Network security refers to the technologies, processes, and policies used to defend any network, network traffic, and network-accessible assets from cyberattacks, unauthorized access, and data loss. Every organization, from small businesses to the largest enterprises and service providers, in every industry, requires network security to protect critical assets and infrastructure from a rapidly expanding attack surface.
Network security must protect at the many edges of the network and also inside the network, with a layered approach. Vulnerabilities exist everywhere, from devices and data paths to applications and users. Because organizations encounter so many potential threats, there are also hundreds of network security management tools intended to address individual threats or exploits or assist with other mission-critical infrastructure needs, such as continuous compliance. Organizations should prioritize network security solutions that cover the multitude of threats, using a platform approach that prioritizes integration and automation.
How can we do this even faster?” is a question that’s been around since the dawn of digital innovation, and pertains to network security then, now, and in the future. Speed is the driving force behind digital transformation and how it transforms business, enabling efficiency, access, application development, productivity, revenue, and return on investment (ROI). That’s why high performance is a critical attribute of network security tools—especially in the era of hyper-scale and hyperconnected environments, where traditional network security systems will no longer be able to keep pace, no longer be able to deliver secure connectivity and no longer be able to satisfy user experience demands. Security performance is the gold standard for organizations operating at the cutting edge of digital innovation; even a millisecond slowdown can have enormous negative consequences at this scale.
Sophisticated, targeted attacks represent a big challenge to securing networks. The right network security solutions will be able to pull in up-to-date threat intelligence to safeguard against exploits, vulnerabilities, zero-days, and both known and previously unknown attacks.
Visibility is one of the single biggest challenges in network security; you can’t control and manage what you can’t see. And as digital infrastructure becomes more distributed and organizations embrace combinations of on-premises and cloud-based infrastructure, there is much more potential for network security blind spots. Choose a solution that can promise the best possible visibility and control of the network environment.
Network complexity isn’t just a challenge to manage, it’s also a security risk. Complex networks have more entryways and more opportunities to be affected—the entire attack surface expands thanks to distributed infrastructure and macro-trends such as bring your own device (BYOD) and Internet of Things (IoT) that create many millions of more connections to business networks every year. Businesses should insist on centralized network management, using a single-pane-of-glass management console, even for highly distributed environments with many different tools employed. Simplicity—in infrastructure, in tools, in management—makes for a safer, more secure network overall.
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