As remote work becomes more prevalent, employees need reliable and secure connectivity. SD-WAN supports these needs with security functions such as segmentation, WAN optimization, and zero-trust network access.
It also helps fight direct threats that come from outside of the enterprise. Read on to learn how secure SD-WAN protects your critical data and systems.
End-to-End Segmentation
So, what does SD-WAN stand for? SD-WAN takes network segmentation further than essential internet VPNs, allowing granular traffic segmentation down to the workload level. This enables security policies to be applied more effectively, reducing the attack surface and ensuring that traffic from less secure devices doesn’t compromise other segments with sensitive access or data.
Unlike traditional routers and switches that require manual configuration changes, an SD-WAN solution uses a single controller to program business-driven operations and routing intelligence for 10s or 100s of locations simultaneously. This centralized management reduces the need for individual gateways and routers to make routing decisions, opening up incredible operational efficiency and agility gains.
Secure connectivity ensures that your organization’s critical data is never sent over a public Internet connection. This enables employees in branch offices and remote sites to work from home or on the go without compromising security. The best SD-WAN solutions also feature advanced malware detection using antivirus, one-to-one signature matching, and fuzzy fingerprinting technologies.
Next-Generation Firewall
Most SD-WAN solutions include out-of-the-box security features that help protect traffic. However, these are typically stateful firewall capabilities that limit access based on IP addresses and ports. For a more comprehensive approach, enterprises should look for a secure SD-WAN with integrated next-generation firewall (NGFW) functionality.
NGFWs can perform advanced inspections at the application level. They can also leverage external threat intelligence for enhanced detection and protection capabilities.
By combining SD-WAN virtual overlays with NGFW capabilities, organizations can simplify branch architectures and accelerate zero-trust initiatives. This enables them to quickly deploy and update security policies across their entire network with a single management console. It also helps them support various connectivity options, including MPLS, direct Internet, LTE/4G/5G, and more. In addition, they can flexibly enable work from anywhere without compromising on performance. The following vendors offer secure SD-WAN with integrated NGFW capabilities.
Zero Trust Network Access
Zero trust network access (ZTNA) is the technology that allows the implementation of a zero-trust security model. This approach assumes threats exist inside and outside the network, so connected devices must be verified continuously and granted access to internal resources only on a need-to-know basis. Zero trust minimizes the impact if a device or user account is compromised, as the attacker will have to move laterally across the organization’s ecosystem within a limited scope.
ZTNA is part of the security stack of a secure SD-WAN solution known as a certain access service edge (SASE). By combining WAN optimization and native network and application security functions into a single solution, organizations can simplify their infrastructure while supporting optimal performance and zero trust. SASE also reduces complexity when migrating to a hybrid work environment and facilitates M&A activities that would otherwise involve attempting to reconcile overlapping IPs, multiple VPN connections, and conflicting firewall policies. The result is an integrated remote access solution that replaces VPNs while reducing the burden on security operations centers to monitor connectivity.
Cloud Access Security Broker
A cloud access security broker (CASB) is a software tool that works with your SD-WAN to ensure the safety of data moving across the internet. It monitors and enforces your security policies for all your enterprise’s cloud services.
Before the CASB era, enterprise security experts needed more visibility into the cloud, especially regarding Shadow IT and unsanctioned software-as-a-service use. This lack of visibility left enterprises vulnerable to malware, ransomware, and other cyberattacks.
CASB solutions are designed to provide visibility and control of managed and unmanaged cloud use. They also help businesses meet compliance standards for security and privacy.
A CASB is available as on-premises or cloud-based software, hardware, or a combination of both and can be deployed in the data center or a public or private cloud. When combined with a secure web gateway (SWG) and a zero-trust network architecture, the solution can eliminate point products and reduce IT complexity while securing all data channels simultaneously.
Endpoint Security
Every device that connects to your network—whether a PC, laptop, tablet, or mobile phone—is an attack vector for criminals looking to steal sensitive data, break into other systems, and even hold your business hostage with ransomware. In a recent webinar, partners and global competency leaders for infrastructure and endpoint security at IBM Security explained how to protect these devices using tools like two-factor authentication and other advanced endpoint protection technologies.
SD-WAN allows you to centralize your endpoint security. Instead of distributing different security profiles to every device, you can create a security profile once and distribute it to all devices on the network with less time and effort—and fewer opportunities for errors.
This approach also provides a bird’s-eye view of all connectivity and performance, including Wi-Fi, traffic path, remote applications, and device CPU and memory utilization. This helps identify real-time problems and assess the impact on performance, security, and quality of experience. This is one of the reasons why enterprises are prioritizing unified edge networking and security strategies.
