What Is Network Behavior Analysis? Definition, Importance, and Best Practices

Network behavior analysis is defined as the process of gathering and analyzing enterprise network data to identify unusual entity behavior that might indicate malicious activity. This article explains the definition, importance, and best practices of network behavior analysis.

What Is Network Behavior Analysis?

Network behavior analysis is the process of gathering and analyzing enterprise network data to identify unusual entity behavior that might indicate malicious activity.

Network Behavior Analysis Using APChain Algorithm

Modern network behavior analysis solutions collect NetFlow to create a reference point for normal network operations. When a network entity behaves in a way that does not match the set limits for its expected behavior, network behavior analysis records and highlights the anomalous incident for security operators.

Enterprises rely on network behavior analysis for automated threat warnings that cannot be easily spotted by security teams. Network behavior analysis solutions can effectively differentiate between various types of network applications using cutting-edge machine learning (ML) techniques, with accuracy levels often surpassing 90%. 

Network behavior analysis studies various characteristics of network traffic. These include: 

• Flow duration
• Packet size
• Packet signature
• Response time
• Quantities of ACK and SYN packets in each flow

These characteristics are also analyzed by the network behavior analysis solution to classify the type of network traffic and measure network performance, among other applications.

Network behavior analysis enhances network security by tracking traffic patterns and highlighting out-of-place activity. This is a departure from ‘traditional’ network security operations where conventional solutions such as signature recognition, packet checking, and blocking malicious websites are used to defend networks from harm. 

Instead, network behavior analysis collates information about the way a network operates from numerous sources and leverages machine learning to identify patterns in this data. Any unexpected change in these patterns could suggest the presence of malicious activity.

Consider an endpoint used by the accounting department that has never consumed more than one gigabyte of network resources in a single day. One day, this endpoint collects several gigabytes of data from a critical technology database. While it would be possible to spot this anomaly without network behavior analysis, it could take days or even weeks to identify the problem assuming someone is going through these logs manually. 

Network behavior analysis solutions would highlight this case of data hoarding in near real-time. Advanced cybersecurity setups might even limit the endpoint’s permissions and take other automated measures to prevent the exfiltration of the acquired data. Prompt detection and response to such behavior by network behavior analysis solutions enable security teams to deal with the threat before widespread damage can be done.

The efficacy of network behavior analysis solutions increases over time as it monitors the network and creates benchmarks for typical network behavior. The bigger the dataset that network behavior analysis can work with, the more easily it can identify anomalies. Any deviations identified by the solution are escalated for further action, either to another automated component or a human team. 

In the post-pandemic business world, almost all internal processes are carried out online. Therefore, corporations and SMEs rely on network behavior analysis for valuable insights to help them defend against deadly cyber attacks, particularly zero-day vulnerabilities and malware.

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Enterprise traffic analysis methods

The three common enterprise traffic analysis methods include: 

• Protocol-based analysis
• Port-based analysis
• Behavior-based analysis

Many businesses rely on some combination of these methods for their network security needs. Behavior-based analysis, such as network behavior analysis, complements the other two measures and helps patch their blind spots. For instance, port-based network security often features a high rate of false positives due to its inability to establish context. 

Additionally, this method cannot provide a complete overview to the security team as many network applications today do not use registered TCP UDP ports. With network behavior analysis, the data monitored by port-based analytics tools can be bolstered with additional context and insights, enabling security personnel to filter out the noise and focus on those alerts that matter.

Similarly, enterprises use network behavior analysis in conjunction with packet payload analysis measures to gain a more complete overview of the network. Doing so also enables them to reduce threats to privacy and decrease resource requirements for network security. This is because while payload analysis comes with a very low false identification rate, it is a resource-intensive process that might occasionally negatively affect network performance. 

Further, this process can breach the privacy of network users and has limited effectiveness when it comes to encrypted data, which is the norm for enterprises today. Network behavior analysis does not depend on peeking into the content of packets. As such, it consumes relatively fewer computing resources, keeps user privacy intact, and detects threats despite the traffic being encrypted.

See More: What Is a Computer Network? Definition, Objectives, Components, Types, and Best Practices 

Importance of Network Behavior Analysis

Cybersecurity Ventures predicts that the damage caused by cybercrime globally would be valued at $10.5 trillion annually by 2025, making effective cybersecurity measures such as network behavior analysis critical for survival in today’s business landscape. Here are five reasons why network behavior analysis will be important for organizations in 2022.

Importance of Network Behavior Analysis

1. Puts enterprise data to work

Implementing network behavior analysis is a responsible approach to dealing with organizational security and enables enterprises to achieve their business goals without having to worry about unpleasant surprises from malicious parties. It is a powerful alternative to security through obscurity, which is simply hoping that bad actors do not target a specific business. 

Gone are the days when ‘responsive measures’ were enough to deal with cybercrime. Today, failure to take a proactive approach to deal with cybercriminals can lead to losses amounting to billions of dollars and the permanent loss of customer trust.

