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Product Marketing Manager AlgoSec Cloud Navigating Compliance in the Cloud Iris Stein 2 min read Iris Stein Short bio about author here Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur. Vitae donec tincidunt elementum quam laoreet duis sit enim. Duis mattis velit sit leo diam. Tags Share this article 6/29/25 Published Cloud adoption isn't just soaring; it's practically stratospheric. Businesses of all sizes are leveraging the agility, scalability, and innovation that cloud environments offer. Yet, hand-in-hand with this incredible growth comes an often-overlooked challenge: the increasing complexities of maintaining compliance. Whether your organization grapples with industry-specific regulations like HIPAA for healthcare, PCI DSS for payment processing, SOC 2 for service organizations, or simply adheres to stringent internal governance policies, navigating the ever-shifting landscape of cloud compliance can feel incredibly daunting. It's akin to staring at a giant, knotted ball of spaghetti, unsure where to even begin untangling. But here’s the good news: while it demands attention and a strategic approach, staying compliant in the cloud is far from an impossible feat. This article aims to be your friendly guide through the compliance labyrinth, offering practical insights and key considerations to help you maintain order and assurance in your cloud environments. The foundation: Understanding the Shared Responsibility Model Before you even think about specific regulations, you must grasp the Shared Responsibility Model . This is the bedrock of cloud compliance, and misunderstanding it is a common pitfall that can lead to critical security and compliance gaps. In essence, your cloud provider (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, etc.) is responsible for the security of the cloud – that means the underlying infrastructure, the physical security of data centers, the global network, and the hypervisors. However, you are responsible for the security in the cloud . This includes your data, your configurations, network traffic protection, identity and access management, and the applications you deploy. Think of it like a house: the cloud provider builds and secures the house (foundation, walls, roof), but you’re responsible for what you put inside it, how you lock the doors and windows, and who you let in. A clear understanding of this division is paramount for effective cloud security and compliance. Simplify to conquer: Centralize your compliance efforts Imagine trying to enforce different rules for different teams using separate playbooks – it's inefficient and riddled with potential for error. The same applies to cloud compliance, especially in multi-cloud environments. Juggling disparate compliance requirements across multiple cloud providers manually is not just time-consuming; it's a recipe for errors, missed deadlines, and a constant state of anxiety. The solution? Aim for a unified, centralized approach to policy enforcement and auditing across your entire multi-cloud footprint. This means establishing consistent security policies and compliance controls that can be applied and monitored seamlessly, regardless of which cloud platform your assets reside on. A unified strategy streamlines management, reduces complexity, and significantly lowers the risk of non-compliance. The power of automation: Your compliance superpower Manual compliance checks are, to put it mildly, an Achilles' heel in today's dynamic cloud environments. They are incredibly time-consuming, prone to human error, and simply cannot keep pace with the continuous changes in cloud configurations and evolving threats. This is where automation becomes your most potent compliance superpower. Leveraging automation for continuous monitoring of configurations, access controls, and network flows ensures ongoing adherence to compliance standards. Automated tools can flag deviations from policies in real-time, identify misconfigurations before they become vulnerabilities, and provide instant insights into your compliance posture. Think of it as having an always-on, hyper-vigilant auditor embedded directly within your cloud infrastructure. It frees up your security teams to focus on more strategic initiatives, rather than endless manual checks. Prove it: Maintain comprehensive audit trails Compliance isn't just about being compliant; it's about proving you're compliant. When an auditor comes knocking – and they will – you need to provide clear, irrefutable, and easily accessible evidence of your compliance posture. This means maintaining comprehensive, immutable audit trails . Ensure that all security events, configuration changes, network access attempts, and policy modifications are meticulously logged and retained. These logs serve as your digital paper trail, demonstrating due diligence and adherence to regulatory requirements. The ability to quickly retrieve specific audit data is critical during assessments, turning what could be a stressful scramble into a smooth, evidence-based conversation. The dynamic duo: Regular review and adaptation Cloud environments are not static. Regulations evolve, new services emerge, and your own business needs change. Therefore, compliance in the cloud is never a "set it and forget it" task. It requires a dynamic approach: regular review and adaptation . Implement a robust process for periodically reviewing your compliance controls. Are they still relevant? Are there new regulations or updates you need to account for? Are your existing controls still effective against emerging threats? Adapt your policies and controls as needed to ensure continuous alignment with both external regulatory demands and your internal security posture. This proactive stance keeps you ahead of potential issues rather than constantly playing catch-up. Simplify Your Journey with the Right Tools Ultimately, staying compliant in the cloud boils down to three core pillars: clear visibility into your cloud environment, consistent and automated policy enforcement, and the demonstrable ability to prove adherence. This is where specialized tools can be invaluable. Solutions like AlgoSec Cloud Enterprise can truly be your trusted co-pilot in this intricate journey. It's designed to help you discover all your cloud assets across multiple providers, proactively identify compliance risks and misconfigurations, and automate policy enforcement. By providing a unified view and control plane, it gives you the confidence that your multi-cloud environment not only meets but also continuously maintains the strictest regulatory requirements. Don't let the complexities of cloud compliance slow your innovation or introduce unnecessary risk. Embrace strategic approaches, leverage automation, and choose the right partners to keep those clouds compliant and your business secure. Schedule a demo Related Articles 2025 in review: What innovations and milestones defined AlgoSec’s transformative year in 2025? AlgoSec Reviews Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read Navigating Compliance in the Cloud AlgoSec Cloud Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read 5 Multi-Cloud Environments Cloud Security Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read Speak to one of our experts Speak to one of our experts Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Schedule a call

The fusion of Cloud and AI is more than just a technological advancement; it’s a paradigm shift. As businesses harness the combined power... Hybrid Cloud Security Management The confluence of cloud and AI: charting a secure path in the age of intelligent innovation Adel Osta Dadan 2 min read Adel Osta Dadan Short bio about author here Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur. Vitae donec tincidunt elementum quam laoreet duis sit enim. Duis mattis velit sit leo diam. Tags Share this article 9/20/23 Published The fusion of Cloud and AI is more than just a technological advancement; it’s a paradigm shift. As businesses harness the combined power of these transformative technologies, the importance of a security-centric approach becomes increasingly evident. This exploration delves deeper into the strategic significance of navigating the Cloud-AI nexus with a focus on security and innovation. Cloud and AI: catalysts for business transformation The cloud provides the foundational infrastructure, while AI infuses intelligence, making systems smarter and more responsive. Together, they’re reshaping industries, driving efficiencies, and creating new business models. However, with these opportunities come challenges. Ensuring robust security in this intertwined environment is not just a technical necessity but a strategic imperative. As AI algorithms process vast datasets in the cloud, businesses must prioritize the protection and integrity of this data to build and maintain trust. Building trust in intelligent systems In the age of AI, data isn’t just processed; it’s interpreted, analyzed, and acted upon. This autonomous decision-making demands a higher level of trust. Ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data in the cloud becomes paramount. Beyond just data protection, it’s about ensuring that AI-driven decisions, which can have real-world implications, are made based on secure and untampered data. This trust forms the bedrock of AI’s value proposition in the cloud. Leadership in the Cloud-AI era Modern leaders are not just visionaries; they’re also gatekeepers. They stand at the intersection of innovation and security, ensuring that as their organizations harness AI in the cloud, ethical considerations and security protocols are front and center. This dual role is challenging but essential. As AI-driven applications become integral to business operations, leaders must champion a culture where security and innovation coexist harmoniously. Seamless integration and the role of DevSecOps Developing AI applications in the cloud is a complex endeavor. It requires a seamless integration of development, operations, and crucially, security. Enter DevSecOps. This approach ensures that security is embedded at every stage of the development lifecycle. From training AI models to deploying them in cloud environments, security considerations are integral, ensuring that the innovations are both groundbreaking and grounded in security. Collaborative security for collective intelligence AI’s strength lies in its ability to derive insights from vast datasets. In the interconnected world of the cloud, data flows seamlessly across boundaries, making collaborative security vital. Protecting this collective intelligence requires a unified approach, where security protocols are integrated across platforms, tools, and