How Proactive Monitoring Protects Your Network From Cyber Threats

Cyber threats are increasing in frequency and becoming more sophisticated. Businesses of all sizes are at risk for data breaches, ransomware attacks, and other malicious cyberattacks that can cause significant financial and reputational damage.

Here’s why implementing enterprise proactive monitoring is essential to detect and mitigate these threats before they escalate.

1. Early detection enables fast intervention

The sooner you detect a potential threat, the better, and proactive monitoring makes it possible to detect threats immediately. Automated threat detection will identify unusual traffic and activity on your network immediately. For example, the system will detect unauthorized access attempts in real-time to prevent potential breaches. The system will also identify the signs of malware infections, like unexpected data flows or communications with known malicious servers. These activities will trigger the system to automatically isolate the threat until it can be analyzed by your IT team.

If you don’t catch threats as they happen, your entire network could become deeply compromised without your knowledge, and the deeper the threats get, the harder they are to detect.

2. Real-time monitoring can prevent data breaches

In 2023, the average cost of a data breach was $4.88 million – a number that increases every year. While not all businesses end up with astronomical fines, even having to pay thousands is too much. You can avoid the devastating consequences of a data breach with proactive network monitoring that detects and removes suspicious activity immediately.

Monitoring your network to protect against data breaches includes:

• Monitoring data transfers. Your IT admins will be alerted to large or unusual data transfers that may be a sign that a breach is in progress.
• Blocking suspicious communications. Any communications with known malicious servers will be blocked, preventing data from being sent to external sources.

While data breaches cost money, they can also damage your reputation. Consumers don’t want to do business with companies that don’t protect their data. Each time a big brand reports a data breach, there are a lot of customers who boycott the brand. By implementing network monitoring, you can avoid this potential fate.

3. Network monitoring can prevent ransomware attacks

Out of all possible cyberattacks, ransomware is one of the worst. In this type of attack, all of your files are encrypted and the hacker demands a ransom to release your files. In some attacks, the attackers threaten to expose your data if you don’t pay the ransom. In any case, paying the ransom doesn’t guarantee your files will be released, and one attack can ruin your entire business if you aren’t prepared. And even if you are fully prepared to recover, you’ll still have to deal with the aftermath.

Proactive network monitoring will identify behaviors typical of ransomware, like a rapid encryption of files, and will trigger alerts so your IT team can respond fast. When the system detects ransomware, affected devices will be automatically isolated from the rest of the network to prevent it from spreading.

4. Monitoring your network can thwart insider threats

Not all threats come from the outside. Some threats come from inside your organization, and can be just as damaging. Monitoring your network can help you identify potential insider threats by analyzing user activities to detect deviations that may indicate malicious intent.

The system will control access based on user roles and record any attempts to access parts of your network outside of a user’s role. If any devices, including approved devices, show signs of a threat, the system will flag or block them immediately.

5. Proactive monitoring facilitates threat hunting

Your IT security teams can use network monitoring solutions to actively search for potential threats before they strike. For example, continuous analysis helps you spot vulnerabilities so you can address them and reduce the potential attack surface. By simulating attacks, you can test your own security measures and the readiness of your response teams.

6. Monitoring for threats makes customers feel safe

When you stand committed to cybersecurity, your customers will trust you more. Proactive monitoring is the best way to ensure your customers’ data remains secure and you retain their trust.

Strong cybersecurity begins with proactive monitoring

Cyber threats are a matter of when, not if, for most businesses. By detecting threats early, you can prevent costly downtime, data loss, and a diminished reputation. Hackers work around the clock, so real-time monitoring isn’t optional. It’s the only way to protect your business from cyber threats while you sleep.