Network traffic monitoring is characterized by what approach?

The correct choice highlights the nature of network traffic monitoring, which is fundamentally about analyzing data that has already occurred in order to identify trends, anomalies, or patterns over time. This retrospective approach allows network defenders to understand historical traffic behaviors and to analyze past incidents to improve future defenses. By examining system logs, alerts, and user activities, it’s possible to detect suspicious behavior that could indicate a security breach or other network issues.

In contrast, a proactive approach—while crucial in cybersecurity—focuses on measures taken before an incident occurs, rather than analyzing historical data. This proactive strategy involves implementing preventive controls and real-time defenses to mitigate risks.

The notion of a random approach that disregards patterns does not align with the principles of network traffic monitoring, which relies heavily on identifying and analyzing patterns to maintain security.

Lastly, while manual reviews may play a role in the overall analysis process, relying solely on manual review is neither efficient nor comprehensive enough to characterize network traffic monitoring effectively. Automation and tools are generally employed to handle large volumes of data and assist in the analysis, making the retrospective approach the most suitable descriptor in this context.