teams. Future-proofing the Cloud-AI strategy The technological horizon is ever-evolving. The fusion of Cloud and AI is just the beginning, and as businesses look ahead, embedding security into their strategies is non-negotiable. It’s about ensuring that as new technologies emerge and integrate with existing systems, the foundation remains secure and resilient. AlgoSec’s unique value proposition At AlgoSec, we understand the intricacies of the Cloud-AI landscape. Our application-based approach ensures that businesses have complete visibility into their digital assets. With AlgoSec, organizations gain a clear view of their application connectivity, ensuring that security policies align with business processes. As AI integrates deeper into cloud strategies, AlgoSec’s solutions empower businesses to innovate confidently, backed by a robust security framework. Our platform provides holistic, business-level visibility across the entire network infrastructure. With features like AlgoSec AppViz and AppChange, businesses can seamlessly identify network security vulnerabilities, plan migrations, accelerate troubleshooting, and adhere to the highest compliance standards. By taking an application-centric approach to security policy management, AlgoSec bridges the gap between IT teams and application delivery teams, fostering collaboration and ensuring a heightened security posture. Schedule a demo Related Articles 2025 in review: What innovations and milestones defined AlgoSec’s transformative year in 2025? AlgoSec Reviews Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read Navigating Compliance in the Cloud AlgoSec Cloud Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read 5 Multi-Cloud Environments Cloud Security Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read Speak to one of our experts Speak to one of our experts Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Schedule a call

In our previous post we have provided some details about a new fork of Kinsing malware, a Linux malware that propagates across... Cloud Security Router Honeypot for an IRC Bot Rony Moshkovich 2 min read Rony Moshkovich Short bio about author here Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur. Vitae donec tincidunt elementum quam laoreet duis sit enim. Duis mattis velit sit leo diam. glibc_2 Tags Share this article 9/13/20 Published In our previous post we have provided some details about a new fork of Kinsing malware, a Linux malware that propagates across misconfigured Docker platforms and compromises them with a coinminer. Several days ago, the attackers behind this malware have uploaded a new ELF executable b_armv7l into the compromised server dockerupdate[.]anondns[.]net . The executable b_armv7l is based on a known source of Tsunami (also known as Kaiten), and is built using uClibc toolchain: $ file b_armv7l b_armv7l: ELF 32-bit LSB executable, ARM, EABI4 version 1 (SYSV), dynamically linked, interpreter /lib/ld-uClibc.so.0, with debug_info, not stripped Unlike glibc , the C library normally used with Linux distributions, uClibc is smaller and is designed for embedded Linux systems, such as IoT. Therefore, the malicious b_armv7l was built with a clear intention to install it on such devices as routers, firewalls, gateways, network cameras, NAS servers, etc. Some of the binary’s strings are encrypted. With the help of the HexRays decompiler , one could clearly see how they are decrypted: memcpy ( &key, "xm@_;w,B-Z*j?nvE|sq1o$3\"7zKC4ihgfe6cba~&5Dk2d!8+9Uy:" , 0x40u ) ; memcpy ( &alphabet, "0123456789abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ. " , 0x40u ) ; for ( i = 0; i < = 64; ++i ){ if ( encoded [ j ] == key [ i ]) { if ( psw_or_srv ) decodedpsw [ k ] = alphabet [ i ] ; else decodedsrv [ k ] = alphabet [ i ] ; ++k; }} The string decryption routine is trivial — it simply replaces each encrypted string’s character found in the array key with a character at the same position, located in the array alphabet. Using this trick, the critical strings can be decrypted as: Variable Name Encoded String Decoded String decodedpsw $7|3vfaa~8 logmeINNOW decodedsrv $7?*$s7

Prof. Avishai Wool discusses the complexities of mergers and acquisitions for application management and how organizations can securely... Security Policy Management Managing network connectivity during mergers and acquisitions Prof. Avishai Wool 2 min read Prof. Avishai Wool Short bio about author here Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur. Vitae donec tincidunt elementum quam laoreet duis sit enim. Duis mattis velit sit leo diam. Tags Share this article 7/22/21 Published Prof. Avishai Wool discusses the complexities of mergers and acquisitions for application management and how organizations can securely navigate the transition It comes as no surprise that the number of completed Mergers and Acquisitions (M&As) dropped significantly during the early stages of the pandemic as businesses closed ranks and focused on surviving rather than thriving. However, as we start to find some reprieve, many experts forecast that we’ll see an upturn in activity. In fact, by the end of 2020, M&A experienced a sudden surge and finished the year with only a 3% decline on 2019 levels. Acquiring companies is more than just writing a cheque. There are hundreds of things to consider both big and small, from infrastructure to staffing, which can make or break a merger. With that in mind, what do businesses need to do in order to ensure a secure and successful transition? When two worlds collide For many businesses, a merger or acquisition is highly charged. There’s often excitement about new beginnings mixed with trepidation about major business changes, not least when it comes to IT security. Mergers and acquisitions are like two planets colliding, each with their own intricate ecosystem. You have two enterprises running complex IT infrastructures with hundreds if not thousands of applications that don’t just simply integrate together. More often than not they perform replicated functions, which implies that some need to be used in parallel, while others need to be decommissioned and removed. This means amending, altering, and updating thousands of policies to accommodate new connections, applications, servers, and firewalls without creating IT security risks or outages. In essence, from an IT security perspective, a merger or acquisition is a highly complicated project that, if not planned and implemented properly, can have a long-term impact on business operations. Migrating and merging infrastructures One thing a business will need before it can even start the M&A process is an exhaustive inventory of all business applications spanning both businesses. An auto-discovery tool can assist here, collecting data from any application that is active on the network and adding it to a list. This should allow the main business to create a map of network connectivity flows which will form the cornerstone of the migration from an application perspective. Next comes security. A vulnerability assessment should be carried across both enterprise networks to identify any business-critical applications that may be put at risk. This assessment will give the main business the ability to effectively ‘rank’ applications and devices in terms of risk and necessity, allowing for priority lists to be created. This will help SecOps focus their efforts on crucial areas of the business that contain sensitive customer data, for instance. By following these steps you’ll get a clear organizational view of the entire enterprise environment and be able to identify and map all the critical business applications, linking vulnerabilities and cyber risks to specific applications and prioritize remediation actions based on business-driven needs. The power of automation While the steps outlined above will give you with an accurate picture of your IT topology and its business risk, this is only the first half of the story. Now you need to update security policies to support changes to business applications. Automation is critical when it comes to maintaining security during a merger or acquisition. An alarming number of data breaches are due to firewall misconfigurations, often resulting from attempts to change policies manually in a complex network environment. This danger increases with M&A, because the two merging enterprises likely have different firewall setups in place, often mixing traditional with next-generation firewalls or firewalls that come from different vendors. Automation is therefore essential to ensure the firewall change management process is handled effectively and securely with minimal risk of misconfigurations. Achieving true Zero-Touch automation in the network security domain is not an easy task but over time, you can let your automation solution run handsfree as you conduct more changes and gain trust through increasing automation levels step by step. Our Security Management Solution enables IT and security teams to manage and control all their security devices – from cloud controls in public clouds, SDNs, and on-premise firewalls from one single console. With AlgoSec you can automate time-consuming security policy changes and proactively assess risk to ensure continuous compliance. It is our business-driven approach to security policy management that enables organizations to reduce business risk, ensure security and continuous compliance, and drive business agility. Maintaining security throughout the transition A merger or acquisition presents a range of IT challenges but ensuring business applications can continue to run securely throughout the transition is critical. If you take an application centric approach and utilize automation, you will be in the best position for the merger/migration and will ultimately drive long term success. To learn more or speak to one of our security experts, schedule your personal demo . Schedule a demo Related Articles 2025 in review: What innovations and milestones defined AlgoSec’s transformative year in 2025? AlgoSec Reviews Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read Navigating Compliance in the Cloud AlgoSec Cloud Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read 5 Multi-Cloud Environments Cloud Security Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read Speak to one of our experts Speak to one of our experts Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Schedule a call

Get your application discovery and dependency mapping questions answered. Find clear explanations, best practices, and learn how to improve your understanding of your IT landscape. Application Discovery & Dependency Mapping Explained (FAQs) ---- ------- Schedule a Demo Select a size ----- Get the latest insights from the experts Use these six best practices to simplify compliance and risk mitigation with the AlgoSec platform White paper Learn how AlgoSec can help you pass PCI-DSS Audits and ensure Solution overview Learn how AlgoSec can help you pass PCI-DSS Audits and ensure Solution overview Choose a better way to manage your network

