Network Security Monitoring

Network security monitoring sees everything. Endpoint security protects the device. The best security programs use both. 

Why EDR Alone Isn’t Enough.

Most organizations today understand the value of endpoint detection and response (EDR). Tools like CrowdStrike do a great job monitoring laptops, servers, and workloads for malicious activity. They’re effective, mature, and absolutely necessary.

But necessary doesn’t always mean sufficient.

As attacks become more subtle and attackers more patient, relying on endpoint security alone can leave gaps. To really improve your odds against modern threats, you need a second, independent layer of visibility: network security monitoring.

The best security programs don’t choose one or the other. They use both.

A Real-World Example: Smart Appliances vs. Whole-house Monitoring

Here’s a true story.

My insurance company recently told me I had 60 days to install a whole-house water leak detector with an automatic shut-off. At first, I was skeptical. My dishwasher and washing machine are both already “smart.” They track water usage and alert me if something seems wrong.

So why add another system?

Because the insurance company wasn’t worried about the dishwasher. They were worried about everything around it.

The leak detector monitors water flow across the entire house. It learns what’s normal—when we’re home, when we’re at work, when no one should be using water at all. If it senses a large flow at the wrong time, it reacts immediately and shuts off the water.

That matters because:

• My dishwasher can tell me it’s using more water than usual
• It can’t see a burst supply line under the sink
• It can’t detect a slow leak behind a wall
• And it definitely can’t stop the damage if something fails while no one’s home

If a supply line breaks, my appliances are blind—and my hardwood floors don’t stand a chance.

Even better, the flow detector gives me a second set of eyes on those smart appliances. If their built-in monitoring glitches or misses something, the independent system still sees the real behavior.

This is exactly how endpoint security and network security monitoring relate.

Endpoints See Themselves

EDR tools are very good at what they do. They watch what’s happening on a device:

• Processes and memory activity
• Files and registry changes
• Known attack techniques
• Suspicious behavior tied to the endpoint

But many modern attacks don’t look suspicious on a single system.

Attackers today often:

• Use stolen credentials instead of malware
• Move laterally using legitimate tools
• Blend into normal business traffic
• Exfiltrate data slowly to avoid alarms
• Live “off the land” and avoid dropping files

From the endpoint’s point of view, everything can look perfectly normal.

But, from the network’s point of view, it often doesn’t.

Network Security Monitoring Sees Everything

Network security monitoring examines how systems communicate with each other and with the outside world. It spots unusual communication patterns, unexpected data flows, and behaviors that don’t match how your environment normally operates.

Questions like:

• Why is this server talking to an external service it’s never contacted before?
• Why is data moving at 2:00 a.m. when no one is working?
• Why did an internal system suddenly start communicating laterally across the network?

These are things the network can see clearly—even when endpoints can’t.

Why Using Both Actually Works Better

When organizations combine EDR with network security monitoring, a few important things happen:

• You get an independent view of reality
  If an endpoint agent fails, is misconfigured, or is bypassed, the network is still watching.
• You catch advanced threats sooner
  Many serious incidents first show up as strange network behavior, not endpoint alerts.
• You cover more ground
  Not everything runs an EDR agent—IoT, OT, legacy systems, unmanaged devices, and some cloud services still generate network traffic.
• You gain better incident context
  When something does trigger, network data helps you understand where it came from, what it touched, and what data moved.

This isn’t duplication. It’s defense-in-depth that actually adds value.

The Bottom Line

EDR is critical. No question.

But just like smart appliances don’t replace whole-house monitoring, endpoint security alone isn’t enough for today’s threat landscape.

Organizations that want the best chance of detecting and stopping advanced attacks need both endpoint visibility and network visibility, working together.

That’s where a network security monitoring service like PacketWatch fits in. Not as a replacement for EDR—but as the second set of eyes that helps ensure nothing important slips through the cracks.

Contact Us today to add proactive network security monitoring to your security program.

Chuck Matthews is the CEO of PacketWatch, a cybersecurity firm specializing in Threat Hunting and Incident Response, leveraging their proprietary network monitoring platform. With over 35 years of executive experience, Matthews excels in aligning technology with strategic business goals and is a recognized leader in cybersecurity. Chuck has contributed to numerous publications and media outlets, focusing on topics like cybersecurity legislation and best practices.