TLS/SSL Decryption Solution

Modern networks are increasingly encrypted, with TLS 1.3 and Perfect Forward Secrecy becoming standard. While encryption protects data in transit, it also hides threats, malware, and command-and-control traffic from security tools. TLS decryption restores critical visibility so SOC/NOC teams can inspect traffic, detect threats earlier, and maintain compliance.

Niagara Networks' solution performs centralized decryption at the visibility layer, acting as a secure intermediary between the network and the cybersecurity tools. The system terminates TLS sessions, decrypts the payloads, applies filtering or grooming policies, and distributes only relevant traffic to downstream tools - while ensuring high performance and full session integrity.

Niagara’s TLS Decryption capability is enabled through the Packetron Acceleration Module, which provides the high-performance engine required to offload intensive packet processing and deliver network-intelligence functions up to Layer 7. Packetron transforms the visibility layer into an advanced, application-aware packet broker capable of decrypting, analyzing, and grooming traffic at scale.

TLS decryption is supported on Niagara platforms that integrate Packetron modules - typically the advanced packet brokers designed for multi-100G environments (i.e, 4540, 4248-6C and future applicable ePacketron platforms). In a deployment, encrypted traffic is aggregated through the packet broker fabric, processed by Packetron for TLS termination and decryption, and then distributed (decrypted or re-encrypted, depending on policy) to downstream security and monitoring tools.

This architecture allows organizations to centralize decryption, optimize tool performance, and extend L4–L7 visibility without modifying their existing security appliances.

Yes. Niagara fully supports TLS 1.3, PFS, and modern cipher suites, enabling visibility even in environments where traditional middleboxes fail to decrypt traffic.

The solution supports:

• Inline TLS decryption with bypass protection for high availability 

• Out-of-band TLS decryption for passive inspection workflows

• Hybrid deployments combining both models

This flexibility allows seamless integration with existing SOC/NOC architectures.

Inline deployments can leverage Niagara’s carrier-grade bypass switching technology to ensure high availability, while external bypass options can be deployed according to network capacity and architecture needs. If the decryption engine, network appliance, or power fails, the bypass switch automatically maintains traffic flow to prevent downtime or service disruption. Both fail-open and fail-closed modes are supported, depending on operational policy.

Organizations can choose:

• Decrypt → inspect → forward plaintext to tools, or

• Decrypt → inspect → re-encrypt → forward traffic back to the network

This preserves both compliance and operational integrity.

Yes. The packet broker fabric aggregates TLS traffic from multiple VLANs, WAN links, data center tiers, cloud edges, or remote sites - enabling centralized, scalable decryption instead of distributing decryption modules across the infrastructure.

Before sending decrypted traffic to tools, Niagara Networks' packet broker applies:

• Granular filtering and policy-based grooming

• Application-aware traffic selection

• Packet slicing or metadata extraction (optional)

This ensures downstream tools receive only the traffic they need — improving tool performance and ROI.

Absolutely. All decrypted data is handled inside a hardened visibility environment of the packet broker with strict access controls, role-based administration, audit logs, and secure key management. Traffic never bypasses the controlled inspection workflow.

Niagara integrates with any tool requiring visibility into encrypted payloads, including:

• IDS/IPS

• Next-gen firewalls

• DLP

• Threat intelligence platforms

• Sandboxes & malware analysis tools

• SIEM/SOAR platforms

• Behavioral analytics & ML engines

The platform supports:

• Certificate import & management

• Key rotation policies

• Support for enterprise PKI

This ensures operational simplicity and compliance with corporate policies.

Key advantages include:

• Centralized decryption instead of duplicating capability across multiple appliances

• Traffic grooming + policy filtering to optimize tool performance

• Integrated packet broker + bypass + decryption in one cohesive visibility architecture

• Vendor-agnostic integration with any security tools

• Lower TCO through consolidation and tool optimization

Niagara uses high-performance hardware acceleration and multi-core optimization to support high-throughput environments. With proper sizing, the system sustains decryption workloads without introducing bottlenecks. Please contact our visibility experts to review your requirements and recommend an optimized solution that meets the desired performance level.

Yes. Niagara supports selective decryption, traffic masking, role-based access, audit logs, and tailored inspection policies - enabling organizations to decrypt only what is required while maintaining compliance boundaries.

Encrypted traffic often becomes even harder to inspect in cloud environments. Niagara’s packet broker architecture and Cloud Intelligence Platform provide visibility across physical, virtual, and cloud networks, ensuring decrypted traffic can be delivered to tools regardless of where they operate. In hybrid cloud deployments, encrypted traffic can be intercepted via physical and virtual TAPs and tunneled to a Niagara TLS decryption platform, selected according to the required architecture and performance criteria.

Niagara’s modular design and vendor-agnostic integration allow rapid rollout, typically without rearchitecting the network. Many deployments begin with passive monitoring and expand to inline decryption once validated.