A firewall that runs 24/7 requires a good amount of computing resources. Especially if you are running a complex firewall system, your... Firewall Change Management Firewall performance tuning: Common issues & resolutions Asher Benbenisty 2 min read Asher Benbenisty Short bio about author here Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur. Vitae donec tincidunt elementum quam laoreet duis sit enim. Duis mattis velit sit leo diam. Tags Share this article 8/9/23 Published A firewall that runs 24/7 requires a good amount of computing resources. Especially if you are running a complex firewall system, your performance overhead can actually slow down the overall throughput of your systems and even affect the actual functionalities of your firewall. Here is a brief overview of common firewall performance issues and the best practices to help you tune your firewall performance . 7 Common performance issues with firewalls Since firewall implementations often include some networking hardware usage, they can slow down network performance and traffic bottlenecks within your network. 1. High CPU usage The more network traffic you deal with, the more CPU time your server will need. When a firewall is running, it adds to CPU utilization since the processes need more power to execute the network packet analysis and subsequent firewall This may lead to firewall failures in extreme cases where the firewall process is completely shut down or the system experiences a noticeable lag affecting overall functionality. A simple way to resolve this issue would be to increase the hardware capabilities. But as that might not be a viable solution in all cases, you must consider minimizing the network traffic with router-level filtering or decreasing the server load with optimized 2. Route flapping Router misconfiguration or hardware failure can cause frequent advertising of alternate routes. This will increase the load on your resources and thus lead to performance issues. 3. Network errors and discards A high number of error packets or discarded packets can burden your resources as these packets are still processed by the firewall even when they ultimately turn out to be dud in terms of traffic. Such errors usually happen when routers try to reclaim some buffer space. 4. Congested network access link Network access link congestion can be caused due to a bottleneck happening between a high bandwidth IP Network and LAN. When there is high traffic, the router queue gets filled and causes jitters and time delays. When there are more occurrences of jitter, more packets are dropped on the receiving end, causing a degradation of the quality of audio or video being transmitted. This issue is often observed in VoIP systems . 5. Network link failure When packet loss continues for over a few seconds, it can be deemed a network link failure. While re-establishing the link could take just a few seconds, the routers may already be looking for alternate routes. Frequent network link failures can be a symptom of power supply or hardware issues. 6. Misconfigurations Software or hardware misconfigurations can easily lead to overloading of LAN, and such a burden can easily affect the system’s performance. Situations like these can be caused by misconfigured multicast traffic and can affect the overall data transfer rate of all users. 7. Loss of packets Loss of packets can cause timeout errors, retransmissions, and network slowness. Loss of packets can happen due to delayed operations, server slowdown, misconfiguration, and several other reasons. How to fine-Tune your firewall performance Firewall performance issues can be alleviated with hardware upgrades. But as you scale up, upgrading hardware at an increasing scale would mean high expenses and an overall inefficient system. A much better cost-effective way to resolve firewall performance issues would be to figure out the root cause and make the necessary updates and fixes to resolve the issues. Before troubleshooting, you should know the different types of firewall optimization techniques: Hardware updates Firewall optimization can be easily achieved through real-time hardware updates and upgrades. This is a straightforward method where you add more capacity to your computing resources to handle the processing load of running a firewall. General best practices This involves the commonly used universal best practices that ensure optimized firewall configurations and working. Security policies, data standard compliances , and keeping your systems up to date and patched will all come under this category of optimizations. Any optimization effort generally applied to all firewalls can be classified under this type. Vendor specific Optimization techniques designed specifically to fit the requirements of a particular vendor are called vendor-specific optimizations. This calls for a good understanding of your protected systems, how traffic flows, and how to minimize the network load. Model specific Similar to vendor-specific optimizations, model-specific optimization techniques consider the particular network model you use. For instance, the Cisco network models usually have debugging features that can slow down performance. Similarly, the PIX 6.3 model uses TCP intercept that can slow down performance. Based on your usage and requirements, you can turn the specific features on or off to boost your firewall performance. Best practices to resolve the usual firewall performance bottlenecks Here are some proven best practices to improve your firewall’s performance. Additionally, you might also want to read Max Power by Timothy Hall for a wholesome understanding. Standardize your network traffic Any good practice starts with rectifying your internal errors and vulnerabilities. Ensure all your outgoing traffic aligns with your cybersecurity standards and regulations. Weed out any application or server sending out requests that don’t comply with the security regulations and make the necessary updates to streamline your network. Router level filtering To reduce the load on your firewall applications and hardware, you can use router-level network traffic filtering. This can be achieved by making a Standard Access List filter from the previously dropped requests and then routing them using this list for any other subsequent request attempts. This process can be time-consuming but is simple and effective in avoiding bottlenecks. Avoid using complicated firewall rules Complex firewall rules can be resource heavy and place a lot of burden on your firewall performance. Simplifying this ruleset can boost your performance to a great extent. You should also regularly audit these rules and remove unused rules. To help you clean up firewall rules, you can start with Algosec’s firewall rule cleanup and performance optimization tool . Test your firewall Regular testing and auditing of your firewall can help you identify any probable causes for performance slowdown. You can collect information on your network traffic and use it to optimize how your firewall operates. You can use Algosec’s firewall auditor services to take care of all your auditing requirements and ensure compliance at all levels. Make use of common network troubleshooting tools To analyze the network traffic and troubleshoot your performance issues, you can use common network tools like netstat and iproute2. These tools provide you with network stats and in-depth information about your traffic that can be well utilized to improve your firewall configurations. You can also use check point servers and tools like SecureXL, and CoreXL. Follow a well-defined security policy As with any security implementation, you should always have a well-defined security policy before configuring your firewalls. This gives you a good idea of how your firewall configurations are made and lets you simplify them easily. Change management is also essential to your firewall policy management process . You should also document all the changes, reviews, and updates you make to your security policies to trace any problematic configurations and keep your systems updated against evolving cyber threats. A good way to mitigate security policy risks is to utilize AlgoSec. Network segmentation Segmentation can help boost performance as it helps isolate network issues and optimize bandwidth allocation. It can also help to reduce the traffic and thus further improve the performance. Here is a guide on network segmentation you can check out. Automation Make use of automation to update your firewall settings. Automating the firewall setup process can greatly reduce setup errors and help you make the process more efficient and less time-consuming. You can also extend the automation to configure routers and switches. Algobot is an intelligent chatbot that can effortlessly handle network security policy management tasks for you. Handle broadcast traffic efficiently You can create optimized rules to handle broadcast traffic without logging to improve performance. Make use of optimized algorithms Some firewalls, such as the Cisco Pix, ASA 7.0 , Juniper network models, and FWSM 4.0 are designed to match packets without dependency on rule order. You can use these firewalls; if not, you will have to consider the rule order to boost the performance. To improve performance, you should place the most commonly used policy rules on the top of the rule base. The SANS Institute recommends the following order of rules: Anti-spoofing filters User permit rules Management permit rules Noise drops Deny and alert Deny and log DNS objects Try to avoid using DNS objects that need DNS lookup services. This slows down the firewall. Router interface design Matching the router interface with your firewall interface is a good way to ensure good performance. If your router interface is half duplex and the firewall is full duplex, the mismatch can cause some performance issues. Similarly, you should try to match the switch interface with your firewall interface, making them report on the same speed and mode. For gigabit switches, you should set up your firewall to automatically adjust speed and duplex mode. You can replace the cables and patch panel ports if you cannot match the interfaces. VPN If you are using VPN and firewalls, you can separate them to remove some VPN traffic and processing load from the firewall and thus increase the performance. UTM features You can remove the additional UTM features like Antivirus, and URL scanning features from the firewall to make it more efficient. This does not mean you completely eliminate any additional security features. Instead, just offload them from the firewall to make the firewall work faster and take up fewer computing resources. Keep your systems patched and updated Always keep your systems, firmware, software, and third-party applications updated and patched to deal with all known vulnerabilities. Schedule a demo Related Articles 2025 in review: What innovations and milestones defined AlgoSec’s transformative year in 2025? AlgoSec Reviews Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read Navigating Compliance in the Cloud AlgoSec Cloud Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read 5 Multi-Cloud Environments Cloud Security Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read Speak to one of our experts Speak to one of our experts Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Schedule a call

