With the creation of the Internet, the world gained unthinkable communication and information access. But this revolution also brought a new form of crime and opportunities for theft. Network intruders and malware have become legitimate, prevalent concerns for any business owner.

The first network-borne infectious programs were developed to contaminate multitasking Unix systems. One of the first noteworthy cases of malware was the Internet worm of 1988, which infected SunOS and VAX BSD systems, exploiting network security weaknesses in server programs and running itself as a separate process.

As the Windows operating system and its flexible macros grew in the ’90s, writing infectious code became a popular form of malware. Naturally, as security measures combatted the norms of network intruders, viruses and worms evolved to take advantage of new, existing vulnerabilities. For example, Windigo sent out millions of spam emails this year after successfully overtaking more than 25,000 Unix servers.

So, what are the weak points and how do you improve network security, intrusion detection, and intrusion prevention?

Weaknesses In Common Network Design

Before you implement more and more analysis and monitoring tools, understand that network devices all need access to the same data, and are able to support only a limited number of port mirrors.

Many businesses and network consultants use port mirrors – which are configured using Ethernet switch software – but they don’t know that complete data capture is often unachievable this way. Because port mirrors are software-based, network traffic may be dropped if the Ethernet switch becomes oversubscribed. Plus, an improperly configured port mirror is capable of oversubscribing your network or shutting down required ports. As if that weren’t enough, port mirrors can also be turned off by a network intruder, making the intrusion impossible to detect.

Network TAPs: The Logical Solution

A common solution to “better” monitor network intrusion is to attach an analyzer in line, but this has two major drawbacks:

1. Because leaving an analyzer in line is not cost effective, network managers must break a connection whenever monitoring.
   
   
2. Because the analyzer is not passive, you introduce a point of failure.

Network TAPs, on the other hand, offer you the flexibility to monitor your network on a 24/7 basis. The device is designed to allow a continuous flow of traffic. It load-balances and aggregates traffic onto a single port and never becomes a point of failure.

Simply put, a network TAP is a critical component of safeguarding against network intrusion.

Want to learn more about the many network tools that help you manage your network? Download What Your Network Is Missing: 7 Tools To TAP