Yet, in a somewhat ironic twist, robust security measures, including encryption, can make it challenging to monitor network activity effectively. The dilemma arises from the fact that while these measures protect against cybercriminals, they can also inadvertently restrict well-intentioned employees' access to detect threats, breaches, and anomalies.

Common Network Security Challenges

Numerous challenges can impede network security efforts, and these are some of the familiar obstacles:

1. 1. Overwhelming Protection: The widespread use of encryption protocols can make monitoring network traffic a complex task. Encryption obscures content, making it challenging to inspect for potential threats, even though it enhances privacy and data protection.

2. 2. Complex Networks: With the rise of cloud computing, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, and distributed systems, networks have become increasingly intricate. Managing and monitoring these networks across multiple platforms, protocols, and endpoints can be daunting.

3. 3. Sophisticated Threats: Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs) are stealthy and sophisticated attacks designed to infiltrate and remain undetected within a network. These attacks employ evasion techniques that bypass traditional security measures and evade detection by standard monitoring systems. Zero-day exploits, vulnerabilities unknown to both organizations and software providers, pose another challenge, as they can be exploited by cybercriminals without detection.

4. 4. Unreliable Monitoring: Network monitoring systems generate alerts based on predefined rules and patterns, but they are susceptible to false positives and false negatives, making it difficult to strike the right balance between accurate detection and minimizing false alarms. Identifying insider threats can also be problematic, as it requires advanced behavioral analysis and user monitoring techniques.

5. 5. Stringent Regulations: Complying with industry-specific regulations and legal requirements, such as GDPR in Europe or HIPAA, demands careful handling of sensitive data and maintaining appropriate audit logs, adding complexity to network traffic monitoring.

A More Effective Solution for Network Health

To overcome these challenges, organizations typically deploy a combination of network security standards, including firewalls, intrusion detection and prevention systems, secure network protocols, encryption mechanisms, and advanced monitoring solutions. They also follow best practices, conduct security audits, and stay updated on emerging threats and vulnerabilities. These elements are crucial for maintaining network security.

Now, there is a more straightforward way to enhance network visibility without compromising security standards. Riverbed's Alluvio Unified Observability tools are providing organizations worldwide with the means to maintain network traffic visibility and monitor network infrastructure, all while minimizing potential risks to the customer environment.

Real-World Impact of Alluvio

For instance, the international engineering and project management firm Artelia Group transformed its cybersecurity with Riverbed Alluvio solutions. Franck Martel-Badinga, Head of Infrastructure & Telecoms, shared, "Cybersecurity is a challenge for all organizations globally, especially as we are rapidly expanding our workforce. We've experienced an increase in targeted and complex attacks."

To provide a secure digital experience for employees and end customers, Artelia needed to centrally monitor end-user experience, servers, applications, and the network, even with remote teams. Traditional security tools, firewalls, and antivirus software, while essential, can be bypassed by skilled hackers. Therefore, Artelia sought to monitor network and system behavior to establish a baseline and detect anomalies.

The Alluvio Aternity Digital Experience Management and Alluvio NetProfiler solutions offered Artelia valuable insights into network data, applications, and end-user behavior. This visibility enabled better decision-making, ultimately improving the digital experience for end-users and enhancing overall business performance.

In another example, a global biopharmaceutical innovator adopted the Alluvio suite to enhance its security team's agility and forensic recall capabilities. By automating the preservation of packet-based evidence associated with security events, the company improved its ability to support further security investigations while optimizing storage usage.