Best practices for network security governance in AWS and hybrid network environments Webinars Cessation of Misconfigurations: Common Network Misconfiguration Risks & How to Avoid Them Avivi Siman-Tov, AlgoSec’s Director of Product | February 18, 2020 Misconfigurations aren’t simply inconvenient mistakes but serious security threats. According to Gartner, 99% of all firewall breaches will be caused by misconfigurations by 2020 and misconfigurations made OWASP’s list of Top 10 most critical web application security risks. A single change to a network device can have far-reaching effects on your business and create security holes for cybercriminals, impact your audits, and cause costly outages that bring your business to a standstill. In this webinar, Avivi Siman-Tov, AlgoSec’s Director of Product, will show examples of common misconfigurations, including device changes, business application connectivity changes, and data center migrations. He will also reveal specific techniques to help you avoid them. Watch the webinar to learn how to: Understand and map your entire network before you make a change Proactively assess the impact of a change to ensure it does not break connectivity, affect compliance or create a security hole and understand the impact of changes to your entire network Maximize the capabilities of network management automation to avoid common misconfigurations Avoid common mistakes when making changes to your network security devices February 18, 2020 Avivi Siman Tov Director of Product Relevant resources Firewall Rule Recertification - An Application-Centric Approach Keep Reading Securing & managing hybrid network security See Documentation Application first cloud security See Documentation Choose a better way to manage your network Choose a better way to manage your network Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Continue

Technology is advancing rapidly – which is good – but it also exposes your organization to new security threats that can jeopardize... Cloud Security Cybersecurity Mesh Architecture (CSMA) Explained Rony Moshkovich 2 min read Rony Moshkovich Short bio about author here Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur. Vitae donec tincidunt elementum quam laoreet duis sit enim. Duis mattis velit sit leo diam. Tags Share this article 8/14/23 Published Technology is advancing rapidly – which is good – but it also exposes your organization to new security threats that can jeopardize sensitive information. For instance, there’s a good chance your organization has moved to multi-cloud computing environments and you’re also considering (or have adopted) the Internet of Things (IoT). In addition, remote work and bring your own device (BYOD) policies have become quite popular. All these changes mean one thing – attackers are constantly finding new ways of exploiting your defenses. To adapt, your organization must respond with equally innovative ways to strengthen your security posture. This is where Cybersecurity Mesh Architecture (CSMA) comes in. Implementing CSMA allows organizations to fortify their security infrastructure and create resilient defense mechanisms against modern threats. That’s why we’ll discuss everything about Cybersecurity Mesh Architecture. We’ll also cover actionable tips to implement CSMA. What is Cybersecurity Mesh Architecture? Cybersecurity Mesh Architecture (CSMA) is a security concept proposed by Gartner. It is described by Garner as “a composable and scalable approach to extending security controls, even to widely distributed assets.” What this means is that CSMA solves the problem of security silos. For example, many organizations use a security system of multiple integrated security solutions. This increases overhead costs, makes the entire security architecture complex to manage, and then it becomes difficult to monitor cybersecurity risks. This is why CSMA is a “composable” approach that provides a flexible and collaborative security ecosystem to secure a modern, distributed enterprise. So, instead of having security tools and controls running independently, a cybersecurity mesh allows them to interoperate through multiple supportive layers like consolidated policy management, centralized security intelligence & governance, analytics & enforcement, and a common identity fabric. As such, a centralized, decentralized security approach is a suitable name for cybersecurity mesh. How Does CSMA Work? The traditional approach to security deployments is complex. For example, every large organization has an average of 47 different cybersecurity tools within its environments. That means more resources and more effort from security teams managing integrations. On the other hand, CSMA makes security more cohesive and collaborative. This means your organization no longer needs as many resources to fortify its security. But to achieve this, CSMA has four foundational layers: Security Analytics & Intelligence This layer collects and analyzes data from security tools to provide threat analysis and trigger incident responses in your organization. Since CSMA offers centralized administration, vast data sets can be collected, aggregated, and analyzed from a central place. This is particularly possible with Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) software that offers real-time threat analytics and automated event alerts. Distributed Identity Fabric This layer includes identity capabilities like identity proofing, user entitlement management, and adaptive access. It provides the security framework with decentralized directory services crucial to implementing a zero-trust model. Consolidated Policy & Posture Management This layer translates a central policy into configurations and rules for each environment or tool. Alternatively, it can provide dynamic runtime authorization services. Hence, IT teams can quickly identify compliance risks and any misconfiguration concerns. Consolidated Dashboards When disconnected security tools are integrated, your security teams would often need to switch between multiple dashboards, which can slow down operations. However, with this layer, they can have a single-pane dashboard that provides a comprehensive ecosystem view. This makes it easier to respond quicker and more effectively to security events. Benefits of Cybersecurity Mesh Architecture (CSMA) – Why Should You Implement it? Cybersecurity mesh architecture promises many beneficial outcomes for your security architecture. This includes improved threat detection, more efficient incident response, a consistent security policy, and adaptive access control systems. Let’s discuss the benefits of cybersecurity mesh. These benefits also highlight why you should consider implementing it. More Flexibility and Scalability Cybersecurity mesh architecture solutions are designed to offer a more flexible and scalable security response to increased digitization. This enables your organization’s security team to keep pace with the evolving distributed IT infrastructure. Improved Collaboration Part of CSMA’s goals is to improve collaboration and interoperability between your organization’s security solutions. This improves your organization’s threat detection, incident response, and prevention. Consistent Security Architecture With CSMA, your organization has more consistent security through tool connections. This is because the approach allows for security to be extended as needed. So, you’ll have consistent and uniform protection of constantly evolving and growing infrastructure. Increased Effectiveness and Efficiency Cybersecurity mesh seamlessly integrates your organization’s security architecture, removing the need for security personnel to always switch between multiple tools. As you’d expect, this improves the configuration, utilization, and deployment. Your security teams will become more efficient and can redirect time and resources to other essential security tasks. Supports Identity and Access Management (IAM) CSMA supports the deployment and efficacy of identity and access management controls. This is particularly important if your organization has distributed assets that must be properly protected and seek a more robust and reliable method of securing your access points beyond the conventional security perimeters. CSMA empowers your organization to address these challenges, providing advanced capabilities to ensure the integrity and reliability of your security infrastructure. Simplified Implementation Cybersecurity mesh presents a well-suited approach to simplifying security measures’ design, deployment, and maintenance. CSMA establishes a foundational framework for the efficient deployment and configuration of new security solutions. Plus, this architecture’s inherent flexibility and adaptability allow it to evolve and align with evolving business and security requirements dynamically. How to Implement Cybersecurity Mesh Architecture: Best Practices and Considerations Gartner’s cybersecurity mesh architecture concept is an emerging approach to organization security. This means specifications, requirements, and standards for implementation are still evolving. Nonetheless, there are a few considerations and best practices that your organizations can take on board. Organizations that start now are bound to reap the benefits as technology evolves and more threats continue to emerge. Here are some best practices for implementing cybersecurity mesh: 1. Evaluate vendor tools and their compatibility with CSMA Thinking of CSMA implementation? Then it’s essential first to thoroughly evaluate the available vendor tools. You must assess their features, capabilities, and, most importantly, their compatibility with the unique requirements of your CSMA deployment. Carefully selecting tools that work as part of a larger security framework rather than an independent silo will help. This is why it’s recommended to select vendors with an excellent track record of updating their systems to the latest security standards. 