Pervasive Network Awareness via Interop SpyNet
In my 2005 book Extrusion Detection (p. 27) I defined the term pervasive network awarenesss (PNA): A truly defensible network permits security administrators to achieve pervasive network awareness. Pervasive network awareness is the ability to collect the network-based information -- from the viewpoint of any node on the network -- required to make decisions. Today while perusing Webcasts at Gigamon University , I listened to a Gigamon presentation on a "data access network" (so-called "DAN") built as the Interop SpyNet , shown earlier. This is exactly an implementation of PNA. The Interop network and security admins can monitor the InteropNet and see traffic anywhere they like. This Interop Blog post provides a portal into discussions of the SpyNet, including history showing the idea stretches back to 1996. This shows that PNA is a good idea, and like many good ideas, not even new! At some point I would like to see a SpyNet in person. I will be in Aus...