Security Operations vs Network Operations: Boundaries & Intersections

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Understanding Its Purpose and Importance

In the present scenario, organizations must strike a perfect balance between a security-centric and performance-oriented approach, emphasizing networks' criticality. Security operations (SecOps) and network operations (NetOps) are two delineated yet highly related spheres of operation that significantly enhance operational continuity, effectiveness, and safety.

Both engage in performance management of organizational IT services, but their scope, targets, and practices greatly differ. Because of the intricacies of modern IT ecosystems, these areas are usually interrelated, and therefore, it becomes imperatively necessary for the teams to be well synchronized to cater to both security and networking needs. In this blog, we will explore the divide between SecOps and NetOps, provide practical examples of where the two areas connect, and suggest ways that can make it a little easier for organizations to balance security and optimum network functionality.

Fig 1: Security Operations vs Network Operations

Defining Security Operations (SecOps)

Security Operations (SecOps) hunt, watch and counteract security issues within an institution's IT infrastructure. They enjoy the centre-stage role of securing data, systems, and networks from data breaches, malicious software, and other cyber-attacks. Their main purpose is to maintain the secrecy, accuracy, and accessibility of data by protecting critical systems.

Core Components of SecOps

Security Information and Event Management (SIEM): SIEM tools groups such as Splunk or IBM QRadar combine relevant security incident information and log data to perform oversight of events and retrospective analysis. For instance, a measure of a SIEM would be an alarming one any time there were procedurally unusual logins like the abnormal failed logins followed by attempts to log in successfully using a foreign IP.

Incident Response and Forensics: The task force in charge of responding to security incidents (IR), commonly known as incident responders, is the one that interacts with an occurrence of security risk for the first time. One such incident could be a ransomware attack; the IR would implement steps to confine the infected machines and contain the virus without a successful attack spreading out and then begin the forensics of tracing how the attack was carried out.

Network Operations (NetOps)

Network Operations or other Network Management focuses on network performance, reliability, and availability of the institution’s network resources. NetOps teams manage network availability by monitoring network traffic, managing and resolving connectivity problems, and effectively utilizing bandwidth, thereby guaranteeing service delivery.

Core Components of NetOps

Network Performance Monitoring (NPM): Software tools such as SolarWinds and Nagios are deployed to monitor parameters such as network latency, packet losses, and throughput, among other things, to prevent the network from getting bottlenecks or breaks. Meanwhile, in the e-commerce business, if a website becomes too slow, NetOps often works to troubleshoot, reroute, or boost the bandwidth causing the problem.

Configuration and Change Management
Network changes, like router updates and device installations, are made using sufficient analysis and planning. There are many chances that utter disarray can also lead to network downtime, and therefore, NetOps departments embrace configuration management using Cisco Prime, among other tools.
Capacity Planning
Contingency plans must be prepared, especially in places with fluctuating traffic patterns regarding future network requirements. Based on innovative industries' outlook, NetOps employs predictive analysis to understand when it is high time to acquire new hardware or improve bandwidth. This is common in practices such as streaming services, where irregular “user traffic patterns” ultimately lead to unpredictable performances.

The focus of Responsibility between SecOps and NetOps

Even though SecOps and NetOps' detailed areas are distinct from each other, they are both responsible for the proper operations of the IT systems in question. The difference is in the detail of their work carried out daily.

SecOps Focuses on Security Threats
SecOps centres on security threats such as cyber-attacks, such as computer intrusions, phishing, malware, insider attacks, and the leak of sensitive information. For example, if there is a DDoS attack on a network, the SecOps team will concentrate on filter detection, finding the source of the bad traffic, and blocking it by enforcing firewall rules or geofencing.
NetOps Focuses on Network Efficiency
In the network visualization model, NetOps places before herself the task of providing and maintaining proper default channels for the flow of legitimate communications through the network. A similar DDoS situation exists in that while SecOps is dealing with the threat, NetOps will be adjusting the configuration and redirection of the network at that time so that discomfort for the users and clients is kept to a bare minimum. There is a distinct line that separates the two teams, but circumstances may cause the two to work together, for instance, if security poses a challenge to network operation or if emanations of a given network change pose a security threat.

Intersections Between SecOps and NetOps

Because of hybrid and cloud environments, software-defined networking (SDN), and the hyper-care of regulation, SecOps and NetOps have moved closer than ever. Below are practical situations and responses where their responsibilities manage to intertwine:

  Firewalls and Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS)  
A firewall is a network perimeter device managed by NetOps. It is the most critical aspect of protection within a network. Security policies should also be investigated regarding users' behaviour, especially in relation to preventing malicious users from deploying intrusion detection systems (IPS).

