Security Featured Article

NetScout's Sniffer Global Addresses Security Risk in Network Analysis

By Vivek Naik, TMCnet Contributor

NetScout reportedly announced that its new offering, Sniffer Global (pictured below), addresses a long standing major security risk in network analysis. Portable Network Analyzers are able to circumvent almost all built-in security systems and get total access to any information.

 

If misused, or if in the wrong hands, then business-critical, sensitive and confidential information can get abused, stolen or modified. The Sniffer Global solution now offers customers built-in policy driven security features that are also monitored, managed and authenticated from a central server environment. 

 

Imagine defense weapons prototypes documentation stolen, government secret policies leaked, company’s longevity sustaining strategies viewed by competitors, or even major bank accounts cleaned out. Even though such themes appear ideal for action-packed thrill-a-minute movie making, unfortunately, these scenarios are real time clear and present dangers.

 

Here’s a look at Sniffer Global’s activity logs (click on image to enlarge):

 

 

And here’s a screen shot of the solution’s real-time dashboards (click on image to enlarge):

 

 

A PNA, at its very core, analyze what packets – packets are small chunks of data, or payload, rearranged to facilitate a high speed of information transfer – contain. First a packet is captured, then stored and finally decoded to reveal every microscopic detail such as time and date of origin, sent from which system to which system, type of data formats, credit card information, social security numbers, usernames and passwords, account numbers, and storage address to name a few.

 

With this deep level analysis it is able to analyze network problems, detect effected and attempted breaches, figure out the source of the breach, present bandwidth usage in simple statistics, early detection and diversion of unwanted stuff, debugging of client and server problems. On the spy vs. spy side, it can see everything happening on other networks, and work backwards to figure out captured proprietary protocols.

 

A PNA is also known packet analyzer, or as an Ethernet sniffer for wired infrastructure, or as an 802.11 sniffer for wireless networks. Sniffer Global has tools to check both types of networks. Its user friendly, single click commands, User Interfaces, statistics review, problem analysis tools, and security assurance make it easy to use.

 

It is available in two packages – one for enterprise license usage with unlimited add-on seats, and the other with ten limited licenses. NetScout Systems was founded in 1984 and gained in expertise in wired networks analysis. In September, 2007, it acquired Network General (News - Alert), a sniffer expert in the wireless domain, with the strategic vision to bolster its wireless sniffer foray.

 

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Vivek Naik is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To read more of Vivek's articles, please visit his columnist page.

Edited by Michael Dinan