Modern networks contain hundreds of thousands of devices and potentially millions of endpoints. All of which need to maintain a secure configuration that matches both network policy and functional intent. Where configurations change over time – typically as a result of internal network operators altering the configuration – the drift can result in unintended security gaps.

Most of this activity is not malicious in intent but nevertheless results in potentially critical security and operational problems. Largely through the unwitting interaction of configurable items – for example, routing changes or firewall rules. Which is why monitoring configuration drift is now considered a key foundational component of establishing a defendable network and Zero Trust Architecture baselines.