Top 5 Network Intelligence Software Of 2022

In today’s hyper-connected, computer-driven, there’s-a-threat-around-every-corner world, we’d all like to think we’re fully protected from cyberattacks. Yet, the truth is, most organizations are vulnerable to threats – from the inside and out.

If you could effectively separate your employees’ personal network activity from their business network activity – and monitor every single thing they did – you probably would. That’s an (almost) fool proof solution to reducing breaches and vulnerabilities. However, alas, we can’t all be Lumon Industries, the monolithic corporation at the center of Apple TV’s hit series Severence. Plus, erasing employees’ memories every time they leave work poses some dubious ethical dilemmas. #DontDoIt

So, what’s the answer to keeping your network safe from threats? Network Intelligence Software – a solution that helps organizations collect and track data about possible threats to their network. Network intelligence platforms use data from multiple sources to screen, identify and predict potential security issues. The first source is your own network traffic data - things like user activity, system performance and application usage.  The second source of data is from the outside world - think global cyber threat reports, malware databases and lists of compromised websites. By collecting data from these sources, Network Intelligence Software can give you a complete picture of what's going on in your network and where threats might come from.

Read on to secure your business network intelligently!
 

Top 5 Network Intelligence Software Of 2022

 
Below, we list five Network Intelligence Software that can help you cover the basics of threat monitoring and more. These tools focus on providing real-time intelligence on potential security threats to reduce and prevent cyberattacks across the enterprise. They automate the collection and correlation of data for faster and more comprehensive analysis.

Without further ado, here are the top 5 Network Intelligence Software of 2022 you need to know!
 

CrowdStrike	Recorded Future	Fortinet
WatchGuard	CrowdSec

 

Tool 1: CrowdStrike Falcon: Endpoint Protection & Response

CrowdStrike is an American cybersecurity technology company based in Austin, Texas.  It was founded in 2011 and has over 6000 employees as of 2022. The company is a business leader in cloud-based endpoint protection, cloud workloads, identity and data security, etc. They were also recognized as a winner in the Best Security Company category for the 2022 SC Awards US. Awesome!
 
Top-rated on G2 and TrustRadius, Crowdstrike's security tool provides features such as malware protection, system isolation and continuous monitoring of threats. It's part of Crowdstrike's vast security-as-a-service platform suite. Endpoint detection focuses on identifying malicious activity on devices that are connected to your network. It's basically a relentless threat-hunting robot (kind of like Lumon’s security room which monitors every move an employee makes!). 

Its standout features include intelligent EDR which uses Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence for endpoint detection and response. It provides 24/7 continuous monitoring of your environment so you can quickly identify and respond to network threats. You can create notification and response workflows by setting triggers using past alerts, incidents and detected threats so you can automate responses to newer potential threats.
 

Tool 2: Recorded Future

Recorded Future is a privately held cybersecurity company with headquarters in Somerville, Massachusetts. It was founded in 2009 and today serves more than 1,500 clients across 66 countries, including governments, over half of the Fortune 100 and 40 of the Forbes Global 100 businesses. It claims to have the largest holdings of interlinked threat data sets, making Recorded Future the world’s largest intelligence company.
 
This platform provides users with actionable intelligence on current and emerging threats so they can proactively defend themselves against attacks. It also offers risk scoring which rates the probability of an attack happening so you can prioritize threats detection and prevention.

Some of Recorded Future’s exciting capabilities include proprietary web crawling technology that gives users access to data that's not easily accessible through traditional search engines. It also offers a customizable dashboard where users can create their own reports and views and set up alerts for specific threats. The scale of threat intelligence in this thing is enormous!  Recorded Future’s Network Intelligence tool provides real-time visibility into the business threat landscape and empowers them to take proactive action to keep their systems and infrastructure safe.
 

Tool 3: FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW)

Fortinet, an American multinational firm headquartered in California, was founded in 2000. The company develops and markets cybersecurity solutions, including physical firewalls, antivirus software, intrusion prevention systems, endpoint security solutions and naturally, Network Intelligence solutions. Fortinet was named a Leader in the 2021 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Network Firewalls and received highest scores in 3 out of 5 categories in the 2022 Critical Capabilities report. Kudos, Fortinet!
 
FortiGate NGFW by Fortinet is a network monitoring and intelligence tool that's earned high praise from users on G2, Gartner, TrustRadiuis and Capterra – basically eveyone’s a fan!  It's a comprehensive and effective network intelligence solution that offers features such as SaaS application segmentation, unified firewall policy configuration, intrusion detection and prevention (IPS) and security fabric integration.  It's great for businesses of all sizes and types including small businesses, enterprises and service providers as it's easy to set up and manage.

FortiGate NGFW also includes a firewall which uses deep packet inspection (DPI) to examine traffic for malicious content or activity to keep your network safe. It also offers application control which lets you manage and monitor third-party applications that are running on your network. You can create custom reports so you can track metrics like bandwidth usage, traffic trends and more.
 

Tool 4: WatchGuard Network Security

WatchGuard, also known as WatchGuard Technologies, is a network security vendor based in Seattle, Washington. Its solutions are designed to protect business networks from threats such as malware and ransomware. The business was founded in 1996 and has over 500 employees to date. The business was named as a Visionary in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Unified Threat Management, SMB Firewalls.
 
WatchGuard's network security platform is a popular choice for small and medium businesses because it offers comprehensive (and affordable!) network protection. It's an all-in-one platform that includes features such as firewall protection, intrusion detection and prevention (IPS), SSL inspection and protection along with robust security automation.

The platform provides a visibility dashboard to screen network activity, enabling you to take timely, informed action in the event of a threat. It also offers granular control with over 100 pre-built dashboards that let you drill down to get insights on specific traffic, users, devices, applications, etc. We particularly like WatchGuard’s application control which lets you manage and monitor the applications that are running on your network. It also offers web filtering features which lets you block websites that are known to be malicious or that can pose a security risk. Its spam blocking feature screens out suspicious emails and attachments too.
 

Tool 5: CrowdSec

CrowdSec is a French cybersecurity firm that was launched in December 2019, making it the youngest name on the list! In May 2021, CrowdSec received a $5 million funding – we expect them to be a household name in network security circles soon. In fact, it also earned G2's award for Best Estimated ROI for Summer 2022.
 
CrowdSec is an open-source network intelligence platform with a community-curated blocklist. The platform works by analyzing traffic data and identifying malicious IPs, then blocking them from accessing your network. It also includes features like a web application firewall (WAF), intrusion detection and prevention (IPS) and malware detection.

Lumon would adore CrowdSec's proactive alerts that notify users about relevant security vulnerabilities. The tool also provides robust malware detection and configurable intelligence reports. We think Doug Graner, Lumon’s Head of Security would give it high marks for endpoint intelligence and security automation (e.g., continuous threat monitoring, runtime protection, and automated intrusion prevention.). The tool also detects unwanted behavior in applications, tools and system logs to then remediate it at any level.
 

Conclusion

The right Network Intelligence Software can turn your network security team into unstoppable cyborgs, tirelessly hunting down cyberattacks. That would be more awesome than having Lumon’s security capabilities, right? These five tools are top-rated by users and experts for their comprehensive protection, easy management and ample threat-detection features. Choose the one that best fits your business security needs.

While it's impossible to anticipate every threat, a robust network intelligence platform can help you stay many steps ahead of the bad guys. The future of your network—and the security of your business—depends on proactively managing network threats. With the right platform in place, you can sleep soundly knowing your business is safe from harm.