Organizations already have all the data that network behavior analysis solutions need to protect their networks. It is just a matter of putting it to work. Think of network behavior analysis as a pair of glasses: everything a security team needs to see is already inside the network, and they just need a network behavior analysis-tinted lens to spot anomalies in this data and recognize when and where action needs to be taken. 

With the right network behavior analysis solution, enterprise security teams have access to cutting-edge reporting, network monitoring, and forensics. Network behavior analysis can also be used for troubleshooting behavior-based network problems and examining granular data on network behavior by a user, node, or zone, as well as gathering historical data to monitor trends.

2. Minimizes need for manual intervention

Network behavior analysis tracks the internal operations of business networks by collecting information from a range of devices and other data points. This enables it to generate detailed analyses and take automated actions alongside other security solutions. 

As network behavior analysis constantly monitors the network, humans do not need to do so. Instead, security personnel can rest assured that network behavior analysis tools will automatically flag unknown activities, unusual patterns, and potential threats.

One key advantage of a network behavior analysis solution is a reduction in the time and labor that network administrators have to put into finding and solving network issues. With network behavior analysis, analysts do not need to constantly check logs and user accounts for variances in bandwidth and communication protocols. Network behavior analysis can even spot and restrict access to potentially dangerous websites or other sources of data by itself.

The round-the-clock, automated, and proactive nature of network behavior analysis makes it possible to maintain business continuity requirements without the need for large security teams to get involved. It provides a powerful set of automated eyes that constantly watch the network without having to rely on human intervention.

3. Reduces response times

Network behavior analysis facilitates faster response times by constantly analyzing historical as well as real-time data traffic. It finds the root cause of network problems and flags potentially malicious activities that occur inside the network in near real-time. This helps security teams reduce the average time required to detect and respond to suspected security incidents and other anomalies.

By minimizing the time taken to implement countermeasures to security issues and troubleshooting their root cause, organizations can reduce the impact of any security event that might take place and perhaps even thwart it before it happens. Network behavior analysis also increases the chances of a security response being in accordance with regulatory guidelines and reduces the resources that have to be allocated for mitigating such threats.

Insights from network behavior analysis tools can even enable investigators to get a prompt, detailed overview of attacks that slip through the cracks and trace them back to the responsible parties. Integrating network behavior analysis with automated policy enforcement solutions can further speed up the investigation process by tagging the specific devices and users that malicious traffic originated from and passed through.

4. Complements existing cybersecurity solutions

Network behavior analysis is the perfect solution for filling the gaps left by other cybersecurity solutions such as firewalls, spyware detection tools, and antivirus software. Advanced network behavior analysis solutions are capable of spotting even mildly unusual behavior, which could be indicative of threats that other cybersecurity measures such as security information and event management (SIEM) systems and intrusion prevention systems (IPS) might miss.

As most security tools are only capable of dealing with the specific threats that they are configured to counter, network behavior analysis is a valuable complementary technology for identifying and addressing the early signs of network attacks.

5. Deals with the latest threats faced by complex networks

It’s no secret that the threat landscape has evolved considerably ever since the pandemic hit. The risks faced by organizations nowadays have increased manifold in terms of both the magnitude of impact and the possibility of adverse outcomes. Network behavior analysis is designed to deal with the latest cyber threats, even if they are rather obscure in nature.

For instance, cryptojacking is a relatively new type of threat, wherein, cybercriminals secretly use the computing power of their victims to ‘mine’ cryptocurrency. Traditional cybersecurity measures might not be able to detect these attacks as they might not have the relevant threat signatures in their databases. However, network behavior analysis would be able to spot an endpoint infected with a cryptojacking program just because the said endpoint would behave differently than it usually does (increased bandwidth usage, slower response time, etc.).

Additionally, regulations such as the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (EU GDPR) contain punitive provisions that would make it even more expensive for enterprises to ignore the latest threats. As cybercriminals become increasingly familiar with using attack vectors infused with artificial intelligence (AI), behavior changes detected by network behavior analysis might be the most effective way to spot threats before it is too late.

Finally, network behavior analysis is an ideal security solution for increasingly complex enterprise network infrastructure that contains different communication layers with everything from IoT devices and sensors to cutting-edge mobile endpoints for field operations. Without network behavior analysis, growing organizations would find it difficult to keep up with networks expanding in terms of both size and complexity. As a result, they could fall victim to cybercrime as vulnerabilities remain unresolved, or worse, undetected. 

See More: Wide Area Network (WAN) vs. Local Area Network (LAN): Key Differences and Similarities

Network Behavior Analysis Best Practices for 2022

In the post-pandemic world, detecting and responding to cyber threats swiftly and effectively are top-tier priorities for every enterprise. If you are implementing or have implemented network behavior analysis for your organization’s network in 2022, consider these best practices to enhance its effectiveness and efficiency.

Top Best Practices for Network Behavior Analysis in 2022

1. Analyze your options carefully before picking a network behavior analysis offering

It is critical to thoroughly analyze all the available network behavior analysis vendors before choosing a solution. While this tip might sound obvious, not every stakeholder has sufficient technical knowledge to be able to choose the perfect network behavior analysis system for their enterprise. 