2. Security team readiness and training for CSMA adoption Like it or not, the success of your CSMA implementation depends heavily on how prepared your security team is. Are they ready for the change? It’s important to provide the necessary training that allows each member and the entire team to understand the intricacies of CSMA, including how it will work in your organization. 3. Conduct an Asset Protection Inventory Part of the considerations for your CSMA implementation should include conducting a comprehensive inventory of your organization’s assets. Here, you’ll identify and categorize the critical systems, data, and resources that require protection. Doing this will help you understand the areas where CSMA must be prioritized. It further allows you to allocate resources effectively and maximize security coverage across the organization. 4. Consider Costs Every digital transformation has its costs, especially when you must redesign your organization’s entire architecture or infrastructure. So, it’s important to consider the immediate costs and temporary downtime you may encounter. However, if you like looking at the long term, then implementing cybersecurity mesh outweighs the initial costs. 5. Evaluate Organization Appetite for the Transformation Before embarking on the journey of implementing CSMA, it is imperative to evaluate your organization’s appetite for transformation. What does this mean? Assess the level of commitment, resources, and support available to drive the implementation process effectively. Understanding the organizational readiness and obtaining buy-in from key stakeholders will significantly contribute to the success of your CSMA deployment. 6. Leverage Access Control Measures Use access control measures, such as multi-factor authentication (MFA) and Zero Trust Network Access, with appropriate audit procedures for each access request. This allows you to control access to data, ensuring only authorized users have access to your organization’s assets. It also helps you monitor each access request independently to dig out malicious activity. 7. Set KPIs and Track Them Just like any endeavor, it’s important to establish Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) from the onset. It is the only way to know the CSMA you’ve implemented actually works and delivers the intended results. Your organization must identify and track the metrics essential to your overall business objectives. However, keep in mind that KPIs might have different levels. The KPIs your security teams will track typically differ from what the CISO reports at the board level. While security teams evaluate your overall cybersecurity resiliency, the CISO examines how the CSMA strategy impacts business outcomes. Conclusion According to Gartner, organizations that have successfully implemented a cybersecurity mesh architecture by 2024 will reduce the financial impact of individual security incidents by 90 percent ! So, what are you waiting for? As technology continues to evolve, so will new threats. And malicious actors are constantly finding loopholes around the traditional approach to security. Ready to make the change? Prevasio is your trusted partner for consolidated security across your cloud environments. Speak to us now to learn how we can help you. Schedule a demo Related Articles 2025 in review: What innovations and milestones defined AlgoSec’s transformative year in 2025? AlgoSec Reviews Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read Navigating Compliance in the Cloud AlgoSec Cloud Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read 5 Multi-Cloud Environments Cloud Security Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read Speak to one of our experts Speak to one of our experts Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Schedule a call

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A Comprehensive Cloud Security Checklist for Your Cloud Environment There’s a lot to consider when securing your cloud environment.... Cloud Security Cloud Security Checklist: Key Steps and Best Practices Rony Moshkovich 2 min read Rony Moshkovich Short bio about author here Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur. Vitae donec tincidunt elementum quam laoreet duis sit enim. Duis mattis velit sit leo diam. Tags Share this article 7/21/23 Published A Comprehensive Cloud Security Checklist for Your Cloud Environment There’s a lot to consider when securing your cloud environment. Threats range from malware to malicious attacks, and everything in between. With so many threats, a checklist of cloud security best practices will save you time. First we’ll get a grounding in the top cloud security risks and some key considerations. The Top 5 Security Risks in Cloud Computing Understanding the risks involved in cloud computing is a key first step. The top 5 security risks in cloud computing are: 1. Limited visibility Less visibility means less control. Less control could lead to unauthorized practices going unnoticed. 2. Malware Malware is malicious software, including viruses, ransomware, spyware, and others. 3. Data breaches Breaches can lead to financial losses due to regulatory fines and compensation. They may also cause reputational damage. 4. Data loss The consequences of data loss can be severe, especially it includes customer information. 5. Inadequate cloud security controls If cloud security measures aren’t comprehensive, they can leave you vulnerable to cyberattacks. Key Cloud Security Checklist Considerations 1. Managing User Access and Privileges Properly managing user access and privileges is a critical aspect of cloud infrastructure. Strong access controls mean only the right people can access sensitive data. 2. Preventing Unauthorized Access Implementing stringent security measures, such as firewalls, helps fortify your environment. 3. Encrypting Cloud-Based Data Assets Encryption ensures that data is unreadable to unauthorized parties. 4. Ensuring Compliance Compliance with industry regulations and data protection standards is crucial. 5. Preventing Data Loss Regularly backing up your data helps reduce the impact of unforeseen incidents. 6. Monitoring for Attacks Security monitoring tools can proactively identify suspicious activities, and respond quickly. Cloud Security Checklist Understand cloud security risks Establish a shared responsibility agreement with your cloud services provider (CSP) Establish cloud data protection policies Set identity and access management rules Set data-sharing restrictions Encrypt sensitive data Employ a comprehensive data backup and recovery plan Use malware protection Create an update and patching schedule Regularly assess cloud security Set up security monitoring and logging Adjust cloud security policies as new issues emerge Let’s take a look at these in more detail. Full Cloud Security Checklist 1. Understand Cloud Security Risks 1a. Identify Sensitive Information First, identify all your sensitive information. This data could range from customer information to patents, designs, and trade secrets. 1b. Understand Data Access and Sharing Use access control measures, like role-based access control (RBAC), to manage data access. You should also understand and control how data is shared. One idea is to use data loss prevention (DLP) tools to prevent unauthorized data transfers. 1c. Explore Shadow IT Shadow IT refers to using IT tools and services without your company’s approval. While these tools can be more productive or convenient, they can pose security risks. 2. Establish a Shared Responsibility Agreement with Your Cloud Service Provider (CSP) Understanding the shared responsibility model in cloud security is essential. There are various models – IaaS, PaaS, or SaaS. Common CSPs include Microsoft Azure and AWS. 2a. Establish Visibility and Control It’s important to establish strong visibility into your operations and endpoints. This includes understanding user activities, resource usage, and security events. Using security tools gives you a centralized view of your secure cloud environment. You can even enable real-time monitoring and prompt responses to suspicious activities. Cloud Access Security Brokers (CASBs) or cloud-native security tools can be useful here. 2b. Ensure Compliance Compliance with relevant laws and regulations is fundamental. This could range from data protection laws to industry-specific regulations. 2c. Incident Management Despite your best efforts, security incidents can still occur. Having an incident response plan is a key element in managing the impact of any security events. This plan should tell team members how to respond to an incident. 3. Establish Cloud Data Protection Policies Create clear policies around data protection in the cloud . These should cover areas such as data classification, encryption, and access control. These policies should align with your organizational objectives and comply with relevant regulations. 3a. Data Classification You should categorize data based on its sensitivity and potential impact if breached. Typical classifications include public, internal, confidential, and restricted data. 3b. Data Encryption Encryption protects your data in the cloud and on-premises. It involves converting your data so it can only be read by those who possess the decryption key. Your policy should mandate the use of strong encryption for sensitive data. 3c. Access Control Each user should only have the access necessary to perform their job function and no more. Policies should include password policies and changes of workloads. 4. Set Identity and Access Management Rules 4a. User Identity Management Identity and Access Management tools ensure only the right people access your data. Using IAM rules is critical to controlling who has access to your cloud resources. These rules should be regularly updated. 4b. 2-Factor and Multi-Factor Authentication Two-factor authentication (2FA) and multi-factor authentication (MFA) are useful tools. You reduce the risk by implementing 2FA or MFA, even if a password is compromised. 5. Set Data Sharing Restrictions 5a. Define Data Sharing Policies Define clear data-sharing permissions. These policies should align with the principles of least privilege and need-to-know basis. 5b. Implement Data Loss Prevention (DLP) Measures Data Loss Prevention (DLP) tools can help enforce data-sharing policies. These tools monitor and control data movements in your cloud environment. 5c. Audit and Review Data Sharing Activities Regularly review and audit your data-sharing activities to ensure compliance. Audits help identify any inappropriate data sharing and provide insights for improvement. 