In today’s complex network environments, comprehensive visibility is not just a nice-to-have – it’s essential for security and operational efficiency. Forward Networks has recently expanded its Enterprise platform capabilities to include endpoint discovery and collection, addressing a critical gap in network visibility.
In this exclusive Q&A, VMblog speaks with Chiara Regale, SVP of Product Management at Forward Networks, about this significant platform enhancement and how it’s changing the game for network and security operations teams.
Regale explains that while Forward Networks previously focused on network devices like switches, routers, and firewalls, customer demand drove the company to broaden its scope to include endpoints such as laptops, printers, and IoT devices. This expansion provides the comprehensive visibility organizations need to strengthen security postures and streamline network management – all while potentially reducing tool sprawl across the enterprise.
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VMblog: What pushed Forward to add endpoint discovery and collection to Forward Enterprise?
Chiara Regale: Until recently, we focused on network devices-things like switches, routers, firewalls, and load balancers- or cloud elements.
But our customers needed more. They were looking for deeper visibility into all the devices connecting to their networks-laptops, printers, IoT devices, PDUs. Without that, they couldn’t get a full picture of what was actually connected, which raised serious concerns around security and inventory management.
One of our clients even told us this helped them consolidate tools-they dropped two other platforms in favor of Forward Enterprise as a single source of truth for the network. At the end of the day, SecOps teams need full data to protect the business, and NetOps teams need it to keep everything running smoothly and increase network visibility. So, we added capabilities to meet that need.
VMblog: What makes Forward Networks’ approach different from other options out there?
Regale: The big differentiator is that we bring everything-endpoints and network devices-into Forward’s data model. So instead of piecing things together from different tools, risking incomplete or inaccurate information, you get a single-source-of-truth.
Here’s what we do:
- Automatically find everything connected, even at the edge of the network, no matter where it is or what it is.
- Show how devices connect and what they might be exposed to.
- Compare data from sources like DNS, IPAM, CMDBs, and scanners so everything lines up.
- Keep compliance checks and audit records up to date without manual effort.
VMblog: How does discovering and collecting from endpoints help NetOps and SecOps teams?
Regale: It solves some big headaches.
First, inventory. A lot of companies are managing their assets with spreadsheets or Visio diagrams-tools that are outdated the moment they’re shared. That doesn’t cut it in today’s constantly changing environments. Now with endpoints collection in the platform, you get an accurate, always-updated view of everything on your network, even at the edge. That’s huge for security, inventory, and planning for the future.
Then there’s compliance and auditing. We make it simple to show that you’re in line with policies, with reports ready to go when you need them.
And for vulnerability management, we help teams spot devices with known issues and understand how exposed they are. This is supported by our integrations with Tenable and Rapid7. Engineers can quickly check for issues, tag important devices, and cut down on the guesswork.
VMblog: How does this update help with tool sprawl and boost efficiency?
Regale: Currently, many IT teams are struggling to manage endpoint data with a multitude of disconnected tools. This patchwork approach means higher costs, duplicated data, and more manual work for the team.
While we won’t replace all of the endpoint analysis tools available, adding endpoint collection to our network digital twin will streamline data analysis and eliminate much of the manual work now taking place.
VMblog: What new features can customers use with this update?
Regale: Our new endpoint collection feature supports:
- Host Discovery: Automatically find everything that’s connected and understand what it’s doing.
- Proactive Delta Alerts: Tag your most important devices and get alerts when something changes on the network.
- Inventory Verification: See how your data lines up across DNS, IPAM, CMDBs, and other systems-discrepancies stand out right away.
- Automated Verifications: Quickly identify critical infrastructure so you know what to prioritize.
