With the rise of cloud computing, remote workforces, and IoT devices, the complexity of networks has increased significantly. This complexity can create blind spots, leaving businesses vulnerable to cyber threats, outages, and other network issues.
That’s where network visibility comes in. It’s the ability to see and understand everything that’s happening in your network, from devices and applications to traffic and security threats. Without it, your business is essentially operating in the dark.
In this article, we’ll explore why true network visibility is crucial for your business, the benefits it provides, and how to achieve it. So, are you in the dark about your network? Let’s shed some light on the topic.
Why network visibility is important for businesses
In today’s digital age, network security is more important than ever before. As businesses continue to rely on technology and the internet to conduct their operations, they must also be mindful of the potential threats that come with it. This is where network visibility comes in. By ensuring that your network is visible from end-to-end, you can monitor all traffic and identify any suspicious activity in real-time. This not only enhances network security but also helps businesses meet regulatory compliance requirements. With the right tools and expertise, network visibility can be a simple yet powerful way to protect your business from cyber threats and keep your data safe.
The consequences of not having network visibility
Without network visibility, organisations are essentially operating in the dark, unable to see what’s happening in their network. This lack of visibility can lead to a host of issues, including:
- Security breaches: Without network visibility, businesses are unable to detect security threats in real-time. This can lead to data breaches, malware infections, and other cyber attacks that can compromise sensitive data and potentially lead to fines and damage to an organisation's reputation.
- Network downtime: Network outages can have a significant impact on business operations, resulting in lost revenue, decreased productivity, and damage to the organisation's reputation. Without network visibility, businesses are unable to quickly identify and address network issues, leading to prolonged downtime.
- Poor network performance: Without network visibility, businesses are unable to optimise their network performance, leading to slow application performance, bottlenecks, and other issues that can impact user experience.
- Compliance violations: Without network visibility, businesses may violate regulatory requirements around data security and privacy. This can result in fines, legal action, and damage to the organisation's reputation.
How to achieve network visibility
Achieving network visibility requires a comprehensive approach that includes people, processes, and technology. Here are some steps businesses can take to achieve network visibility:
- Define network visibility goals: Businesses should define their network visibility goals, including what they want to monitor, analyse, and protect. This can help organisations identify the tools and technologies they need to achieve their network visibility objectives.
- Implement network monitoring tools: Network monitoring tools enable businesses to monitor network traffic, detect security threats, and troubleshoot issues in real-time. Implementing these tools can provide valuable insights into network performance and security.
- Analyse network traffic patterns: Network traffic analysis tools allow businesses to analyse network traffic patterns, identify anomalies, and detect potential security threats. Analysing network traffic patterns can provide valuable insights into network behaviour, enabling businesses to optimise their network performance and security.
- Monitor network flow: Network flow analysis tools enable businesses to monitor network traffic flows and identify potential bottlenecks or congestion. Monitoring network flow can provide valuable insights into network performance, enabling businesses to optimise their network environment.
- Implement network security tools: Network security tools enable businesses to protect their network environment from security threats, including malware, viruses, and other cyber attacks. Implementing these tools can provide real-time threat detection and response, enabling businesses to quickly address security issues.
Achieve network visibility with the experts
Network visibility is crucial for businesses to ensure network performance, security, and compliance with regulatory requirements. Without it, organisations are essentially operating in the dark, unable to see what’s happening in their network. Talk to the network experts at Virtu and ensure the success of your business operations today.