Never again worry about foreign devices on the network

Last updated: December 1, 2021

When it comes to the company’s own network, constant monitoring and control are basic requirements. Documented configuration and regular maintenance are practically a basic requirement of any IT network. But not all settings, actions or events are always visible at a glance. With the increasing size of IT networks, control mechanisms become visibly more complex and time-consuming to query. A detailed breakdown and documentation is indispensable. If there are also several locations, manual and regular control or monitoring quickly becomes an impossible task.

Security-relevant defaults were not invented to annoy admins. For most users, it is not clear at first glance what security risks can arise in a network through careless actions. On the other hand, IT managers strive to keep the hurdles to accessing the network as low as possible for the normal user. And yet, in the course of data and access security, a number of defence and control mechanisms must take effect.

WiFi …

For some time now, modern networks have not only consisted of wired connections that are connected to the switches via patch panels in the server room. Since we have been able to work with smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices, a WiFi network is no longer only available for guests in many companies. The advantage of wireless networks is also one of the greatest security risks. You don’t need a fixed access point or an electric wire connection. It is sufficient to be within the radio range of the WLAN router and you can be anywhere within its transmission and reception radius – even in the pocket of a person who is not at work. A thorough knowledge of network security and configuration is a prerequisite for avoiding security breaches. In addition to configuration, another important aspect is to keep an overview quickly and always up-to-date. This is the only way to distinguish between third-party and company devices and to identify security threats in advance.

…or electric wire?

If devices are connected directly to the network socket, an encrypted password is not even required for the network connection. In most cases, the automatic DHCP function is already activated and the device is granted an IP address and, in most cases, Internet access. Of course, these are not always deceitful devices with dubious intentions. Nevertheless, it makes sense for the IT department to be able to identify and categorise each IP address at any time.

Docusnap inherently supports you with its integrated “IPv4 Overview” report in controlling all devices that are accessible in the IP network. In this way, foreign IP or Mac addresses can also be detected very quickly. As usual with Docusnap, several scanning methods are used to detect all devices in the network.

We show you how easy this works in our short video:

 
With Docusnap, you make your daily work easier and keep an overview of your IT network in all areas.