Understanding Network Detection and Response (NDR): A Key Component in Cybersecurity

What is Network Detection and Response (NDR)?

Network Detection and Response (NDR) is a pivotal cybersecurity technology designed for continuous monitoring of network traffic across both physical and cloud-based environments. It empowers security teams to detect adversary activities, respond to incidents swiftly, and strengthen their overall security posture.

NDR Differentiators

NDR stands out in the cybersecurity landscape due to several unique features:

1. Identifies the First Signs of Activity: NDR solutions are adept at detecting the earliest indicators of potential threats, allowing for prompt action.
2. Reveals the Entire Attack Timeline: By providing a comprehensive view of an attack’s progression, NDR enables thorough incident analysis and response.
3. 24x7x365 Monitoring and Support: Continuous monitoring ensures that security teams are always vigilant, reducing the chances of successful breaches.

Why is NDR So Important?

The importance of Network Detection and Response (NDR) lies in its ability to provide continuous monitoring and evidence retention, enabling security teams to effectively address security incidents and proactively hunt threats. Organizations often remain unaware of infiltration due to limited network visibility. IBM’s “The Cost of Data Breach” report from 2022 shows an average 277-day delay in breach detection and containment. With such a lengthy time frame, an adversary can cause significant damage to an organization.

Visibility is crucial because you cannot defend what you do not see. Detecting even one indicator of an intruder's presence is essential for incident response. To find an intruder, it is necessary to continuously collect evidence from network traffic. NDR leverages network records to identify adversarial activity. While EDR and SIEM are essential components for coverage and analysis, they lack the breadth needed to provide insights into the network itself. NDR provides these insights, which are crucial for proactive defense that requires 24/7 monitoring and evidence retention.

Effective network security requires continuous 24/7 monitoring and long-term evidence retention. Without this practice, your blue team consisting of network defenders, incident responders, and threat hunters will encounter significant obstacles when addressing critical security incidents or proactively hunting threats. Network data holds invaluable clues about users, devices, and assets. Attackers, despite their efforts to hide, inevitably leave traces in network traffic.

However, the misconception that merely keeping attackers out suffices leads to a reactive approach. Security teams grapple with alert overload, false positives, and insufficient data for analysis. Adversaries, creative and determined, pose significant challenges. Effective defense requires proactive strategies beyond traditional solutions.

NDR's capacity to provide continuous monitoring and evidence retention equips security teams with the necessary tools to handle security incidents effectively and to hunt threats proactively. This proactive defense is essential to mitigate the challenges posed by sophisticated adversaries and to ensure comprehensive network security.

How Does NDR Work?

Network Detection and Response (NDR) provides a comprehensive method for monitoring, analyzing, and responding to network traffic across various environments, including physical, cloud, hybrid, and multi-cloud networks. Here's a detailed breakdown of its functionalities and mechanisms:

Data Sources for Monitoring

• Network Switch SPAN Ports: These allow the replication of traffic for monitoring without interfering with the actual traffic flow.
• Physical and Virtual TAPs: Test Access Points (TAPs) capture and analyze network traffic for monitoring purposes.
• Cloud Packet Mirrors: These replicate and mirror traffic in cloud environments for analysis.
• Existing Network Infrastructure: This includes devices like firewalls which already monitor traffic and can integrate with NDR systems.

Areas of Visibility

• North/South Traffic: Data moving between the internal network (intranet) and external networks (Internet).
• East/West Traffic: The lateral movement of data within the internal network.
• Remote Users: Traffic generated by remote access users.
• DNS Blindspots: Areas where DNS traffic is not typically visible.
• Encrypted Traffic: Identifying and analyzing encrypted traffic streams.
• Asset Discovery: Identifying and profiling devices on the network.

Deployment Options

• Hardware Sensors: Dedicated physical devices that monitor network traffic.
• Cloud Sensors: Virtual sensors deployed in cloud environments.
• Software Sensors: Software-based monitoring agents installed on network devices.
• Virtual Sensors: Virtualized instances of monitoring tools that can be deployed within virtual environments.

Functionality

1. Data Collection: NDR gathers information on network protocol activity and structures it into log files.
2. Data Analysis: These logs are typically analyzed by threat investigation platforms or SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) systems.
3. Advanced Analytics: Combining network data with machine learning, automation, and behavioral analytics helps in detecting sophisticated network-based attack techniques such as:Command and Control (C2): Communication between compromised devices and an attacker.Exfiltration: Unauthorized transfer of data from the network.

Additional Features

• Packet Capture (PCAP): Some NDR platforms can store packet data for extended periods, allowing for in-depth investigation and historical analysis.

