New Survey Finds Organizations Utilizing Network Forensics for Much More Than Security

WALNUT CREEK, CA--(Marketwired - Mar 31, 2014) - WildPackets, Inc., a leading provider of network and application performance analysis solutions, today released the results of a survey of 270 network engineers and IT professionals. The report, "Trends in Network Forensics: a look at adoption, uses and importance," revealed that organizations are seeing value in network forensics beyond security uses. Surprisingly, the study also found that organizations deploying 10G, 40G and 100G networks are slow to adopt network forensics solutions, limiting their ability to properly monitor, analyze and troubleshoot these faster networks.

Network forensics solutions are typically perceived as a security tool, however the survey found that organizations are using them for a variety of functions. While 25 percent of respondents said they deploy network forensics for troubleshooting security breaches, almost an equal number, 24 percent, cited verifying and troubleshooting transactions as the key function. Seventeen percent said analyzing network performance on 10G and faster networks was their main use for forensics, another 17 percent reported using the solution for verifying VoIP or video traffic problems, and 14 percent for validating compliance.

The survey also found that though 66 percent of organizations surveyed support faster networks -- of 10G, 40G and 100G -- only 40 percent have deployed a network forensics solution. This number is much lower than the 85 percent of IT professionals who reported that network forensics is an essential network performance management tool at speeds of 10G and above in a 2013 survey, "The State of Faster Networks."

"The beauty of a network forensics solution is its flexibility," said Jay Botelho, director of product management at WildPackets. "As our survey shows, a network forensics appliance is an essential tool for a wide variety of purposes, and quite often for multiple purposes simultaneously. By addressing so many different needs, network forensics is one of the best values in network performance monitoring today."

The survey also found:

• The biggest benefits of network forensics to organizations include: improved overall network performance (40 percent), reduced time to resolution (30 percent), and reduced operating costs (21 percent)
• 74 percent of organizations have seen an increase in the volume of data traversing their networks over the last year
• 72 percent of organizations have increased their network utilization over the past year
• Increased network utilization has affected organizations with slower problem identification and resolution (38 percent), less real-time visibility (25 percent) and more dropped packets leading to inaccurate results (15 percent)
  
  

For a complete report on the survey and its findings, download the white paper, "Trends in Network Forensics: a look at adoption, uses and importance," at http://www.wildpackets.com/elements/whitepapers/State_of_Network_Forensics_Survey.pdf.

Online Resources:

• Download the Trends in Network Forensics white paper
• Download The State of Faster Networks white paper
• Learn more about network forensics
• Read the WildPackets Network Analysis and Monitoring Blog
• Follow @WildPackets on Twitter
• Like WildPackets on Facebook
  
  

About WildPackets, Inc.
WildPackets develops hardware and software solutions that drive network performance, enabling organizations of all sizes to analyze, troubleshoot, optimize, and secure their wired and wireless networks. WildPackets products are sold in over 60 countries and deployed in all industrial sectors. Customers include Boeing, Chrysler, Motorola, Nationwide, and over 80 percent of the Fortune 1000. WildPackets is a Cisco Technical Development Partner (CTDP). For more information, visit www.wildpackets.com.