There are many network managers who are losing hope because of the obvious fact that it is really impossible to prevent cyber-attacks; moreover, it is also apparent that it is impossible to prevent malware from infecting any network. There is also a truth in saying that often it takes several months before a malware infection is detected, and during this period wherein the infection is undetected, a huge amount of data of the network may already have been compromised. These facts gnaw on the very consciousness of those who are involved and tasked to secure networks. If these facts are quite obvious, then, what else can network security managers do to secure their networks if it is nearly impossible to prevent these attacks and infections?
Many systems and software have been created to stave off any brewing cyber-attack, and some of these systems and devices have proven to be partially effective in warding off any potential cyber-attack. But the question is for how long can these half-baked panaceas prevent the next potential cyber-attack?
The enormity of the tasks of security providers for networks is best understood whenever you would look at the millions of sensitive data and information stacked away in the cyber storage vault of every network. A huge international bank, for example, holds a huge mine of personal information which—if pilfered away by cyber-attackers—can greatly compromise, not only the integrity of the bank but also the personal information of its clients. Hence, it is really critical that the security measures espoused by any network system are the best malware protection for business.
How Data Analytics can Leverage Network Security
We live in a data-driven time wherein the more data you have, the better you can tackle any task at hand. Powerful processors allow establishments to gain a huge amount of useful data. Similarly, network security systems are now capable now of holistic monitoring of its networks. With the huge amount of data available, network security managers can now engage in complete network security analysis. Moreover, with data analytics at hand, they can also engage in proactive network security measures.
The Use of Decoy Network
Newer security measures are usually based on data analytics about the nature of cyber-attacks. Data analytics allow security managers a complete security visibility using decoy networks. But what is the concept behind decoy network? Decoy network is definitely a concept wherein security managers create a virtual network that appears to be the real network. By design, the decoy network is mistaken by cyber-attackers as the real network, and they usually launch an attack on this decoy network thinking that it is the real one. Once they get into the decoy network, they expose themselves for analysis and counter-attacks. Decoy network system allows security network managers to launch proactive security measures to weed out any cyber-attack at the onset. The idea behind a decoy network is novel. It makes use of what cyber-attackers are fond of using—deception. Cyber-attackers are given a dose of their own medicine. Lastly, with decoy network at hand, cyber-attackers are deceived into believing that the decoy network itself is the real network. Hence, network managers should be keen on looking at the effectiveness of the decoy network in order to stave off any potential cyber-attack.
