A Comprehensive Analysis and Recommendations on Network Monitoring Tools

A high-performance network is a necessary component of any company's IT infrastructure. All operations, including internal and external communication across different corporate sites, as well as communication with clients and partners, should operate smoothly to enable smooth business activities. Failures and malfunctions in operational procedures can easily result in lost time and money. In order to maintain track of the availability, performance, and bandwidth utilization in an IT network, network monitoring software that continuously monitors operations in the network, does analysis, and warns IT workers as soon as an error happens or critical values are surpassed is highly recommended. If the administrator is not on site, network monitoring allows him or her to intervene swiftly, even if he or she is not there. Of course, each firm has unique requirements for a network monitoring solution, and with so many tools and solutions on the market, careful selection of an appropriate solution is essential. This paper discusses the different alternatives that a network solution can provide provided the appropriate criteria are taken into account during the decision-making process. Keywords: Network, Network Monitoring Tools, IT infrastructure, Open Source

Selecting a Passive Network Monitoring Solution for Medical Device Cybersecurity Management

The number of cyberattacks and information system breaches in healthcare have grown exponentially, as well as escalated from accidental incidents to targeted and malicious attacks. With medical devices representing a substantial repository of all the assets in a healthcare system, network security and monitoring are critical to ensuring cyber hygiene of these medical devices. Because of the unique challenges of connected medical devices, a passive network monitoring (PNM) solution is preferred for its overall cybersecurity management. This article is intended to provide guidance on selecting PNM solutions while reinforcing the importance of program assessment, project management, and use of leading practices that facilitate the selection and further implementation of PNM solutions for medical devices. The article provides a detailed introduction to connected medical devices and its role in effective care delivery, an overview of network security types and PNM, an overview of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Cybersecurity Framework and its application for program assessment, essentials of project management for PNM solution selection and implementation, key performance indicators for measuring a solution's ability to meet critical cybersecurity needs for medical devices, and lessons learned from the author's professional experience, selective literature review, and leading practices. Rather than describing a complete list of guidelines for selecting PNM solutions, the current work is intended to provide guidance based on the author's experience and leading practices compiled from successful medical device cybersecurity programs.