Think of your team’s enterprise network as you would your own backyard. You set up cameras and tools to oversee who might be skulking in the vicinity of your home when you’re not there. After all- no one wants to concede their safety or risk a robbery. In the virtual world, things aren’t much more secure.
Most of the time, we’re not sure who is lurking on our networks. Yet, unapproved devices find their way into individual networks all the time. Organizations often grapple with knowing which devices are on a given network. Without the awareness of what devices are on a network, how can you possibly defend the network itself? This is when it is time to implement network discovery tools.
Set Up A Network Discovery Tool
Network discovery is an IT team’s best asset. In and of itself, network discovery is a finely tuned process of identifying and mapping internal networks. A network discovery tool is a piece of software that is used to scan a network to discover all of the devices on a specific network. The function of these tools is to scan a range of IP addresses to show any live devices on the specific network.
It can also detect devices that are turned off subject to the IP address assigned to it. Essentially, if you’re not sure who is lurking on your network, a network discovery tool is like shining a flashlight into the darkness, illuminating who might be there. These tools use TCP, ICMP, and SNMP to discover specific hosts.
Implement Network Monitoring Tools
For the most part, network monitoring tools operate similarly to network monitoring tools. However, it can be useful to employ both, as there are some fundamental differences. When you want to know who or what may be lurking on the network, each can bring something great to the table.
Network scanner. Best to locate devices on an expressed network. Unlike other tools, it can scan from larger collective networks down to limited home networks. It operates by pinpointing the range of IP addresses and can also scan networks for security amenabilities in the network.
Monitoring tools. Monitoring tools can shape/monitor a network. It is run to monitor server issues or connection issues on a steady basis through software. Largely, monitoring tools are used to monitor whether a given aspect of a network is functioning as it should. It is also proficient at recognizing breakdowns on devices or connections within the network.
Which one is better for your network enterprise? Each serves a profound function, which means you might want to implement both. Let’s break it down.
Monitoring tools do the following:
- Audit for network issues
- Can be used by the admin or a hacker
- Software is required to scan a certain network
Network scans do the following:
- Used to scan networks for key vulnerabilities
- Can be used by hackers or admins
- Software is not required to scan a network
To keep your network secure and stable, use both monitoring tools and network discovery tools or network scans. First, you need to locate susceptibilities to know how to defend yourself with a scan. Then you need to be able to monitor network issues and keep tabs on how the network is working. Together, network monitoring and network scans create the perfect virtual defense system to keep unwanted hackers or users out of your “proverbial” backyard.
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