6 Facts About Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA)

 

n this 1-minute video you will find 6 FACTS about ZTNA (ZERO TRUST NETWORK ACCESS) that every CIO, CISO, IT Director, Network Manager/Administrator, and Network/Security Engineer should know.

To learn more about all the options available to you for meeting your organization’s data protection and network security requirements with an emphasis on Zero Trust strategies ... simply ask us at FREE Network Connectivity, Design, & Security Resource.

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SDWAN Is The Network Solution Every IT Decision Maker Is Looking For....Here's How And Why

 

SDWAN (software-defined wide area networks) has been a very hot topic in CIO and CTO conversations lately, and here’s why: While SDWAN may have sounded like a costly and inaccessible alternative to traditional MPLS network connectivity just a few years ago, IT executives are quickly recognizing the productivity, scalability, and security benefits of next-gen WAN solutions to support remote workers and multi-location operations in today’s post-pandemic world.

IT decision makers are supporting their digital transformation needs with a complete SDWAN plan that also protects their business from growing cyber threats. SDWAN layered with SASE and ZTNA is a powerful differentiator for companies looking to address both network connectivity and management strategies as well as cybersecurity requirements all with one solution.

SDWAN can intelligently route traffic around congestion based on the type of content being transferred, the endpoint, the time of day, the application’s security needs, latency sensitivity, or bandwidth costs. IT teams can manage potentially thousands of network switches from a centralized controller over the internet, cloud topologies, and more. This gives them the ability to scale the network as needed, optimize performance, and make more efficient use of resources.

Secure access service edge (SASE, pronounced “sassy”) is a framework for network architecture that brings cloud native security technologies together with SDWAN capabilities to securely connect users, systems, and endpoints to applications and services anywhere. SDWAN + SASE allows IT teams to bring critical security implementations to the remotest edge of their network to address the changing needs of a remote workforce. It also ensures cloud-destined traffic isn’t backhauled to the on-premises data center but transits seamlessly from the user to the cloud without delay or performance impact.

But wait, there’s more! No secure network would be complete without the additional layer of zero trust network access (ZTNA). ZTNA is based on a Zero Trust security framework requiring all users, whether in or outside the organization’s network, to be authenticated, authorized, and validated before being granted access to any company data or devices. So, users only have access to what they need, and everything else is locked down (kind of like how a key card works in a hotel elevator), resulting in better compliance and threat mitigation.

One of the big advantages of a complete SDWAN solution is that it can be acquired as a software-as-a-service (SaaS) with little up-front spend. Once adopted, cost savings continue through improved network utilization and productivity. Plus, consider the burden that SDWAN removes from time-strapped engineers because it automates the complexity of managing highly dynamic cloud and remote office environments.

With the shift to the remote and hybrid workforce, and the requirements of supporting multi-location environments, the opportunity to introduce the productivity and cost-savings benefits of a secure, complete SDWAN package (SDWAN with critical security layers like SASE and ZTNA) to your company has never been better.

For FREE help sourcing and designing a custom SDWAN solution for your organization simply ask at this link:

FREE SDWAN Custom Network Design Help

Cybersecurity Mesh Architecture Complete (INFOGRAPHIC)

 

The second of Gartner’s “Top 8 Cybersecurity Predictions for 2021-2022” relates to one of their highlighted “Top Strategic Technology Trends of 2022” — cybersecurity mesh, also known as cybersecurity mesh architecture (CSMA).

Gartner Prediction #2

“By 2024, organizations adopting a cybersecurity mesh architecture will reduce the financial impact of security incidents by an average of 90%.

Who’s This Matter To?

While all organizations today encounter some degree of decentralized technology and access, cybersecurity mesh architecture will be particularly important to businesses that fully embrace remote working, work with a large number of third-party contractors, or have a widely distributed workforce. Basically, any organization where the majority of work doesn’t take place in a centralized, highly controlled location.

Even organizations that do return to a mostly office-based work environment should consider adopting CSMA as there’s virtually no way to prevent employees from working remotely on occasion or accessing data or applications (like email) from their personal devices or a company-owned mobile device on an uncontrolled network.

What Businesses Need to Know

Cybersecurity mesh builds on another popular cybersecurity trend, Zero Trust. Zero Trust introduced the concept of “don’t trust, always verify,” marking a departure from the assumption that once a user or device has been verified it remains verified. With Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA), verification happens at every step — including around data, devices, applications and users.

Cybersecurity mesh takes that approach and extends it further to cover all users, devices, networks, etc. regardless of location. This is particularly important as more employees work outside of traditional office networks either full time or occasionally.

The concept of a traditional, controlled security perimeter no longer functionally exists for the vast majority of businesses. Any organization that continues to cling to this old cybersecurity approach will find themselves facing major issues.

What Businesses Need to Do

Cybersecurity mesh is a fairly new term and there aren’t many solutions that specifically address it on the market yet. [1] Businesses interested in working toward CSMA, however, should implement or mature their Zero Trust posture. There are many cases where ZTNA extends to outside use cases, bridging into the concept of cybersecurity mesh.

Within the next two years, organizations should adopt the concept of cybersecurity mesh by working to implement comprehensive solutions that specifically address verification and remote working situations. Implementing Zero Trust is a good start, but additional solutions are likely to emerge within the next 24 months as well.

To learn more about all the options available to you for meeting your organization’s data protection and network security requirements (including security posture and risk assessments, and awareness training and employee education programs) .... plus comparisons of 100s of best-in-class network security / cybersecurity providers and what they have to offer ... simply ask us at Network Security. It's as easy as 1, 2, 3.