Choosing an offering without considering factors such as the precise needs of your organization, the network components currently in use, and the expertise of your security staff might lead to the network behavior analysis causing more harm than good. To correctly evaluate the right network behavior analysis systems that are available to choose from, consider the analysis and reporting requirements for your organization. Also, check whether these solutions are entirely compatible for integration with your existing network. 

Another important factor to consider is whether the network behavior analysis solution can be calibrated and used easily with all the devices that flow needs to be collected from. Note that the performance of some devices might be negatively affected once flows are enabled for them, so plan accordingly.

2. Don’t rely on network behavior analysis alone

Intrusion prevention systems (IPS) secure enterprise networks by continuously monitoring them for threats. Once a potential threat is detected, IPS reports and blocks it in real-time. The efficacy of IPS solutions is enhanced manifold when deployed in conjunction with network behavior analysis, as the latter increases visibility into network traffic.

Once IPS and network behavior analysis are set up, consider deploying additional traditional security measures such as a firewall. Ensure that the correct processes are followed to tune all solutions to work in conjunction with network behavior analysis and each other. 

For best results, consider employing the services of a cybersecurity expert (either hired full-time or on a contractual basis) to fine-tune, analyze, and troubleshoot your security infrastructure. Setting up your security infrastructure correctly is half the battle won, and therefore, do not ignore this aspect.

3. Ensure live testing before full-scale adoption

It is critical for all stakeholders to comprehensively test the chosen network behavior analysis solution before implementing it across all the networks. If possible, run network behavior analysis in a production network to evaluate it properly. By doing so, you will allow your security team to see the actual type of network activity reporting that the chosen network behavior analysis service will provide. Do so in the presence of a vendor representative who can answer any questions that might arise.

Live testing is certainly more preferable than other evaluation methodologies such as in-lab testing or reviewing whitepapers and use cases of other companies. Testing on a section of your enterprise network is much more likely to provide results that are relevant to your organization’s requirements.

Ask the network behavior analysis vendor whether they would be willing to provide an onsite proof-of-concept trial before you broadly implement their services. You would probably need to work closely with representatives from the vendor’s team while they deploy the network behavior analysis solution according to their best practices. 

If done correctly, such a proof-of-concept should not impact the production environment and should be able to demonstrate how effectively the network behavior analysis operates.

4. Fine-tune network behavior analysis to minimize false positives

Once you set up network behavior analysis, deploy experts who can effectively tune it to collect the right network data for minimizing false positives. Failure to do so could lead to numerous false-positive alerts. This could have a negative impact: either the team’s productivity can be hampered as they examine all alerts, or the team may choose to ignore some alerts and end up letting a real threat pass through.

To gain the most value out of your network behavior analysis system, complete the tuning exercise correctly as soon as possible after implementation. Demarcating your network logically and geographically into zones is also a valuable exercise that will enable your security team to examine the behavior within high-risk zones and monitor the type and volume of traffic. 

Further, fine-tuning network behavior analysis allows it to ‘fingerprint’ missing or incorrect port and protocol data, granting security personnel a more in-depth understanding of enterprise applications.

Defining network zones based on behavior will also allow you to exercise granular control over alerting. Additionally, configuring network behavior analysis as per policies that address the security needs of high-risk network zones not only bolsters the security posture of your organization but also makes your alerts more useful and manageable.

5. Leverage network behavior analysis for security & non-security monitoring

Network behavior analysis may be ideal for securing your organization from cyber threats, but it is also an extremely helpful tool for general network monitoring. The analysis data generated by network behavior analysis can help you track network usage patterns, diagnose problems in network performance, and spot spikes in traffic. 

This information can help your IT team detect both security problems and issues in network performance. Once such problems are detected, they can quickly investigate them to figure out the source and eventually resolve them. For instance, a properly tuned network behavior analysis solution allows you to plan the growth of your WAN bandwidth correctly, as you can predict the future requirements for network bandwidth by analyzing present usage.

To streamline the process, create logical groupings and focused viewpoints within the solution that make sense for your organization. The goal should be ease of use through common sense device groupings with naming conventions that can be deciphered swiftly. Query or view a limited number of flows to gain useful network data in a timely manner.

Bottom line: make sure your network behavior analysis solution provides in-depth network visibility as well as effective monitoring that can counter both cybersecurity threats and general network performance problems.

See More: What Is Network Software? Definition, Types, Components, and Best Practices

Takeaway

In the post-pandemic world, visibility into enterprise networks is critical from a security standpoint. Organizations from across industry verticals are expected to implement network behavior analysis for their networks in 2022. This is because world-class cybersecurity is a top priority today, and ensuring the safety of customer data has become more important than ever before. 

Network behavior analysis meets these goals by providing crystal-clear visibility in network operations, real-time situational overview, and state-of-the-art threat detection. Network behavior analysis solutions notify security personnel in case of any emerging cyber threats, such as an attacker trying to make their way into a network, a DoS attack unfolding, or malware taking hold of a section of your network and spreading its presence. 

With network behavior analysis, enterprises can detect suspicious behavior on their networks in near real-time and potentially prevent, or at least limit, otherwise debilitating cyberattacks.

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