6. Encrypt Sensitive Data Data encryption plays a pivotal role in safeguarding your sensitive information. It involves converting your data into a coded form that can only be read after it’s been decrypted. 6a. Protect Data at Rest This involves transforming data into a scrambled form while it’s in storage. It ensures that even if your storage is compromised, the data remains unintelligible. 6b. Data Encryption in Transit This ensures that your sensitive data remains secure while it’s being moved. This could be across the internet, over a network, or between components in a system. 6c. Key Management Managing your encryption keys is just as important as encrypting the data itself. Keys should be stored securely and rotated regularly. Additionally, consider using hardware security modules (HSMs) for key storage. 6d. Choose Strong Encryption Algorithms The strength of your encryption depends significantly on the algorithms you use. Choose well-established encryption algorithms. Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) or RSA are solid algorithms. 7. Employ a Comprehensive Data Backup and Recovery Plan 7a. Establish a Regular Backup Schedule Install a regular backup schedule that fits your organization’s needs . The frequency of backups may depend on how often your data changes. 7b. Choose Suitable Backup Methods You can choose from backup methods such as snapshots, replication, or traditional backups. Each method has its own benefits and limitations. 7c. Implement a Data Recovery Strategy In addition to backing up your data, you need a solid strategy for restoring that data if a loss occurs. This includes determining recovery objectives. 7d. Test Your Backup and Recovery Plan Regular testing is crucial to ensuring your backup and recovery plan works. Test different scenarios, such as recovering a single file or a whole system. 7e. Secure Your Backups Backups can become cybercriminals’ targets, so they also need to be secured. This includes using encryption to protect backup data and implementing access controls. 8. Use Malware Protection Implementing robust malware protection measures is pivotal in data security. It’s important to maintain up-to-date malware protection and routinely scan your systems. 8a. Deploy Antimalware Software Deploy antimalware software across your cloud environment. This software can detect, quarantine, and eliminate malware threats. Ensure the software you select can protect against a wide range of malware. 8b. Regularly Update Malware Definitions Anti-malware relies on malware definitions. However, cybercriminals continuously create new malware variants, so these definitions become outdated quickly. Ensure your software is set to automatically update. 8c. Conduct Regular Malware Scans Schedule regular malware scans to identify and mitigate threats promptly. This includes full system scans and real-time scanning. 8d. Implement a Malware Response Plan Develop a comprehensive malware response plan to ensure you can address any threats. Train your staff on this plan to respond efficiently during a malware attack. 8e. Monitor for Anomalous Activity Continuously monitor your systems for any anomalous activity. Early detection can significantly reduce the potential damage caused by malware. 9. Create an Update and Patching Schedule 9a. Develop a Regular Patching Schedule Develop a consistent schedule for applying patches and updates to your cloud applications. For high-risk vulnerabilities, consider implementing patches as soon as they become available. 9b. Maintain an Inventory of Software and Systems You need an accurate inventory of all software and systems to manage updates and patches. This inventory should include the system version, last update, and any known vulnerabilities. 9c. Automation Where Possible Automating the patching process can help ensure that updates are applied consistently. Many cloud service providers offer tools or services that can automate patch management. 9d. Test Patches Before Deployment Test updates in a controlled environment to ensure work as intended. This is especially important for patches to critical systems. 9e. Stay Informed About New Vulnerabilities and Patches Keep abreast of new vulnerabilities and patches related to your software and systems. Being aware of the latest threats and solutions can help you respond faster. 9f. Update Security Tools and Configurations Don’t forget to update your cloud security tools and configurations regularly. As your cloud environment evolves, your security needs may change. 10. Regularly Assess Cloud Security 10a. Set up cloud security assessments and audits Establish a consistent schedule for conducting cybersecurity assessments and security audits. Audits are necessary to confirm that your security responsibilities align with your policies. These should examine configurations, security controls, data protection and incident response plans. 10b. Conduct Penetration Testing Penetration testing is a proactive approach to identifying vulnerabilities in your cloud environment. These are designed to uncover potential weaknesses before malicious actors do. 10c. Perform Risk Assessments These assessments should cover a variety of technical, procedural, and human risks. Use risk assessment results to prioritize your security efforts. 10d. Address Assessment Findings After conducting an assessment or audit, review the findings and take appropriate action. It’s essential to communicate any changes effectively to all relevant personnel. 10f. Maintain Documentation Keep thorough documentation of each assessment or audit. Include the scope, process, findings, and actions taken in response. 11. Set Up Security Monitoring and Logging 11a. Intrusion Detection Establish intrusion detection systems (IDS) to monitor your cloud environment. IDSs operate by recognizing patterns or anomalies that could indicate unauthorized intrusions. 11b. Network Firewall Firewalls are key components of network security. They serve as a barrier between secure internal network traffic and external networks. 11c. Security Logging Implement extensive security logging across your cloud environment. Logs record the events that occur within your systems. 11d. Automate Security Alerts Consider automating security alerts based on triggering events or anomalies in your logs. Automated alerts can ensure that your security team responds promptly. 11e. Implement Information Security and Event Management (SIEM) System A Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) system can your cloud data. It can help identify patterns, security breaches, and generate alerts. It will give a holistic view of your security posture. 11f. Regular Review and Maintenance Regularly review your monitoring and logging practices to ensure they remain effective. as your cloud environment and the threat landscape evolve. 12. Adjust Cloud Security Policies as New Issues Emerge 12a. Regular Policy Reviews Establish a schedule for regular review of your cloud security policies. Regular inspections allow for timely updates to keep your policies effective and relevant. 12b. Reactive Policy Adjustments In response to emerging threats or incidents, it may be necessary to adjust on an as-needed basis. Reactive adjustments can help you respond to changes in the risk environment. 12c. Proactive Policy Adjustments Proactive policy adjustments involve anticipating future changes and modifying your policies accordingly. 12d. Stakeholder Engagement Engage relevant stakeholders in the policy review and adjustment process. This can include IT staff, security personnel, management, and even end-users. Different perspectives can provide valuable insights. 12e. Training and Communication It’s essential to communicate changes whenever you adjust your cloud security policies. Provide training if necessary to ensure everyone understands the updated policies. 12f. Documentation and Compliance Document any policy adjustments and ensure they are in line with regulatory requirements. Updated documentation can serve as a reference for future reviews and adjustments. Use a Cloud Security Checklist to Protect Your Data Today Cloud security is a process, and using a checklist can help manage risks. Companies like Prevasio specialize in managing cloud security risks and misconfigurations, providing protection and ensuring compliance. Secure your cloud environment today and keep your data protected against threats. Schedule a demo Related Articles 2025 in review: What innovations and milestones defined AlgoSec’s transformative year in 2025? AlgoSec Reviews Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read Navigating Compliance in the Cloud AlgoSec Cloud Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read 5 Multi-Cloud Environments Cloud Security Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read Speak to one of our experts Speak to one of our experts Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... 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Convergence has been claimed. Security orgs merged their teams, aligned their titles, and drew the new boxes on the whiteboard. The... Convergence didn’t fail, compliance did. Adel Osta Dadan 2 min read Adel Osta Dadan Short bio about author here Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur. Vitae donec tincidunt elementum quam laoreet duis sit enim. Duis mattis velit sit leo diam. Tags Share this article 6/17/25 Published Convergence has been claimed. Security orgs merged their teams, aligned their titles, and drew the new boxes on the whiteboard. The result: security teams are now responsible for both cloud and on-premises network environments. But for many of those teams, compliance is still running on fumes. The reporting lines changed. The responsibilities increased. The oversight? Still patchy. The systems? Still fragmented. And the ability to demonstrate consistent policy enforcement across hybrid environments—where compliance lives or dies—has never been more at risk. This isn’t an edge case. It’s structural. And it’s quietly putting every converged team in a bind. The illusion of control If convergence was supposed to simplify compliance, most teams missed the memo. Cloud-native controls don’t sync with on-prem rule sets. Application deployments move faster than the audits tracking them. Policies drift. Risk assessments stall out. And when the next audit comes knocking, security teams are left reconciling evidence after the fact—manually stitching together logs, policies, and screenshots across tools that don’t talk to each other. The result? Ownership without visibility. Policy without context. Responsibility without control. Compliance at the application layer—or nowhere