ExtraHop vs RSA NetWitness: What are the differences?

Introduction

ExtraHop and RSA NetWitness are both popular network security tools used to monitor and analyze network traffic. While they share some similarities, they also have key differences in terms of functionality and features.

1. Data Collection Methods: ExtraHop primarily relies on passive network monitoring through the use of network taps or SPAN ports, which allows it to capture network traffic without disrupting or altering it. RSA NetWitness, on the other hand, uses multiple data collection methods including packet capture, logs, and endpoint monitoring, providing a more comprehensive view of the network.

2. Real-Time Analytics vs. Post-Processing: ExtraHop focuses on real-time analytics, using its proprietary stream processing technology to analyze network traffic as it occurs and provide immediate insights. In contrast, RSA NetWitness emphasizes post-processing and retrospective analysis, allowing users to search and investigate past events in detail.

3. Application Focus: ExtraHop has a strong focus on application performance monitoring and troubleshooting. It provides detailed visibility into application dependencies, response times, and transaction paths, making it ideal for optimizing application performance. RSA NetWitness, on the other hand, is more geared towards security monitoring, threat detection, and investigation, providing advanced analytics and correlation capabilities.

4. Built-In Threat Intelligence: RSA NetWitness offers built-in threat intelligence feeds, which include categorized and enriched data on known threats and indicators of compromise. This allows the system to automatically alert and provide context around suspicious activities. ExtraHop, although it offers integrations with threat intelligence tools, does not provide built-in threat intelligence feeds.

5. Deployment Options: ExtraHop offers both physical and virtual deployment options, allowing users to choose the deployment model that best fits their needs. RSA NetWitness, on the other hand, primarily focuses on virtual deployment, leveraging virtual appliances and cloud-based deployments.

6. Visibility and Analytics: ExtraHop provides real-time visibility and analytics across all layers of the OSI model, including L2-L7. It analyzes network packets and decodes application protocols, providing detailed insights into network and application performance. RSA NetWitness, while it also provides network visibility, focuses more on higher-layer analytics and advanced security analytics, such as behavioral analysis, advanced threat detection, and user behavior analytics.

In Summary, ExtraHop primarily focuses on real-time application performance monitoring with passive network monitoring, while RSA NetWitness emphasizes advanced security analytics and retrospective analysis with multiple data collection methods and virtual deployment options.