Top 6 Network Visibility Solutions for Critical Infrastructure in 2026

Critical infrastructure networks — spanning power grids, water utilities, oil and gas pipelines, government systems, and transportation — operate under conditions that leave no margin for error. A single visibility gap can mean the difference between detecting a threat in minutes and discovering a breach weeks after the damage is done. Attackers are taking notice: internet-exposed Industrial Control System (ICS) devices increased by 40% between 2024 and 2025, and Dragos now tracks 26 active Operational Technology (OT) threat groups globally.

Against this backdrop, network TAPs (Test Access Points) and packet brokers have become foundational to critical infrastructure security. They deliver 100% passive traffic capture without impacting live operations — a non-negotiable requirement in environments where unplanned downtime carries operational, safety, and regulatory consequences.

This guide compares six verified vendors offering hardware-based network visibility solutions suited to critical infrastructure in 2026.

At a Glance: 6 Network Visibility Solutions for Critical Infrastructure

1. Network Critical

Network Critical has delivered network visibility solutions to blue-chip organizations for over 25 years, with deployments spanning finance, oil and gas, aerospace, telecommunications, and government. For critical infrastructure teams, its core advantage is a hybrid architecture that combines network TAPs and network packet brokers in a single chassis — eliminating the separate access and aggregation devices that increase complexity and cost in space-constrained environments.

The SmartNA-PortPlus™ scales from 48 to 194 ports across 1G, 10G, 25G, 40G, and 100G speeds in a single 1RU chassis. When environments demand higher throughput, the SmartNA-PortPlus HyperCore™ extends the platform to 400G with 32 QSFP-DD interfaces. The SmartNA-XL™ serves hybrid deployments requiring both TAP access and packet broker functionality at 1G to 40G speeds.

All platforms run Drag-n-Vu™ software, a patented configuration engine whose Rule Optimization Engine (ROE) saves up to 70% of system rule resources. A RESTful API enables direct machine-to-machine integration with security platforms like Darktrace, allowing automated filter and port map updates without human intervention — a critical capability for security operations centers managing high-volume, fast-changing threat environments.

Passive fiber TAPs require no power and create no single point of failure, making them well-suited to remote OT sites and industrial installations where power reliability cannot be guaranteed. The INVIKTUS™ zero-trust security solution adds a hardware-based security layer that makes protected network segments invisible to unauthorized users — without requiring IP or MAC addresses, and without impacting line-rate performance.

Proven Results:

• Vodafone: Reduced customer churn and achieved 100% accurate traffic visibility on key links across a multi-generation mobile network.
• BP: Enabled centralized monitoring of IT and OT systems across refinery buildings spanning 10-12 facilities, using passive fiber TAPs that require no power and no configuration at remote sites.
• Airbus: Maintained 100% operational capability and captured all critical test data across aircraft systems test rigs, completing first-flight objectives on schedule.

2. Garland Technology

Garland Technology is one of the most OT-focused visibility vendors in the market. Its product portfolio includes passive fiber and copper TAPs, inline bypass TAPs, aggregation packet brokers, and hardware data diodes — all manufactured in the USA and available in Trade Agreements Act (TAA)-compliant configurations for US government and federal deployments.

The EdgeLens series delivers inline bypass functionality with fail-safe protection and heartbeat monitoring for inline security tools. If a connected security appliance goes offline, the TAP automatically bypasses the device and keeps the critical link flowing — essential in OT environments where network disruptions carry safety consequences. Garland's hardware data diodes enforce one-way traffic flow at the physical layer, making reverse data transmission physically impossible. This is widely used in nuclear facilities, power generation plants, and energy substations where the monitoring path must never become an attack vector.

Garland supports fiber TAP speeds from 1G to 400G, including the industry's first Optical Multi-Mode 5 (OM5) media type. Its partnership with Dragos enables pre-integrated architectures that feed ICS/OT traffic directly into the Dragos Platform for asset inventory, vulnerability management, and threat detection. Specifications are publicly available on the Garland website.

3. Gigamon

Gigamon holds approximately 50% market share in the deep observability market and is deployed across all 10 of the top US federal agencies, according to research firm 650 Group. Its GigaVUE HC Series and GigaVUE TA Series visibility appliances support physical, virtual, and hybrid cloud environments, feeding the Gigamon Deep Observability Pipeline.

