Having a protection solution capable of offering full visibility of hybrid environments is key for an effective perimeter security.
With each passing day companies need to deal with a greater number of data generated by users, as well as the increased volume of devices connected to the network and the use of Cloud services.
The fact is that the world is hyperconnected and IT teams need to control this explosion of endpoints while expanding corporate infrastructures to new environments, using Data Centers, Virtualization and MultiClouds.
The migration to #CloudComputing has made the task of network protection increasingly complex, as IT needs to control a larger attack surface. Therefore, it is necessary to modernize network security strategies so that it is possible to monitor new hybrid environments and manage all connected devices.
Perimeter protection is responsible for preventing any type of unauthorized access or malicious activity targeted at the corporate network. Perimeter protection is key to deal with more sophisticated threats and the workspace’s modernization.
Did you know this type of protection? In today's article, we explain its meaning and how it is affected by the Cloud. Have a good time reading!
What is the perimeter security?
Before understanding this term, you should learn the meaning of network perimeter, which is nothing more than an imaginary division that separates the environment and devices of a company from other networks and the internet as a whole. Therefore, to protect this area, one must monitor and control everything that tries to invade this limit.
Perimeter security can prevent unauthorized access to the corporate network, as well as filter all communications between servers and devices through predefined protection rules to allow or block the data.
To do this, companies typically use firewalls. Next-Generation Firewall is an excellent option for these cases, as it is an advanced solution that can offer enhanced security to all layers of the network.
Thus, you can rely on integrated security features, such as prevention systems, web application firewalls, antivirus, antispam, content filter and VPNs.
How to ensure perimeter security in the cloud age?
Data leakage is a great danger that can damage the company’s finances and image. Therefore, preventing malicious people from accessing your networks and breaching your information is critical.
However, in the current digital scenario, with easier access, fast and continuous data traffic, protecting the hybrid environments of companies has become a great challenge for IT teams.
To deal with the continuous migration of assets to #CloudComputing and the increase in connected devices, perimeter security had to be modernized.
In the Cloud age, the limit of the company's network perimeter becomes larger and less defined. Thus, security processes need to be modernized and adapted to the new reality.
Perimeter security can no longer be just local, it must cover the entire Cloud computing environment. For this purpose, companies need to invest in automated management tools that can monitor, in real-time, information used and shared in the network.
According to Gartner, Security and risk management leaders looking to improve the enterprise’s network perimeter security should:
- Shift the focus from decreasing the enterprise’s on-premises perimeter security budget to transferring investments to traffic decryption or IaaS security pilots.
- Increase WAN agility when connecting to hybrid, multicloud and SaaS applications by increasing the importance of SD-WAN requirements during branch perimeter security evaluations.
- Design a “strong workload, strong edge” approach as you assess your best options for network segmentation and monitoring across your IaaS assets. Strong edge can start with cloud-delivered security controls, and strong workload with hardening.
- Ensure that your SaaS discovery and your IAM strategy are prepared for SaaS. Identity and roles are the most important mechanisms for controlling access to SaaS applications and the data stored within them.
As you can see, getting visibility into applications and data across multiple environments is key for an effective perimeter security in the Cloud age. The strategies used must be modernized and adjusted to this new context. Therefore, when looking for protection solutions, companies need to choose those that offer 360º visibility and that cover both physical, virtual and multicloud networks.
Gartner, Securing the Enterprise’s New Perimeters, 27 March 2020, Steve Riley, Jeremy D’Hoinne
