The Domain Name System (DNS) translates domain names (e.g., datadoghq.com) into IP addresses via a process called DNS resolution. This translation facilitates all kinds of network communication, from enabling web browsers to connect to a desired page without requiring users to remember IP addresses, to internal communication across private infrastructure, such as Kubernetes environments.

Firewall technology has mirrored the complexities in network security, evolving significantly over time. Originally serving as basic traffic regulators based on IP addresses, firewalls advanced to stateful inspection models, offering a more nuanced approach to network security. This evolution continued with the emergence of Next-Generation Firewalls (NGFWs), which brought even greater depth through data analysis and application-level inspection.

Distributed networks, including software-defined wide area networks (SD-WAN), content delivery networks (CDNs), and secure access service edge (SASE) architectures have become integral to modern IT landscapes. They provide unparalleled performance, scalability, and flexibility, empowering businesses to operate seamlessly across geographical boundaries.

AWS WAF is a managed web application firewall that monitors network traffic to your AWS applications and resources. As a perimeter-based firewall, AWS WAF is designed to secure the boundaries between your applications and the public internet. This means that it’s capable of protecting all of the various elements of your AWS architecture, including Amazon API Gateways, load balancers, and Amazon CloudFront distributions.

In Part 1 of this series, we looked at how AWS WAF helps you monitor network traffic to AWS resources, as well as key metrics and logs for detecting WAF misconfigurations and malicious activity. In this post, we’ll walk through using AWS’s native tooling to query that data.

In Part 2 of this series, we looked at Amazon’s built-in monitoring services for AWS WAF activity and audit logs. In this post, we’ll demonstrate how Datadog complements your WAF’s existing protection and extends its capabilities to not only offer protection at the perimeter but also to the APIs and services within your network.

It’s not uncommon for enterprises to find themselves in a situation where they’ve purchased new technology but are then faced with the hurdle of understanding what they’ve acquired and how to deploy it. This can often lead to confusion, deployment delays, and frustration with the new technology. Deploying the Cato SASE solution can be both simple and quick if you follow this checklist.

The landscape of enterprise networks has evolved significantly to accommodate the increasing demands of modern businesses, driven by digital transformation, cloud computing, and the proliferation of mobile, BYOD, and IoT devices. Enterprise networks house large-scale communication infrastructures used by businesses to connect various IT systems and devices across multiple locations. As these networks grow in complexity, the need for efficient management and robust security becomes paramount.

To objectively understand how increased efficiency translates to measurable ROI for enterprises, Forward Networks engaged IDC Research to determine the business value of the platform. After interviewing existing customers, they produced the IDC Solution Brief, The Business Value of Forward Networks, (US52128624, June 2024). The paper delved deep into the experiences of Forward Networks’ customers who leverage the digital twin technology.