Network traffic analysis (NTA) is the practice of monitoring and interpreting the data flowing across your network to ensure performance, reliability, and security. Companies rely on a mix of tools — ranging from packet sniffers and flow analysis software to advanced NDR systems — to gain visibility into their network’s behavior.
This guide explores the types of NTA solutions available, the key features that provide visibility and control over your network, and where related technologies like NDR tools fit into a modern, secure network strategy.
But first, I want to start with a few red flags that tell you network traffic is hiding performance bottlenecks, sophisticated cyber threats, or both. Relying on yesterday’s tools can mean missing critical warning signs.
Seven signs you should revamp network traffic analysis
Ideally, network traffic analysis (NTA) gives administrators a clear, real-time view of how data moves across their network. It helps them spot performance issues, track resource use, and identify potential security threats before they become serious problems.
When NTA tools and strategy leave critical blind spots, it will fail to detect performance issues, security threats, or unexpected traffic patterns that could disrupt operations.
Below are some warning signs and scenarios that warrant a review of your current approach and may indicate the need for strategic retooling of your network traffic analysis. Red flags include:
- Security incidents or suspicious activity: An uptick in network breaches, unauthorized access, or unusual traffic flows (e.g., data exfiltration attempts or DDoS attacks) indicates that your current strategy may not be adequately monitoring threats or alerting you in real-time.
- Unpredictable traffic spikes: If you notice unexpected increases in traffic, such as during off-hours or periods when there should be low activity, it could indicate an issue with how traffic is being managed or even malicious activity. If unpredictable spikes persist, re-evaluate your performance monitoring and threat detection tools to confirm they are giving you full visibility.
- Lack of visibility into specific traffic types: If your existing tools or strategy don’t provide clear insight into specific types of traffic — like VoIP, streaming, or encrypted data — it may be time to upgrade to a more sophisticated solution that offers deep packet inspection and greater granularity.
- Inconsistent reporting or alerts: If your current system isn’t providing consistent, actionable reports or timely alerts, it’s a sign the network traffic strategy might be outdated or improperly configured. Review your thresholds, detection rules, and alerting policies.
- Changes in network infrastructure or traffic demands: As network infrastructure evolves (e.g., shifting to cloud services, remote work, or increased IoT), it’s crucial to ensure that your NTA tools and approach are adapted to these changes, ensuring seamless traffic monitoring and management.
- Disconnected network data: If your NTA tools aren’t integrating well across various network segments or systems, it might be hard to get a full picture of network performance or security threats. A unified approach to traffic analysis may be required for better insight.
- Compliance or regulatory changes: If new compliance regulations or industry standards (such as GDPR or HIPAA) affect data protection and privacy, it may be necessary to review your NTA strategy to ensure it meets those requirements and avoids potential penalties.
There are other warning signs I haven’t captured here, and new zero-day exploits are emerging everyday.
Taking a proactive approach with NTA is a wise idea. Operating with less than full visibility into your network traffic is asking for trouble — both performance and security are at stake.
After all, once they have access to your network, it only takes two days for attackers to own your data.
What makes improving network traffic analysis so difficult?
As NTA technology evolves, it becomes increasingly powerful and capable of identifying sophisticated threats.
But these enhanced capabilities come with a major caveat: you need some really highly-paid IT resources in-house. The more advanced the tool, the higher the level of experience, expertise, and manpower required to effectively operate and manage it.
A basic network for a single office may be relatively straightforward to implement and monitor with minimal expertise. A large network with cutting-edge NTA platforms requires skilled security professionals who can interpret intricate data, respond to threats quickly, and fine-tune the system to adapt to new attack techniques and ransomware trends.
These factors make powerful NTA solutions more resource-intensive, demanding both skilled personnel and ongoing training to maintain their effectiveness. Organizations must consider not just the technological capabilities of an NTA solution but also the capacity of their team to manage and maximize its potential.
Types of network traffic analysis tools
Network traffic analysis tools are essential for monitoring and optimizing data flow across a network. They help identify bottlenecks, troubleshoot issues, and ensure efficient use of resources. The main categories of network traffic analysis tools are:
- Packet sniffers: These tools capture and analyze raw network traffic at the packet level. Common tools, like Wireshark, provide deep insights into the types of data being transferred and help identify issues like packet loss or protocol mismatches.
