Despite being in the technology industry, there are some things system security pros (or their bosses) just aren't familiar with. One of the questions we get at Garland is, "What is a network TAP, anyway?" The next question is typically, "And why do I need one?"
In our mission to education the networking and security industry, here's a good overview of network TAPs that will answer those questions.
A network TAP is a hardware tool that allows you to access and monitor your network traffic. TAPs transmit both the send and receive data streams simultaneously on separate dedicated channels, ensuring all data arrives at the monitoring device in real time.
Deciding how to get data from your network and into your monitoring and security tools is just as important as the tools themselves. Network TAPs are the industry best practice - and the only guaranteed method for 100% data capture.
"SPANs can add overhead on a network device, and that SPAN port will often drop mirrored packets if the device gets too busy. Therefore, TAPs are a better option.”
-EMA [Enterprise Management Associates]
Network TAPs are inserted between network devices, like a switch and router, where they copy data continuously, 24/7, without compromising network integrity. Different types of network TAPs are used depending on the needs of the monitoring and security tools they are feeding traffic into.
Network TAPs come in variety of forms and configurations:
Each type of network TAP operates in a slightly different manner based on the requirements it needs to perform. In our Primer on Network TAPs, I reviewed the different functions and benefits to using each TAP mode.
Here's a quick overview of the different TAP modes:
When I started out in this industry, we connected to the live wire. But back then there wasn't another option. Some engineers started using the SPAN/Mirror port on their switches - but that leads to an entire quandary of data quality issues, such as dropped packets, altered packets, etc.
The advantages of using a network TAP are:
Looking to add network TAPs to your deployment, but not sure where to start? Join us for a brief network Design-IT consultation or demo. No obligation - it’s what we love to do!