Situation: A firewall belonging to a multinational financial services company has been subjected to attempts of breach by unauthorized users more than once. Here, NetOps would be concerned with correcting the configuration so that only cleaner traffic is routed, while SecOps would be concerned with getting suspicious activity and changing the rules to prevent attacks.

Solution: It entails making the two teams work together without compromising on either performance or security. For example, NetOps can deploy geofencing with dynamic routing and traffic shaping so that critical traffic is not diverted, whereas SecOps can enforce ACL and zoning and segmentation for attack counters.

Network Segmentation for Security Compliance

Network Segmentation is one of the techniques employed by NetOps from the performance viewpoint, but even more importantly, it helps to protect sensitive data (for example, PCI–DSS–compliant environments) from the gas of the remaining network.

Scenario in real life: Healthcare organizations have to deal with HIPAA regulations stating that a patient’s personal information must be kept in a more secure area, hence the need for compliance. SecOps is likely to recommend applying strict segmentation policies to ensure that the healthcare database is well dislocated from the other general network to minimize attack points. NetOps is responsible for ensuring that this segmentation does not compromise data movement or application performance, which requires access to patient information.
Solution: SDN encloses patients' data, ultimately applying micro-segmentation. This allows NetOps and SecOps to apply such policies at a more specific scope, providing further challenges. For example, VMware NSX and Cisco ACI allow the creation of security policies that align with applications or users’ demands.

DDoS Architectures & Protection Strategies

Both teams are very important when it comes to handling Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks. NetOps needs to minimize the effects of network-level disruptions while SecOps tries to detect the ill-intended individuals behind the attack.

Real-world scenario: A very big gaming company has a lot of DDoS that threatens to take the whole platform DDoS attack just a few hours before the World Cup tournament. The net-ops team takes charge of traffic management by longitude changes and Comcast providers’ rate limiting. SecOps employs WAFs and threat intelligence systems to withstand such attempts by configuring a moving target defence against the attack of those foreign IPs.
Solution: Implement a multi-layered DDoS mitigation strategy and endpoint security solutions like Cloudflare or AWS Shield to eliminate traffic spikes and protect end systems. NetOps ensures the traffic is load-balanced and not congested, while SecOps takes care of incident management by ensuring rapid feeds of threat intelligence for rule updates during the attack.

Implementing Network Access Control (NAC)

Network Access Control, or its abbreviated form NAC for Network Access Control, is a well-known and common operational area that falls on the shoulders of both Seconds and NetOps to some extent. The devices permitted in the network can be controlled by NAC systems simply because this functional requirement influences the management of a network.

Real-world scenario: A university enacts a bring-your-own-device (BYOD) policy, where students and staff can connect their personal devices to the network. Unfortunately, it does, as those devices would be unregulated and could be a vector for infections or invasions.

Solution: If there is a need to restrict which devices can connect to the network and how much bandwidth they can use, the University should roll out an NAC solution like Cisco ISE. The latter is under the NetOps team, while the former refers to regulatory compliance of all the devices undergoing NAC scanning so that devices can access critical resources.

Management of the Patches and Updates of the Firmware

Both SecOps and NetOps take up the responsibility of working on patch deployment, each in their own area of focus. SecOps deals with the implementation of the patches on the software’s weaknesses that could be exploited, while NetOps is responsible for the installation of firmware enhancements on network equipment to improve speed as well as for dealing with any glitches

Illustration: An energy company has thousands of industrial IoT (IIoT) devices that expose a deficiency and need a firmware update. NetOps plans and performs such updates, taking all measures to keep energy delivery running. On their part, SecOps confirms that the changes made to the firmware actually address a security concern and do not create new ones.
Answer: NetOps chooses certain types of patches and employs them via network deployment using patch management software such as Ansible or Red Hat Satellite. SecOps performs certain vulnerability assessments on the patches in a confined environment due to possible negative impact on NetOps.

Conclusion: Key Takeaways on SecOps and NetOps

The evolution of high-tech infrastructure ingrains more and more networks in the line of business, erasing the barriers between Network Operations and Security Operations. Nevertheless, sponsoring these two teams may pursue different priorities, but it is important for the organisation's well-being. Ensuring the protection of the network from threats rests upon the shoulders of SecOps, while its effective management rests upon netOps. With the increasing advancements in technology and cybercrimes, encouraging the collaboration of these teams will ensure security and performance simultaneously.