Enhancing university network management and security: a real-time monitoring, visualization & cyber attack detection approach using Paessler PRTG and Sophos Firewall

Abstract

Network traffic monitoring and visualization are essential for university network management and security. This research study uses the Paessler’s PRTG Network Monitoring Tool and Sophos Firewall to monitor and visualize a Campus network traffic in real time. The proposed system gives university network administrators complete access into traffic patterns, security concerns, and performance metrics for efficient network administration and improved security. The research begins with university network issues, including rising bandwidth demand, diversified traffic, and changing security threats. The paper then discusses the PRTG Tool, a popular network-monitoring tool with strong scalability, and Sophos Firewall, a sophisticated network security solution. The integration of the two tools underpins the proposed real-time monitoring system. It also describes the system design, which uses PRTG Network Monitor sensors strategically distributed throughout the network infrastructure to collect real-time network traffic statistics. These sensors collect traffic data using SNMP and flow technologies such as NetFlow or sFlow. The monitoring system and Sophos Firewall enable real-time threat detection and prevention to improve security. The research paper also discusses the data visualization features of the PRTG Network Monitor. It shows how graphs, charts, and dashboards help network managers understand traffic patterns and spot anomalies and make informed network optimization and security decisions. The paper also discusses a case study of a university network using the proposed approach. The results show that real-time monitoring and visualization can improve network administration and security. This paper presents a real-time network traffic monitoring and visualization solution for university networks.