Network forensics analyzes network traffic for internal and legal investigations and detects intruders for system security. It requires high processing speeds and storage space. It is used by ISPs, law enforcement, security companies, and IT personnel. It identifies suspicious activity and can be used for evidence in court. Intruder detection is part of a proactive security approach. Governments advocate for wiretapping compliant devices to identify potential security threats.
Network forensics is the analysis of network traffic to gather information used in internal and legal investigations. In addition to being used for investigative purposes, network forensics is also a tool for detecting and intercepting intruders used for system security. There are a number of techniques in use to intercept data, using a variety of devices to collect all data moving through a network or identify selected packets of data for further investigation. Accurate and productive forensic analysis of a network requires computers with high processing speeds and large volumes of storage space.
As computer systems increasingly moved to networks in the 1990s and the home Internet became ubiquitous in many communities, interest in network forensics increased and numerous companies began manufacturing products and offering services in the network forensics sector. Internet service providers, law enforcement agencies, and security companies all use these tools, and it is also employed by IT security personnel in facilities where sensitive information is handled.
In Network Forensics, as data moves across a network, it is captured and analyzed. Analysts look for any unusual and suspicious activity and can identify particular computers or people of interest for further investigation. In the case of law enforcement, investigations may be conducted for the purpose of gathering evidence for use in court, as well as ongoing investigations. Internal investigations can use network forensics to identify sources of information leaks and potential security compromises in a system.
Intruder detection with network forensics can be part of a security scheme for a business. Automated systems look for suspicious traffic and alert security personnel, and in some cases, such systems can automatically take action to block access to sensitive information or kick people off the network altogether. This proactive approach to security allows networks and computer systems to respond dynamically to threats.
Governments began pushing to increase access to computer networks for the purpose of accessing and analyzing data in the 2000s. The development of wiretapping compliant devices and systems has been advocated by some law enforcement agencies with the goal to use network forensics to identify potential security threats, ranging from terrorist activity on computer networks to evidence of criminal activity. Criminals turned to the Internet to organize offline activities and to conduct attacks on networks in the 1990s, and many governments felt powerless to interdict information and respond without a broad framework for information interception in place.
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