Fidelis Network Detection and Response is an enterprise-class solution for high-risk organizations that need more than just information that an incident occurred—they need precise answers: what happened, who was involved, where it occurred, and with what impact. It stands out thanks to Deep Content Visibility—the analysis of actual data content, not just metadata—as well as full DLP functionality in network traffic.

It is most often chosen by banks, public institutions, and the healthcare sector, where regulatory requirements, evidentiary-quality data, and precise leak detection are critical.

Implementing Fidelis requires time and commitment.

Key success factors include:

• accurate estimation of network traffic,
• understanding the licensing model,
• providing the right infrastructure (e.g., a Gigamon layer),
• an active role of the security team.

The Fidelis implementation process at 4Prime includes PoC, installation, about a month of tuning, integrations, and training. The end result is a system that delivers real control over information flow, not just more alerts.

In short: Fidelis is NDR for organizations that need to know exactly what is happening to their data—not just that something happened.

In environments where risk levels are extremely high, regulations are strict, and data sensitivity is critical, traditional Network Detection and Response solutions quickly prove to be insufficient. These organizations need more than just a signal that “something happened” — they need clear answers to key questions: what exactly was transmitted, by whom, in what context, and with what real business and legal impact.

Fidelis Network Detection and Response was created precisely for such environments — where visibility into content, evidentiary-quality data, and the ability to detect and block incidents at the level of actual information flow are essential.

Why our clients choose Fidelis

First and foremost, because it delivers the richest set of metadata and the most comprehensive analytical material among NDR-class systems available on the market. Unlike its competitors, Fidelis does not limit itself to signatures or basic traffic monitoring. Its engine provides detailed, multi-layer session reconstruction, enabling security analysts to gain a precise view of an incident—always at a level that has real evidentiary value.

Another key advantage of Fidelis is that its alerts contain complete, critical contextual data, so analysts know exactly what happened.

Not all NDR solutions are created equal

One of Fidelis’ strongest differentiators is its level of visibility and content analysis, which goes far beyond the capabilities of traditional NDR, IPS, or even standalone DLP systems. Fidelis is designed to understand not only network traffic metadata, but also the actual content of transferred files. A key element of this advantage is the Deep Content Visibility mechanism.

Thanks to Deep Content Visibility, Fidelis can not only detect anomalies in traffic, but also clearly determine what exactly was transmitted, in what context, and whether the content violates security or regulatory policies. This level of analysis has real evidentiary and operational value—especially in regulated environments, where it is not just detection that matters, but precise answers to the question: what data left the organization, where it went, and how.

Another major advantage is that Fidelis delivers full Data Loss Protection functionality in network traffic, analyzing data for the presence of sensitive information such as national ID numbers, identity documents, business registry numbers, credit card numbers, bank account numbers, or phone numbers.

In practice, this means that if a user—for example while using Gmail—adds a ZIP archive to an email containing a PDF file and a PowerPoint presentation, Fidelis is able to:

• reconstruct the full HTTP/HTTPS session,

• unpack the ZIP archive,

• analyze the PDF for malware,

• analyze the PowerPoint for sensitive data,

• detect the risk of data exfiltration and block it in real time.

It is also worth noting that organizations often prefer comprehensive solutions from a single vendor. Why? Primarily because of trust in the existing provider, a unified interface, consistent management, and the lack of need to maintain multiple separate tools for DLP, NDR, file analysis, and data inspection.

Enterprise-class NDR – the type of organizations that most often choose Fidelis

Looking at our implementations, Fidelis is most often adopted by organizations that operate on data with an exceptionally high level of sensitivity. These are primarily entities responsible for national stability, the financial sector, and institutions processing large volumes of personal data.

Typical examples include banks and financial institutions, which on the one hand must meet strict regulatory requirements, and on the other need tools that enable precise detection of data leakage attempts, advanced malware campaigns, and unauthorized file transfers.

Another major group consists of public institutions and government agencies, especially those managing strategic or sensitive information.

An important group of users also includes healthcare organizations and private medical networks. Medical data belongs to the most highly protected categories of personal data, and any breach involves exceptionally high operational and reputational risk.

Common misconceptions before implementing Fidelis

The assumption that Fidelis will work “right away”

One of the most common misconceptions is the expectation that Fidelis will deliver full value immediately after deployment. In practice, the system needs time to be tailored to a specific organization—this is a standard process for any enterprise-class NDR solution.