Security and compliance are often treated as parallel tracks. But in hybrid environments, they’re the same problem. The more distributed your network, the more fragmented your enforcement—and the harder it becomes to map controls to real business risk. What matters isn’t whether a port is open. It’s whether the application behind it should be reachable from that region, that VPC, or that user. That requires context. And today, context lives at the application layer. This is where AlgoSec Horizon changes the equation. AlgoSec Horizon is the first platform built to secure application connectivity across hybrid networks—with compliance embedded by design. Horizon: compliance that knows what it’s looking at With Horizon, compliance isn’t an add-on. It’s the outcome of deep visibility and policy awareness at the level that actually matters: the business application. Our customers are using Horizon to: Automatically discover and map every business application—including shadow IT and unapproved flows Simulate rule changes in advance, avoiding deployment errors that compromise compliance Track and enforce policies in context, with real-time validation against compliance frameworks Generate audit-ready reports across hybrid networks without assembling data by hand It’s compliance without the swivel chair. And it’s already helping converged teams move faster—without giving up control. Compliance can’t be an after-thought. Security convergence wasn’t the mistake. Stopping at structure was. When compliance is left behind, the risk isn’t just audit failure—it’s operational drag. Policy friction. Delays in application delivery. Missed SLAs. Because the real impact of compliance gaps isn’t found in the SOC—it’s found in the business outcomes that stall because security couldn’t keep pace. Horizon closes that gap. Because in a world of converged teams and hybrid environments, security has to operate with complete visibility—and compliance has to work at the speed of the application. Schedule a demo Related Articles 2025 in review: What innovations and milestones defined AlgoSec’s transformative year in 2025? AlgoSec Reviews Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read Navigating Compliance in the Cloud AlgoSec Cloud Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read 5 Multi-Cloud Environments Cloud Security Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read Speak to one of our experts Speak to one of our experts Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Schedule a call

What is Network Security Monitoring? Network security monitoring is the process of inspecting network traffic and IT infrastructure for... Network Security Top 9 Network Security Monitoring Tools for Identifying Potential Threats Tsippi Dach 2 min read Tsippi Dach Short bio about author here Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur. Vitae donec tincidunt elementum quam laoreet duis sit enim. Duis mattis velit sit leo diam. Tags Share this article 2/4/24 Published What is Network Security Monitoring? Network security monitoring is the process of inspecting network traffic and IT infrastructure for signs of security issues. These signs can provide IT teams with valuable information about the organization’s cybersecurity posture. For example, security teams may notice unusual changes being made to access control policies. This may lead to unexpected traffic flows between on-premises systems and unrecognized web applications. This might provide early warning of an active cyberattack, giving security teams enough time to conduct remediation efforts and prevent data loss . Detecting this kind of suspicious activity without the visibility that network security monitoring provides would be very difficult. These tools and policies enhance operational security by enabling network intrusion detection, anomaly detection, and signature-based detection. Full-featured network security monitoring solutions help organizations meet regulatory compliance requirements by maintaining records of network activity and security incidents. This gives analysts valuable data for conducting investigations into security events and connect seemingly unrelated incidents into a coherent timeline. What To Evaluate in a Network Monitoring Software Provider Your network monitoring software provider should offer a comprehensive set of features for collecting, analyzing, and responding to suspicious activity anywhere on your network. It should unify management and control of your organization’s IT assets while providing unlimited visibility into how they interact with one another. Comprehensive alerting and reporting Your network monitoring solution must notify you of security incidents and provide detailed reports describing those incidents in real-time. It should include multiple toolsets for collecting performance metrics, conducting in-depth analysis, and generating compliance reports. Future-proof scalability Consider what kind of network monitoring needs your organization might have several years from now. If your monitoring tool cannot scale to accommodate that growth, you may end up locked into a vendor agreement that doesn’t align with your interests. This is especially true with vendors that prioritize on-premises implementations since you run the risk of paying for equipment and services that you don’t actually use. Cloud-delivered software solutions often perform better in use cases where flexibility is important. Integration with your existing IT infrastructure Your existing security tech stack may include a selection of SIEM platforms, IDS/IPS systems, firewalls , and endpoint security solutions. Your network security monitoring software will need to connect all of these tools and platforms together in order to grant visibility into network traffic flows between them. Misconfigurations and improper integrations can result in dangerous security vulnerabilities. A high-performance vulnerability scanning solution may be able to detect these misconfigurations so you can fix them proactively. Intuitive user experience for security teams and IT admins Complex tools often come with complex management requirements. This can create a production bottleneck when there aren’t enough fully-trained analysts on the IT security team. Monitoring tools designed for ease of use can improve security performance by reducing training costs and allowing team members to access monitoring insights more easily. Highly automated tools can drive even greater performance benefits by reducing the need for manual control altogether. Excellent support and documentation Deploying network security monitoring tools is not always a straightforward task. Most organizations will need to rely on expert support to assist with implementation, troubleshooting, and ongoing maintenance. Some vendors provide better technical support to customers than others, and this difference is often reflected in the price. Some organizations work with managed service providers who can offset some of their support and documentation needs by providing on-demand expertise when needed. Pricing structures that work for you Different vendors have different pricing structures. When comparing network monitoring tools, consider the total cost of ownership including licensing fees, hardware requirements, and any additional costs for support or updates. Certain usage models will fit your organization’s needs better than others, and you’ll have to document them carefully to avoid overpaying. Compliance and reporting capabilities If you plan on meeting compliance requirements for your organization, you will need a network security monitoring tool that can generate the necessary reports and logs to meet these standards. Every set of standards is different, but many reputable vendors offer solutions for meeting specific compliance criteria. Find out if your network security monitoring vendor supports compliance standards like PCI DSS, HIPAA, and NIST. A good reputation for customer success Research the reputation and track record of every vendor you could potentially work with. Every vendor will tell you that they are the best – ask for evidence to back up their claims. Vendors with high renewal rates are much more likely to provide you with valuable security technology than lower-priced competitors with a significant amount of customer churn. Pay close attention to reviews and testimonials from independent, trustworthy sources. Compatibility with network infrastructure Your network security monitoring tool must be compatible with the entirety of your network infrastructure. At the most basic level, it must integrate with your hardware fleet of routers, switches, and endpoint devices. If you use devices with non-compatible operating systems, you risk introducing blind spots into your security posture. For the best results, you must enjoy in-depth observability for every hardware and software asset in your network, from the physical layer to the application layer. Regular updates and maintenance Updates are essential to keep security tools effective against evolving threats. Check the update frequency of any monitoring tool you consider implementing and look for the specific security vulnerabilities addressed in those updates. If there is a significant delay between the public announcement of new vulnerabilities and the corresponding security patch, your monitoring tools may be vulnerable during that period of time. 9 Best Network Security Monitoring Providers for Identifying Cybersecurity Threats 1. AlgoSec AlgoSec is a network security policy management solution that helps organizations automate and orchestrate network security policies. It keeps firewall rules , routers, and other security devices configured correctly, ensuring network assets are secured properly. AlgoSec protects organizations from misconfigurations that can lead to malware, ransomware, and phishing attacks, and gives security teams the ability to proactively simulate changes to their IT infrastructure. 2. SolarWinds SolarWinds offers a range of network management and monitoring solutions, including network security monitoring tools that detect changes to security policies and traffic flows. It provides tools for network visibility and helps identify and respond to security incidents. However, SolarWinds can be difficult for some organizations to deploy because customers must purchase additional on-premises hardware. 3. Security Onion Security Onion is an open-source Linux distribution designed for network security monitoring. It integrates multiple monitoring tools like Snort, Suricata, Bro, and others into a single platform, making it easier to set up and manage a comprehensive network security monitoring solution. As an open-source option, it is one of the most cost-effective solutions available on the market, but may require additional development resources to customize effectively for your organization’s needs. 