Episode 19 — Network Monitoring: NetFlow, SPAN, and Taps
Seeing what’s happening on the wire is essential for both prevention and response, and this episode covers the methods that make that visibility possible. You’ll learn the differences between port mirroring (SPAN), network taps, and flow-based monitoring like NetFlow or IPFIX. Each method offers trade-offs in fidelity, overhead, and deployment complexity. The discussion walks through how these monitoring techniques integrate with intrusion detection systems and SIEM platforms, providing the raw data analysts use to investigate anomalies or validate control effectiveness.
We illustrate how choosing the right monitoring approach depends on the environment—whether you’re capturing packets in a data center, aggregating telemetry in the cloud, or tracing traffic across hybrid networks. You’ll hear how encryption, asymmetric routing, and virtualization can complicate collection, and how engineers solve these issues with strategic placement and filtering. The episode connects the dots between theory and practice: understanding how network visibility shapes detection accuracy, response time, and ultimately, trust in your defensive posture. Produced by BareMetalCyber.com, where you’ll find more cyber audio courses, books, and information to strengthen your educational path. Also, if you want to stay up to date with the latest news, visit DailyCyber.News for a newsletter you can use, and a daily podcast you can commute with.