It is necessary to:

• analyze network traffic,
• minimize the number of false positives,
• create custom detection rules tailored to the organization.

Underestimating network traffic volume

Another recurring mistake is assuming that the organization’s traffic is lower than it actually is. In many projects, the real traffic volume turns out to be noticeably higher than what was planned at the purchasing stage.

The result is simple: a license that was supposed to be “sufficient” quickly proves not to be. This problem also affects other NDR solutions, such as GreyCortex. That’s why a reliable traffic measurement is essential before deployment, and during planning it is worth allowing for a safety margin and future organizational growth.

Confusing the licensing model with an “all-inclusive” package

Many customers assume that a Fidelis license includes everything in a single package. In reality, the system is licensed across two key dimensions:

• the throughput of analyzed traffic (Gbps),
• the metadata retention period (days).

The standard minimum is 1 Gbps + 30 days of metadata, but in most environments this is only a starting point. After the first month of operation, it usually becomes clear that both traffic volume and required retention are higher than initially expected.

Assuming Fidelis does not require additional infrastructure components

Customers often believe that Fidelis will “see the entire network” on its own. In practice, the traffic delivery infrastructure plays a crucial role. In many Polish deployments, Gigamon is used, which:

• enables precise delivery of traffic to Fidelis,

• allows filtering out unnecessary streams,

• effectively reduces Fidelis licensing costs,

• acts as an optimization layer in front of the NDR.

Without this layer, the system may receive too much data—or not the right data to analyze.

The belief that Fidelis requires no ongoing involvement

Fidelis is a tool that often requires active involvement on the customer’s side. The system provides telemetry, alerts, and metadata, but analysis and decision-making remain the responsibility of the security team.

An implementation partner can support the customer—for example, through regular meetings, alert reviews, or configuration recommendations. However, the platform requires:

• a dedicated analytical team,

• the ability to interpret alerts,

• ongoing operational work within the organization.

Implementation process step by step

The Fidelis implementation process usually begins even before the formal installation phase. Already at the PoC stage, the first concept of how the system should operate in a given environment is developed. This is when the client defines which traffic they want to monitor, and the implementation team initially estimates its volume and identifies the scenarios that offer the greatest detection value.

Once the decision to proceed is made, the project moves into the preparation phase. Hardware and licenses are ordered, and after delivery, all system components are installed. Only at this stage does Fidelis become physically present in the client’s environment and proper configuration can begin.

The most important part of the implementation is the tuning process, which usually lasts about a month. During this time, the system is fine-tuned to match the organization’s real operating conditions. Actual network traffic is analyzed, and detection rules are gradually adjusted so that Fidelis responds only to what truly matters. In practice, this means identifying unusual behavior, explaining anomalies generated by legacy systems, and creating exceptions where necessary. The implementation partner also provides their own set of rules that complement the vendor’s default mechanisms and help achieve the desired level of precision more quickly.

At the same time, Fidelis is integrated with the client’s systems, such as Active Directory and EDR solutions.

After the tuning phase is complete, the environment moves into the maintenance stage. If the client uses partner support, regular consultation meetings are held—usually once a week. During these sessions, alerts are discussed, unusual events are analyzed, and next steps are defined to further improve the configuration.

The final element of the implementation is training, which typically lasts two days. The first day focuses on theory, while the second is dedicated to working with real cases and practical use of Fidelis in an analyst’s day-to-day work.

Overall, the implementation—from the moment the hardware is delivered—usually takes about one month. This timeframe may vary depending on the size of the organization, the maturity of its security processes, and its readiness to develop custom detection rules. In every case, however, implementing Fidelis is a demanding process, and the results are directly proportional to the level of engagement from the client’s team.

Fidelis NDR through the eyes of 4Prime engineers

From our engineers’ perspective, Fidelis stands out primarily because of its approach that puts the analyst at the center of system design. The interface is simple, clear, and free of unnecessary embellishments—an огром advantage for people working in day-to-day operations.

The system allows full customization of the workspace. An analyst can change the order of columns, add the fields that matter most, remove what is not needed, and then save the entire layout as a personal working profile. As a result, Fidelis becomes a tool that “works the way the engineer works,” not the other way around.

If you would like to learn more about Network Detection and Response and see how to best tailor this solution to your organization’s needs, feel free to contact us.

This article was prepared by a 4Prime expert and then edited with the support of artificial intelligence tools.