Future-proofing cybersecurity with Packet-level visibility - Vinay Sharma, Regional Director, India and SAARC, NETSCOUT.

The cybersecurity landscape is constantly evolving at a pace unheard of before. Threat actors are using advanced technology and methods to infiltrate networks, exploit vulnerabilities, and evade detection. Security teams are bombarded with sophisticated threats, ranging from stealthy malware to advanced ransomware attacks.  To make matters worse, several of these advanced threats bypass traditional security defenses, resulting in missed detections, prolonged response times, and incomplete forensics.  Such disasters occur due to the organizations’ heavy reliance on outdated monitoring systems that lack the granular insights that are required for successful defense.  In today’s era where every second is important in detecting and responding to cyber threats, packet-level visibility is not just a tool—it’s a strategic imperative.

Challenges with the Evolving Threat Landscape

Modern-day cybercriminals are leveraging advanced techniques and no longer depend on traditional methods in their attacks.  The sophisticated techniques used by threat actors include encrypted traffic or channels to mask their activities being very well aware that many monitoring tools cannot see past the encryption. Secondly, once they enter the network, attackers can move laterally in search of valuable data.  Such movements are generally missed by traditional monitoring systems due to a lack of visibility into the granular details of packet traffic. Exploiting zero-day vulnerabilities that are unknown software vulnerabilities gives attackers an edge, as they can breach systems without setting off alarms in signature-based detection tools. Security teams can miss indicators of compromise and by the time the threat is discovered, it is too late to stop data infiltration or system compromise.  Traditional security measures can provide a broad view of network activity but lack the depth needed to identify advanced evolving threats in real time.  This is where packet-level visibility can become very useful.

Packet-level visibility – a strategic imperative

Packet-level visibility is much more than an additional layer of security as it provides the necessary foundation to help security teams stay ahead of attackers.  Packet data provides a detailed, comprehensive view of network traffic, delivering insights up to layer 7 of the OSI model.  Security teams can identify and uncover hidden threats, detect anomalies, and even inspect encrypted traffic after decryption.  By analyzing each packet that crosses the network, organizations get unmatched insights into the exact nature of the threats they face.

Only a suitable Network Detection and Response (NDR) platform that provides the necessary packet-level visibility aids in filling the gaps left by traditional tools.  It should be able to capture and analyze network packets to deliver in-depth data that allows SOC analysts to identify malicious activity that other tools might miss.  The granular insights with packet-level visibility are very valuable in detecting advanced tactics like ransomware infection, data exfiltration, encrypted attacks, and protocol misconfigurations that evade other tools. Furthermore, by being able to inspect packets in real-time, the threat detection and investigation processes get accelerated.  With packet-level visibility, SOC analysts can swiftly identify and contain cyber threats before they cause irreversible damage.  Packet data can uncover subtle changes in the network traffic that indicate the beginning of an attack enabling the teams to respond to it within minutes and not hours.

Several advantages of packet-level visibility

Packet level analysis provides unmatched clarity by revealing hidden threats in the network traffic delivering insight where flow data and logs are unable to do so.  Due to its advanced threat detection capabilities, attackers can no longer hide in encrypted traffic or through lateral movement as packet-level data exposes such activities. Moreover, with deep insights into packet behavior, security analysts can respond with precision to threats and isolate and neutralize them before they can spread and cause significant damage.

Some of the real-world use cases with packet-level visibility include malware analysis, protocol inspection, forensic investigation, and encrypted traffic monitoring among others.  This demonstrates how packet data is leveraged to improve the threat detection process, reduce incident response times, and enhance the overall efficiency of the SOC.  In addition to filling the gaps left by traditional security tools, packet data offers a strategic advantage by providing proactive defense against advanced, modern threats and a strategic advantage in an increasingly complex cybersecurity environment.

The solutions that help to deliver this crucial level of visibility are unlike traditional tools that only scratch the surface.  They capture and inspect traffic from layers 2–7 of the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model, allowing SOC teams to detect all stealthy behaviors. These solutions equip organizations to outpace attackers, protect their networks, and future-proof their cybersecurity defenses against emerging threats.

Building resilience for the future of cybersecurity

With the cyber threat landscape evolving continuously, one of the key defense strategies that will remain is packet-level visibility.  Organizations will have to integrate packet-level analysis to future-proof their defenses. Packet data also aids the growing security requirements of modern IT infrastructure such as Compliance, IoT Security, and Cloud Infrastructure.  By integrating packet-level visibility into their cybersecurity strategy, organizations will have the capability to meet future challenges head-on in addition to developing long-term cybersecurity resilience.