For critical infrastructure specifically, Gigamon's US Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) certification for the DoD Information Network Approved Products List (APL) enables direct deployment on defense networks. The platform makes existing security and observability tools up to 90% more efficient by optimizing signal-to-noise ratios in traffic ingestion. Gigamon customers typically report 50-60% savings on security tool spend through better traffic grooming and deduplication.

GigaSMART provides advanced traffic intelligence including adaptive packet filtering, deduplication, flow slicing, load balancing, and data masking — all delivered before traffic reaches downstream monitoring tools. Support spans 1G to 400G environments across physical data centers, remote sites, and hybrid cloud infrastructure.

4. Keysight Technologies

Keysight Technologies approaches network visibility from a test equipment heritage, applying FPGA-based hardware acceleration to packet brokering to deliver what it describes as a zero packet loss architecture under line-rate conditions. Its Vision 400 Series received the 2024 Global New Product Innovation Award from Frost & Sullivan.

The Vision Edge 400S supports up to 152 x 10G/25G/50G ports, 32 x 40G ports, 64 x 100G ports, 32 x 200G ports, and 16 x 400G ports in a single chassis, including fan-out configurations. A dynamic filter compiler handles all filter rule interactions automatically, eliminating the manual REGEX configuration that introduces misconfiguration risk in complex environments. Packet transformation features — including header stripping, timestamping, tunneled IP filtering, data masking, and tunnel creation/termination — are available on every port at full line rate.

The Vision 400 Series also supports SSL/Transport Layer Security (TLS) decryption to expose encrypted threat traffic to downstream security tools. Its AppFusion partner program, launched in January 2025, hosts Forescout, Instrumentix, and Nozomi Networks software directly on Vision Network Packet Broker (NPB) hardware — reducing appliance count in space-constrained deployments.

5. Niagara Networks

Niagara Networks designs and manufactures its entire product portfolio in the USA. Its Fixed Network Packet Brokers are built on a non-blocking architecture enhanced by Packetron acceleration, providing deterministic traffic delivery and deep packet control across physical and data center networks at speeds from 1G to 400G.

The Hybrid Packet Broker and Bypass platform combines inline bypass switching, TAP functionality, and packet brokering in a single carrier-grade system. This integrated approach ensures continuous traffic flow even during tool failures or power loss — a particularly relevant design characteristic for 24/7 critical infrastructure operations that cannot tolerate maintenance windows. The Cloud Intelligence Platform (CIP) extends visibility to virtual and multi-cloud environments when hybrid architectures require it.

Niagara's deduplication capabilities are specifically designed for environments where multiple TAPs or Switched Port Analyzer (SPAN) ports forward traffic simultaneously. By removing redundant packets before they reach analysis tools, Niagara reduces the processing burden on downstream security platforms and improves the accuracy of threat detection outputs.

6. APCON

APCON provides modular chassis-based network packet brokers through its IntellaView platform, with configurations ranging from 1RU to 9RU. The platform delivers real-time packet processing of 100G network traffic with automatic detection of over 1,600 applications and 400 protocols — application-layer awareness that allows security teams to route specific traffic types to the tools most capable of analyzing them.

400G QSFP-DD connections support multiple breakout speeds, enabling flexible deployment in environments transitioning from 40G and 100G infrastructure to 400G. Centralized management covers all chassis from a single interface, which reduces configuration overhead in critical infrastructure deployments where distributed sites each require monitored links. APCON's architecture supports enterprise compliance requirements through advanced analytics and granular traffic control.

How to Select a Network Visibility Solution for Critical Infrastructure

Prioritize Fail-Safe and Passive Design

In critical infrastructure, the monitoring layer must never become a source of network disruption. Passive fiber TAPs require no power and create no active electronics in the traffic path. Fail-safe designs ensure that if a TAP or inline appliance loses power or fails, the network link automatically continues to pass traffic. Verify that any solution you evaluate carries both passive and fail-safe options before progressing to other criteria.

Match Throughput to Your Highest-Speed Links

Many critical infrastructure environments run mixed-speed networks — legacy 1G control systems alongside 10G or 40G enterprise links, with some data center interconnects now reaching 100G or 400G. A visibility platform that supports a consistent port speed range across the same chassis protects your investment as you upgrade. Confirm that the vendor's maximum supported speed applies at the interface level, not just the aggregate backplane figure.

