The Iowa Communications Network (ICN) has expanded the state’s cybersecurity posture by integrating optical test access points (TAPs) from Gigamon across its fiber network, strengthening the DDoS mitigation platform and network visibility for Iowa’s critical services.
The upgrade replaces older hardware with TAP units capable of tapping into 100 Gigabit connections, significantly increasing the capacity compared with the previous 10 Gb-only setup. This expanded bandwidth enables ICN to ingest and inspect high-speed traffic more effectively to identify threats.
Key security enhancements include lossless replication, which creates identical copies of data packets for analysis, and traffic intelligence that directs security tools to focus on relevant data. Together, these features bolster threat detection and help optimize overall network performance while maintaining full-speed visibility at network entry points.
Traffic from entry points throughout the state is monitored and aggregated at ICN’s network hub, creating a centralized view that speeds up response to security events and anomalies.
This optical TAP upgrade supports ICN’s partnership with Iowa’s Department of Management, Division of Information Technology (DOM DoIT). The Gigamon platform enables secure, real-time sharing of network traffic data with state authorities, enabling more sophisticated security analysis and a robust security shield for statewide services.
