Audits like SOC 2, ISO 27001, and PCI-DSS require meticulous attention to detail, especially when it comes to network infrastructure. Networking teams often grapple with maintaining audit trails, managing change control, and ensuring that configurations align with strict compliance standards. These challenges can be daunting, but NetBox Branching can greatly simplify the audit process.
The Power of Branching in Network Management
NetBox Branching introduces workflows that will already be familiar to software developers who work with Git. Network engineers can create branches of the network data model, make changes, and then merge them back into the main branch. But how does this help with audits?
Consider a scenario where your team needs to implement a significant network change, such as updating firewall rules or reconfiguring a core router. With NetBox Branching, you can create a dedicated branch to test and validate these changes in a controlled environment. This process not only ensures that changes are made in a structured manner but also provides a clear, documented trail of who made the changes, when, and why.
This traceability is crucial for audits. Auditors often look for evidence that changes to the network are carefully controlled and that unauthorized changes are prevented. With branching, every change can be reviewed in detail, making it easier to demonstrate compliance with requirements like ISO 27001’s stipulation for a documented change management process or PCI-DSS’s requirements for logging and monitoring access to network resources.
Enhancing Collaboration While Maintaining Control
Another challenge in network management is balancing collaboration with the need for tight control over the network environment. Multiple engineers often need to work on different parts of the network simultaneously, but this can lead to conflicts or unauthorized changes if not managed correctly.
NetBox Branching fosters collaboration by allowing engineers to work on their own branches without affecting the main production environment. Each branch can be reviewed independently, with changes only merged into the main branch once they have been vetted and approved. This not only prevents unauthorized changes but also ensures that all modifications are aligned with organizational policies and audit requirements.
For instance, during a PCI-DSS audit, where strict controls over network access and configuration are required, having the ability to isolate changes in branches ensures that only fully reviewed and compliant configurations are deployed to production. This level of control is vital in avoiding audit findings related to unauthorized or undocumented changes.
Linking Changes to ITSM Tickets Seamlessly
In many organizations, network teams receive their tasks through IT Service Management (ITSM) systems, such as ServiceNow or Jira. These tasks, whether driven by business requests or internal needs, often require multiple changes within NetBox. Traditionally, tracking these changes back to the original ITSM ticket has been a manual and error-prone process. Engineers might copy changelog links or paste screenshots into the ticket, but this approach is cumbersome and prone to mistakes.
With NetBox Branching, this process becomes much more streamlined. Teams can now create a dedicated branch for each ITSM ticket, ensuring that every change made to satisfy the ticket is neatly tracked within that branch. In fact this is the process that many organizations in the NetBox Branching Private Preview told us they will be pursuing. This not only simplifies the tracking process but also provides a clear, auditable link between the changes in NetBox and the corresponding ITSM ticket. When auditors request evidence of how specific changes were managed, teams can quickly and easily demonstrate that all related changes were managed within a single branch, tied directly to the original request.
Streamlining the Audit Process
Ultimately, NetBox Branching significantly streamlines the audit process. By providing a clear, documented history of all network changes, networking teams can reduce the time and effort required to prepare for audits. This not only makes audits less stressful but also reduces the risk of non-compliance findings that could lead to costly fines or remediation efforts.
NetBox Branching is a powerful tool for networking teams facing the complexities of modern audits. By enhancing change control, improving documentation, and enabling better collaboration, it makes satisfying audit requirements more straightforward and efficient, allowing teams to focus on what they do best—keeping the network running smoothly.
Get started today
NetBox Branching is available in all editions of NetBox right now.
If you’re a NetBox Community Edition user you can get started with NetBox Branching right away.
- NetBox Branching is delivered as a NetBox Plugin and requires no additional tooling. Check out the installation and admin guides on GitHub here: https://github.com/netboxlabs/netbox-branching
- Join the conversation in the #netbox channel on the NetDev Slack: https://netdev.chat/
If you’re using NetBox Cloud or NetBox Enterprise, NetBox Branching will automatically be included in your instances starting with NetBox 4.1. As always our Customer Success team will be happy to guide you through the upgrade process. If you have any questions please contact support@netboxlabs.com.
Up next
On September 9th 2024, NetBox Change Management will enter Private Preview. NetBox Change Management introduces “Pull Request” like workflows on top of NetBox Branching, adding an additional layer of collaboration and compliance to further ease your auditing burdens.
