* [Blog](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog) * [Palo Alto Networks](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/corporate/) * [Threat Advisory/Analysis](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/category/threat-advisory-analysis/) * Monitoring the Unknown # Monitoring the Unknown [](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.paloaltonetworks.com%2Fblog%2F2013%2F02%2Fmonitoring-the-unknownthe-recent-new-york-times-attack-just-like-many-of-the-other-high-profile-attacks-over-the-past-couple-of-years-demonstrated-the-evolution-towards-multi-vector-sophisticated-a%2F) [](https://twitter.com/share?text=Monitoring+the+Unknown&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.paloaltonetworks.com%2Fblog%2F2013%2F02%2Fmonitoring-the-unknownthe-recent-new-york-times-attack-just-like-many-of-the-other-high-profile-attacks-over-the-past-couple-of-years-demonstrated-the-evolution-towards-multi-vector-sophisticated-a%2F) [](https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.paloaltonetworks.com%2Fblog%2F2013%2F02%2Fmonitoring-the-unknownthe-recent-new-york-times-attack-just-like-many-of-the-other-high-profile-attacks-over-the-past-couple-of-years-demonstrated-the-evolution-towards-multi-vector-sophisticated-a%2F&title=Monitoring+the+Unknown&summary=&source=) [](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com//www.reddit.com/submit?url=https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/2013/02/monitoring-the-unknownthe-recent-new-york-times-attack-just-like-many-of-the-other-high-profile-attacks-over-the-past-couple-of-years-demonstrated-the-evolution-towards-multi-vector-sophisticated-a/&ts=markdown) \[\](mailto:?subject=Monitoring the Unknown) Link copied By [Palo Alto Networks](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/author/palo-alto-networks-staff/?ts=markdown "Posts by Palo Alto Networks") Feb 14, 2013 2 minutes [Threat Advisory/Analysis](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/category/threat-advisory-analysis/?ts=markdown) [Threat Prevention](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/category/threat-prevention-2/?ts=markdown) [threat prevention](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/tag/threat-prevention/?ts=markdown) [WildFire](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/tag/wildfire/?ts=markdown) The recent New York Times attack, just like many of the other high-profile attacks over the past couple of years, demonstrated the evolution towards multi-vector, sophisticated attacks. If you haven't enabled [WildFire](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/solutions/WildFire.html?ts=markdown) on your Palo Alto Networks firewalls to complement your threat prevention capabilities, it's time to do so. What was also interesting about this attack was that it emphasized the need for a rapid monitoring and response system. Hand-in-hand with the deployment of a robust security architecture, is the need for a monitoring and response process that allows you to continuously monitor and process security data efficiently and proactively act upon this data if something suspicious is found. Critical foundational elements like the right data feed and the right enforcement model are the building blocks to creating a robust monitoring and response system: * The analytics of data is only as useful as the data itself. Richer, premium data feeds provided by next-generation firewalls on applications, users and content provide more relevant, actionable data. While our Application Command Center, and integrated reports/logs support this, a new breed of SIEM and big data vendors, such as [Splunk](http://www.splunk.com/web_assets/pdfs/secure/Splunk_for_Palo_Alto.pdf), also take advantage of this intelligent information to make the monitoring process more operationally efficient. * In addition, in order to easily categorize the unknown traffic that could potentially be a source of malware, start with a positive enforcement model so the unknown becomes significant and much more manageable. In my latest[Security Week](http://www.securityweek.com/monitoring-your-unknown-network-traffic) article, you can read more about monitoring unknown network traffic and the critical foundational elements needed to create a monitoring and response system. *** ** * ** *** ## Related Blogs ### [Products and Services](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/category/products-and-services/?ts=markdown), [Threat Prevention](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/category/threat-prevention-2/?ts=markdown) [#### UPDATED: Palo Alto Networks Protections Against WanaCrypt0r Ransomware Attacks](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/2018/01/palo-alto-networks-protections-wanacrypt0r-attacks/) ### [Next-Generation Firewalls](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/network-security/category/next-generation-firewalls/?ts=markdown) [#### Always Innovating: User Experience, Threat Coverage and Management](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/network-security/always-innovating-july-2023/) ### [Must-Read Articles](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/security-operations/category/must-read-articles/?ts=markdown), [Next-Generation Firewalls](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/network-security/category/next-generation-firewalls/?ts=markdown), [Points of View](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/category/points-of-view/?ts=markdown), [Products and Services](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/category/products-and-services/?ts=markdown), [Public Sector](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/category/public-sector/?ts=markdown), [Zero Trust Security](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/network-security/category/zero-trust-security/?ts=markdown) [#### Russia-Ukraine Cyber Activity Makes Security Best Practices Imperative](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/2022/03/russia-ukraine-cyber-activity-best-practices/) ### [Secure the Enterprise](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/category/secure-the-enterprise/?ts=markdown) [#### NSS Labs 2019 BPS Test: Palo Alto Networks Earns 'Recommended' Rating](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/2019/08/2019-bps-test-palo-alto-networks-recommended/) ### [Secure the Enterprise](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/category/secure-the-enterprise/?ts=markdown) [#### SEGA Europe: You Cannot Protect What You Cannot See](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/2019/07/sega-europe/) ### [Sin categorizar](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/category/sin-categorizar/?ts=markdown) [#### Cliente destacado: Bank OCBC NISP reduce a la mitad el tiempo de gestión gracias a la plataforma de seguridad de nueva generación de Palo Alto Networks](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/2017/12/cliente-destacado-bank-ocbc-nisp-reduce-a-la-mitad-el-tiempo-de-gestion-gracias-a-la-plataforma-de-seguridad-de-nueva-generacion-de-palo-alto-networks/?lang=es) ### Subscribe to the Blog! 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