Assess Scalability Without Replacement

The total cost of a visibility architecture includes the cost of replacing it when the network grows. Scale-out platforms that add ports incrementally — without requiring the removal or reconfiguration of existing hardware — substantially reduce both capital expenditure and operational risk during expansion. Ask vendors specifically how you add capacity: whether additional ports slot into an existing chassis or require a separate management domain.

Confirm Compliance Alignment

Critical infrastructure operators in North America must comply with NERC CIP (North American Electric Reliability Corporation Critical Infrastructure Protection) for bulk power utilities. EU operators face NIS2 Directive requirements. Industrial environments follow IEC 62443. Some frameworks explicitly require packet-level monitoring and traffic audit capabilities. When evaluating vendors, request documentation of compliance use cases and ask whether their products have been deployed in certified environments.

Evaluate Integration With Your Security Stack

Your visibility platform is only as useful as its ability to feed the tools you already operate — whether that's a Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) platform, an Intrusion Detection System (IDS), a Network Detection and Response (NDR) tool, or an OT-specific threat detection platform like Dragos or Nozomi Networks. Prioritize vendors with verified technology partnerships and published integration documentation for the platforms in your stack.

Consider Space, Power, and Environmental Constraints

Remote OT sites — substations, pumping stations, drilling platforms, manufacturing cells — often have limited rack space, restricted power budgets, and environmental conditions that standard data center hardware cannot withstand. Assess form factor, power consumption, and operating temperature range for every platform you evaluate. Passive fiber TAPs that require no power at all are worth considering for unmanned or environmentally challenging locations.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is Network Visibility, and Why Does It Matter for Critical Infrastructure?

Network visibility means having a complete, accurate copy of all traffic traversing your network delivered to the security and monitoring tools that need it. For critical infrastructure, where Industrial Control Systems (ICS) manage physical processes like power generation or water treatment, incomplete visibility means your intrusion detection and threat analysis tools may be operating on a partial picture. A 40% increase in internet-exposed ICS devices between 2024 and 2025 underscores why operators can no longer rely on assumed network segmentation as a substitute for active monitoring.

What Is the Difference Between a Network TAP and a Packet Broker?

A network TAP creates a passive, physical copy of live traffic without affecting the production link — capturing 100% of packets, including malformed frames, with no latency addition and no risk of dropping traffic. A packet broker receives traffic from TAPs, then aggregates, filters, deduplicates, and routes specific streams to downstream monitoring and security tools. Most mature visibility architectures use both: TAPs provide the access layer, while packet brokers ensure each tool receives precisely the data it needs.

Do Network TAPs Work in OT and ICS Environments?

Yes. Hardware TAPs are specifically well-suited to OT and ICS environments because they are entirely passive — they have no IP address, no MAC address, and cannot be targeted by attackers through the monitoring path. Passive fiber TAPs require no power and create no electronic failure risk. Fail-safe designs maintain the link even if the TAP loses power. These characteristics address the core OT requirement: monitoring must never risk disrupting the operational process the network controls.

How Do Network Visibility Solutions Support Regulatory Compliance?

Compliance frameworks like NERC CIP, NIS2, and IEC 62443 require organizations to maintain continuous monitoring of critical network assets and retain evidence of traffic for audit and incident response purposes. Network TAPs and packet brokers provide the access layer for those requirements — delivering 100% of traffic to logging, analysis, and forensics tools. Some platforms also support data masking and payload redaction to meet data protection obligations while maintaining full packet visibility for security tools.

What Should I Look for in a Vendor for a Critical Infrastructure Deployment?

Prioritize vendors with documented deployments in comparable environments — oil and gas, utilities, government, aerospace, or industrial manufacturing — rather than generic enterprise references. Verify that products offer fail-safe and passive options, confirm compliance support for your specific regulatory framework, and assess whether the platform integrates with the OT security tools already in your stack. A free network audit or site assessment from the vendor before purchase is a useful indicator of their technical depth and commitment to the deployment.

Build Your Visibility Architecture With Network Critical

Choosing the right network visibility platform for critical infrastructure is a long-term decision. The access layer you deploy today will shape what your security, monitoring, and compliance tools can see for years to come.

Network Critical combines the reliability of passive hardware TAPs with the intelligence of a scalable packet broker in a single modular platform — from 10 Mbps to 400G, across physical and hybrid environments. Its proven deployments at BP, Vodafone, Airbus, and HSBC demonstrate the performance and resilience that mission-critical organizations require.

To discuss your network architecture or arrange a free network audit, speak to the Network Critical team.