- Flow analysis tools: Tools such as SolarWinds and NetFlow Analyzer track flow data, which shows how traffic moves through a network in terms of sessions or connections. These tools focus on aggregate data, such as bandwidth usage, which helps in understanding overall network performance.
- Network performance monitors: These tools, like PRTG Network Monitor, analyze both traffic and overall network health, including latency, throughput, and device status. They provide real-time monitoring and alerting features to track performance trends and detect anomalies.
- Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS): These tools, such as Zeek and Snort, monitor traffic for signs of suspicious activity, such as unauthorized access or attacks. They focus on the security aspect of network traffic by analyzing patterns and behavior.
Many of the top tools for network traffic analysis combine multiple functionalities into a single platform. Some examples of “all-in-one” tools include SolarWinds NPM and PRTG Network Monitor, which provide comprehensive solutions for both monitoring and analyzing network traffic.
SEE: Check out this SolarWinds NPM review and this PRTG Network Monitor review to learn more about them.
These platforms typically integrate packet sniffing, flow analysis, performance monitoring, and even security features into one interface, making them highly efficient for organizations that need a broad view of their network performance and security.
On the other end of the spectrum, you will be able to find some free tools that can do some of these jobs — albeit in a limited fashion with many upsells for their paid tool.
One last thing to note: You will still have to implement a separate Network Detection and Response (NDR) solution to effectively harden network security. The “all-in-one” NTA tools have limited NDR capabilities — most organizations use both to guard against Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) attacks.
Key network traffic analysis features
Focus on the features that will help you achieve the core goals of network traffic analysis: increasing visibility, optimizing performance, ensuring security, and maintaining operational efficiency.
These are five of the most important all-around features I think most people will be interested in. They are also features where depth varies from vendor to vendor.
1. Real-time monitoring and alerts
The ability to monitor network traffic in real time and receive alerts about unusual behavior or performance degradation is essential for proactive troubleshooting and immediate response.
Most NTA solutions offer real-time monitoring and alerts — a good solution minimizes alert fatigue by prioritizing actionable insights. Look for tools that provide context-aware alerts with relevant details and allow for customizable thresholds to suit your network’s unique needs.
Another way to reduce false alarms and endless alerts is using an NTA solution with alert correlation and grouping, which can consolidate related notifications. This can help your team stay focused on the right problems instead of being overwhelmed by redundant or low-priority alerts.
2. Automated traffic classification
Many NTA tools can perform basic traffic categorization, such as distinguishing between general data types like HTTP, DNS, or FTP. A more powerful automated traffic classification feature goes beyond basic categorization by offering granular identification of applications, protocols, and data types, ensuring precise resource allocation.
For example, advanced NTA tools can recognize and categorize specific applications, like identifying Microsoft Teams traffic versus general web browsing. This be critical for identifying where spikes in traffic originate, for example, and make it easier to prioritize discrete resources and improve overall network performance.
3. Detailed reporting and historical data
The ability to generate detailed, customizable reports enables teams to track trends over time, identify recurring issues, and make data-driven decisions for capacity planning or resource allocation. Historical data is particularly valuable for diagnosing intermittent problems and conducting post-incident reviews, offering a clearer picture of what occurred and why.
4. In-depth visibility and decryption
Don’t let encryption hide malicious activity. Choose an NTA solution that analyzes both encrypted and unencrypted traffic to uncover hidden threats within data tunnels. Also, look for capabilities that go beyond packet headers to analyze protocols, applications, and user behavior to provide detailed insight into network activity. Always pick an NTA that tracks lateral movement to expose adversaries moving through side channels and prevent threats from going undetected within your network.
5. Integration with other network management tools
Integration with other network management solutions, such as network performance monitoring (NPM) and Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) systems, is vital for creating a unified view of your network’s health.
If the goal is to increase visibility, don’t let network tools live in silos.
There are many additional capabilities, from advanced anomaly detection to customizable dashboards, that can help tailor the tool to your network’s unique needs. The key is not just in selecting the right features, but in using them effectively to gain actionable insights into your network’s performance and security.
At the end of the day, the most powerful tool is the expertise of the team using it.
The real value of your NTA solution lies in how well your professionals understand and leverage its features. As you move forward, trust that the combination of advanced technology and your team’s knowledge will provide the insights needed to stay ahead of evolving threats and optimize network performance with confidence.
