Optimize Network Traffic Analysis
LOW MODERATE HIGHRequirements NIST SOURCE
Provide visibility into network traffic at external and key internal system interfaces to optimize the effectiveness of monitoring devices.
Discussion (NIST Supplemental Guidance)
Encrypted traffic, asymmetric routing architectures, capacity and latency limitations, and transitioning from older to newer technologies (e.g., IPv4 to IPv6 network protocol transition) may result in blind spots for organizations when analyzing network traffic. Collecting, decrypting, pre-processing, and distributing only relevant traffic to monitoring devices can streamline the efficiency and use of devices and optimize traffic analysis.
Implementation Guidance
Original engineering commentary written for this explorer — not NIST source text and not authoritative guidance.
No engineering interpretation has been authored for SI-4(25) yet. This section is architected to receive it — see the Requirements and Assessment sections above for the authoritative NIST source content in the meantime.
Assessment
Assessment Objectives
- visibility into network traffic at external system interfaces is provided to optimize the effectiveness of monitoring devices;
- visibility into network traffic at key internal system interfaces is provided to optimize the effectiveness of monitoring devices.
Examine
[SELECT FROM: System and information integrity policy; system and information integrity procedures; procedures addressing system monitoring; system design documentation; system monitoring tools and techniques documentation; system configuration settings and associated documentation; system monitoring logs or records; system architecture; system audit records; network traffic reports; system security plan; other relevant documents or records].
Interview
[SELECT FROM: System/network administrators; organizational personnel with information security responsibilities; system developer; organizational personnel installing, configuring, and/or maintaining the system; organizational personnel responsible for monitoring system hosts].
Test
[SELECT FROM: Organizational processes for system monitoring; organizational processes for the discovery, collection, distribution, and use of indicators of compromise; mechanisms supporting and/or implementing a system monitoring capability; mechanisms supporting and/or implementing the discovery, collection, distribution, and use of indicators of compromise].
Overlays
STIGs & CCIs
No STIG checks or CCI mappings are currently loaded for SI-4(25). This section is architected to display, per product: STIG ID, Finding ID, Severity, Title, Description, Check, Fix, CCI, and NIST control mapping — but nothing is populated here until a real DISA STIG/CCI dataset is ingested.
Learn more about STIG/CCI integration →Evidence
Categorized from the SP 800-53A "Examine"/"Test" artifact list above by keyword — not an authoritative NIST evidence list.
Policy
- System and information integrity policy
- system security plan
Configuration
- system design documentation
- system configuration settings and associated documentation
- system architecture
Testing
- Organizational processes for system monitoring
- organizational processes for the discovery, collection, distribution, and use of indicators of compromise
- mechanisms supporting and/or implementing a system monitoring capability
- mechanisms supporting and/or implementing the discovery, collection, distribution, and use of indicators of compromise
Other Records
- system and information integrity procedures
- procedures addressing system monitoring
- system monitoring tools and techniques documentation
- system monitoring logs or records
- system audit records
- network traffic reports
- other relevant documents or records