numerical values that factor in the density of walls, doors, and windows and how these affect your wireless throughput.
This can be applied anywhere from local data centre LANs to long distance WAN transport reaching thousands of kilometres in length.īy utilising the unused ‘dark fibres’ within the network cable, the solutions ensure absolute integrity of the data traffic as FFT does not intercept, process or monitor the data packets themselves. How does it work?įFT’s fibre optic technology is designed to detect and locate disturbances, intrusion attempts, tampering, and data tapping activities to within 5 metres along data networks. Working stand-alone or in conjunction with existing NMS platforms FFT’s Data Network Infrastructure Protection solutions offer customers a complete snapshot of their physical network security and operational health, before the network is accessed. Such systems often attempt to detect malicious activity based upon interface and data flow health, by which time the damage is already done. Today’s organizations face a challenging and constantly changing cyber security landscape, requiring a comprehensive 360-degree approach to data security.Ĭurrent Network Management Systems (NMS) typically focus on higher-level network protocols and transactions leaving customers blind to threats within the network physical layer. High performance protection of data networks from the world leaders in fibre optic technology