4. ELK Stack Elastic ELK Stack is a combination of three open-source tools: Elasticsearch, Logstash, and Kibana. It’s commonly used for log data and event analysis. You can use it to centralize logs, perform real-time analysis, and create dashboards for network security monitoring. The toolset provides high-quality correlation through large data sets and provides security teams with significant opportunities to improve security and network performance using automation. 5. Cisco Stealthwatch Cisco Stealthwatch is a commercial network traffic analysis and monitoring solution. It uses NetFlow and other data sources to detect and respond to security threats, monitor network behavior, and provide visibility into your network traffic. It’s a highly effective solution for conducting network traffic analysis, allowing security analysts to identify threats that have infiltrated network assets before they get a chance to do serious damage. 6. Wireshark Wireshark is a widely-used open-source packet analyzer that allows you to capture and analyze network traffic in real-time. It can help you identify and troubleshoot network issues and is a valuable tool for security analysts. Unlike other entries on this list, it is not a fully-featured monitoring platform that collects and analyzes data at scale – it focuses on providing deep visibility into specific data flows one at a time. 7. Snort Snort is an open-source intrusion detection system (IDS) and intrusion prevention system (IPS) that can monitor network traffic for signs of suspicious or malicious activity. It’s highly customizable and has a large community of users and contributors. It supports customized rulesets and is easy to use. Snort is widely compatible with other security technologies, allowing users to feed signature updates and add logging capabilities to its basic functionality very easily. However, it’s an older technology that doesn’t natively support some modern features users will expect it to. 8. Suricata Suricata is another open-source IDS/IPS tool that can analyze network traffic for threats. It offers high-performance features and supports rules compatible with Snort, making it a good alternative. Suricata was developed more recently than Snort, which means it supports modern workflow features like multithreading and file extraction. Unlike Snort, Suricata supports application-layer detection rules and can identify traffic on non-standard ports based on the traffic protocol. 9. Zeek (formerly Bro) Zeek is an open-source network analysis framework that focuses on providing detailed insights into network activity. It can help you detect and analyze potential security incidents and is often used alongside other NSM tools. This tool helps security analysts categorize and model network traffic by protocol, making it easier to inspect large volumes of data. Like Suricata, it runs on the application layer and can differentiate between protocols. Essential Network Monitoring Features Traffic Analysis The ability to capture, analyze, and decode network traffic in real-time is a basic functionality all network security monitoring tools should share. Ideally, it should also include support for various network protocols and allow users to categorize traffic based on those categories. Alerts and Notifications Reliable alerts and notifications for suspicious network activity, enabling timely response to security threats. To avoid overwhelming analysts with data and contributing to alert fatigue, these notifications should consolidate data with other tools in your security tech stack. Log Management Your network monitoring tool should contribute to centralized log management through network devices, apps, and security sensors for easy correlation and analysis. This is best achieved by integrating a SIEM platform into your tech stack, but you may not wish to store all of your network’s logs on the SIEM, because of the added expense. Threat Detection Unlike regular network traffic monitoring, network security monitoring focuses on indicators of compromise in network activity. Your tool should utilize a combination of signature-based detection, anomaly detection, and behavioral analysis to identify potential security threats. Incident Response Support Your network monitoring solution should facilitate the investigation of security incidents by providing contextual information, historical data, and forensic capabilities. It may correlate detected security events so that analysts can conduct investigations more rapidly, and improve security outcomes by reducing false positives. Network Visibility Best-in-class network security monitoring tools offer insights into network traffic patterns, device interactions, and potential blind spots to enhance network monitoring and troubleshooting. To do this, they must connect with every asset on the network and successfully observe data transfers between assets. Integration No single security tool can be trusted to do everything on its own. Your network security monitoring platform must integrate with other security solutions, such as firewalls, intrusion detection/prevention systems (IDS/IPS), and SIEM platforms to create a comprehensive security ecosystem. If one tool fails to detect malicious activity, another may succeed. Customization No two organizations are the same. The best network monitoring solutions allow users to customize rules, alerts, and policies to align with specific security requirements and network environments. These customizations help security teams reduce alert fatigue and focus their efforts on the most important data traffic flows on the network. Advanced Features for Identifying Vulnerabilities & Weaknesses Threat Intelligence Integration Threat intelligence feeds enhance threat detection and response capabilities by providing in-depth information about the tactics, techniques, and procedures used by threat actors. These feeds update constantly to reflect the latest information on cybercriminal activities so analysts always have the latest data. Forensic Capabilities Detailed data and forensic tools provide in-depth analysis of security breaches and related incidents, allowing analysts to attribute attacks to hackers and discover the extent of cyberattacks. With retroactive forensics, investigators can include historical network data and look for evidence of compromise in the past. Automated Response Automated responses to security threats can isolate affected devices or modify firewall rules the moment malicious behavior is detected. Automated detection and response workflows must be carefully configured to avoid business disruptions stemming from misconfigured algorithms repeatedly denying legitimate traffic. Application-level Visibility Some network security monitoring tools can identify and classify network traffic by applications and services , enabling granular control and monitoring. This makes it easier for analysts to categorize traffic based on its protocol, which can streamline investigations into attacks that take place on the application layer. Cloud and Virtual Network Support Cloud-enabled organizations need monitoring capabilities that support cloud environments and virtualized networks. Without visibility into these parts of the hybrid network, security vulnerabilities may go unnoticed. Cloud-native network monitoring tools must include data on public and private cloud instances as well as containerized assets. Machine Learning and AI Advanced machine learning and artificial intelligence algorithms can improve threat detection accuracy and reduce false positives. These features often work by examining large-scale network traffic data and identifying patterns within the dataset. Different vendors have different AI models and varying levels of competence with emerging AI technology. User and Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA) UEBA platforms monitor asset behaviors to detect insider threats and compromised accounts. This advanced feature allows analysts to assign dynamic risk scores to authenticated users and assets, triggering alerts when their activities deviate too far from their established routine. Threat Hunting Tools Network monitoring tools can provide extra features and workflows for proactive threat hunting and security analysis. These tools may match observed behaviors with known indicators of compromise, or match observed traffic patterns with the tactics, techniques, and procedures of known threat actors. AlgoSec: The Preferred Network Security Monitoring Solution AlgoSec has earned an impressive reputation for its network security policy management capabilities. The platform empowers security analysts and IT administrators to manage and optimize network security policies effectively. It includes comprehensive firewall policy and change management capabilities along with comprehensive solutions for automating application connectivity across the hybrid network. Here are some reasons why IT leaders choose AlgoSec as their preferred network security policy management solution: Policy Optimsization: AlgoSec can analyze firewall rules and network security policies to identify redundant or conflicting rules, helping organizations optimize their security posture and improve rule efficiency. Change Management: It offers tools for tracking and managing changes to firewall and network data policies, ensuring that changes are made in a controlled and compliant manner. Risk Assessment: AlgoSec can assess the potential security risks associated with firewall rule changes before they are implemented, helping organizations make informed decisions. Compliance Reporting: It provides reports and dashboards to assist with compliance audits, making it easier to demonstrate regulatory compliance to regulators. Automation: AlgoSec offers automation capabilities to streamline policy management tasks, reducing the risk of human error and improving operational efficiency. Visibility: It provides visibility into network traffic and policy changes, helping security teams monitor and respond to potential security incidents. Schedule a demo Related Articles 2025 in review: What innovations and milestones defined AlgoSec’s transformative year in 2025? AlgoSec Reviews Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read Navigating Compliance in the Cloud AlgoSec Cloud Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read 5 Multi-Cloud Environments Cloud Security Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read Speak to one of our experts Speak to one of our experts Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Schedule a call