While customers desire fast Ethernet and Wi-Fi connections, IT staff requires safe solutions that decrease complexity and overhead so that they can devote their time to strategic projects rather than troubleshooting ordinary network difficulties.
Attacks are becoming more common, with threats such as ransomware on the rise (more than 1100 percent from June 2020 to July 2021). Security holes and higher risk result from a lack of competent employees and network complexity. According to a recent IBM survey, firms use an average of 45 security products, and each event necessitates the coordination of 19 distinct tools. Security breaches now have a dwell duration of months, with expenses topping $8.6 million per breach.
More enterprises are considering integrated platform techniques or a meshed cybersecurity architecture to overcome these difficulties and better maintain a secure network. As companies try to streamline their operations, solutions that include administration for wired, wireless, and security services are becoming more widespread.
Networking and security convergence cuts down silos and centralises data from users and the network that may be used to improve security and performance. The network is secure by design from the start when a next-generation firewall (NGFW) is installed at its centre. Three important benefits come with this type of integrated platform strategy that combines networking and security.
1. A more straightforward setup
In big, widespread networks, even little changes can have a cascading impact, disrupting other parts of the network. IT employees must be able to track and manage any additions, modifications, or upgrades to ensure that the network as a whole remains in sync and operational. Configuration issues are also a possibility while deploying a network at a remote location. Installing and maintaining a common standard across several remote sites and branch topologies can quickly deplete IT resources. Scaling and extending integrated security-driven networking solutions is easier without losing security.
2. Improved Visibility for Easier Administration
Today’s networks are always changing, with devices from employees, contractors, and visitors continuously joining and leaving the network. Typical LAN edge visibility can offer information about device connections, but it may be lacking in upper-layer device context, such as user authentication level and associated resource access constraints. The ever-increasing number of Internet of things (IoT) devices poses a unique visibility difficulty because, when they arrive on the network, we must enable the applications they represent without jeopardising the network’s overall security. Dealing with IoT devices can be much more difficult in areas without on-site IT staff because the information in the access layer interface is the only information offered. Without the ongoing intervention of IT workers, good LAN edge solutions can deal with all types of devices and users as they connect.
3. Lower Total Ownership Costs
Even if a solution can give an organisation with the visibility and management it requires, the expenses of licencing, enabling, and subscribing to features on a piecemeal basis can quickly pile up. Organizations must keep track of how many systems and solutions they’ll need to get everything up and running across the board. They must figure out how many licences they require and whether certain features require recurring subscriptions. We must factor staff time into the cost of ownership calculation. The time it takes to implement and maintain operations varies widely among solutions, so it’s crucial to know how difficult a solution is to handle and whether it requires other goods to perform properly. Consolidating products using a high-performance mesh platform method can simplify licencing and lower expenses significantly.
Security That Is Integrated But Isn’t Complicated
Wired and wireless LAN networks are an organization’s backbone and demand a major time and financial investment. Building, securing, and monitoring local area networks, on the other hand, does not have to be difficult, time-consuming, or costly. We should create and maintain these networks with security in mind, not as an afterthought, for the best possible protection.
Integrated solutions can help IT professionals save time and money by streamlining the architecture and reducing configuration and administrative costs. This is true not only for the LAN, but also for SD-WAN and ZTNA. Organizations may avoid appliance, configuration, and licencing sprawl by deploying an adaptive and integrated platform. This type of platform strategy saves time and money, allowing businesses to focus on their core competencies while simplifying day-to-day network operations.
Source: fortigate firewall