Benefits

• Comprehensive Network Visibility: Enabling a complete view of all network activities.
• Enhanced Security Posture: By detecting and responding to threats in real time.
• Support for Modern Environments: Effective monitoring of both traditional and modern network architectures, including cloud environments.
• Improved Incident Response: Facilitating rapid detection and response to security incidents.

How Does NDR Fit Into Your Security Stack?

Network Detection and Response (NDR) integrates seamlessly into your security stack by complementing existing tools and enhancing the overall defense strategy. NDR solutions integrate with various network devices, including those involved in tapping and syslog functions. One critical aspect of NDR is tapping and sensor collection. Tapping involves deploying sensors strategically within the network to capture both north-south traffic (external communication) and east-west traffic (internal communication). These sensors continuously monitor network activity and analyze raw traffic data to learn normal behavior patterns and detect anomalies or suspicious activities.

There are several deployment options for these sensors. Physical TAPs (Test Access Points) can be placed at critical network junctions, allowing sensors to collect data directly from these points. Alternatively, sensors can collect data from network switch SPAN (Switched Port Analyzer) ports. Some NDR solutions further simplify deployment by gathering traffic data directly from existing network devices, such as firewalls, which can reduce the need for additional hardware and streamline the integration process.

NDR Capabilities

Cybaxe ensures rapid detection and remediation of attacks irrespective of their location.

1. Network Transparency and Detection: Examine and record all network activity without relying on predefined rules or pattern detection methods.
2. Refined Metadata: Refine the custom models in your SIEM or data lake with advanced cloud and network metadata.
3. Targeted Response: Existing security tools and playbooks offer flexibility with manual or automated control options.
4. User Account Privilege: Leverage patented analytics to identify and monitor user accounts most targeted by attackers.
5. Thorough Investigations: Equip your analysts and threat hunters with robust metadata search solutions to enhance operational efficiency.
6. AI-Enhanced Detection: Holistic attack telemetry that proactively identifies threefold more threats across the full spectrum of hybrid environments.
7. Preserved Encryption: Employ neural networks and deep learning to uncover intruders without the need for decrypting data.

What Are the Benefits of NDR?

Network Detection and Response (NDR) is increasingly being used by organizations as a primary defense mechanism for threat detection and response. According to research from Enterprise Strategy Group (ESG), nearly half of organizations employ NDR solutions as their first line of defense. The rationale behind this adoption lies in the adage, "the network doesn't lie." Networks, when properly monitored, provide an undeniable source of evidence for investigations, making network data the ground truth.

NDR is essential for several reasons:

1. Expanded Network Visibility: Organizations often struggle with inconsistent and incomplete visibility across different security layers. NDR addresses this issue by illuminating all network activity, eliminating blind spots. This comprehensive visibility allows for effective threat detection, incident response, breach disclosure, asset management, and network operations.
2. Improved Detection Coverage: As threats become more sophisticated and their volume increases, distinguishing attacks from legitimate traffic becomes more challenging. NDR helps security teams quickly detect attacks and MITRE ATT&CK TTPs that legacy tools and EDR might miss. It provides the necessary context to understand false positives, drive effective network engineering, and improve detection accuracy.
3. Accelerated Incident Response: Many organizations rely on too many siloed data sources for threat detection and response, complicating workflows. NDR offers a single source of network truth, giving analysts comprehensive network evidence needed for effective investigation and faster incident resolution. This reduces the mean time to resolution (MTTR).
4. Reduced Operational Costs: Economic pressures and the sheer number of disparate security tools drive organizations towards a more integrated Security Operations and Analytics Platform Architecture (SOAPA). NDR consolidates standalone technologies and amplifies SOC automation investments, following the practices of elite defenders.

The ESG report "The Evolving Role of NDR" highlights the following findings:

• Almost half of organizations have found that network-based tools provide the broadest visibility across different parts of their environment.
• 53% of organizations report that NDR tools provide the highest fidelity.
• 60% of organizations have seen improved SOC analyst efficiency with NDR.

CYBAXE Open NDR Platform exemplifies these benefits, delivering enhanced security capabilities to teams of all sizes and levels of sophistication.

Analyst Experience

Cybaxe ensures rapid detection and remediation of attacks irrespective of their location.

1. Detect: Examine threats organized by urgency score within a consolidated view.
2. Investigate: Unlocking detailed insights into detections is now straightforward with the power of Instant and Advanced Investigations.
3. Respond: Effectively counter attacks within minutes using our unified, native, and professionally managed response capabilities.
4. Discover: Track and manage all network, cloud, SaaS, and identity threat services using real-time, dynamic dashboards.
5. Hunt: Immediately locate and address unusual behaviors within your environment, leveraging fast analysis.

NDR plays an integral role in modern cybersecurity strategies, offering unparalleled visibility and proactive threat detection capabilities essential for safeguarding today's complex network environments.