The need for security is never-ending in a digital environment. As a business, you require access to those things that make daily operations more efficient and streamlined, yet these same tools can make you vulnerable. Wide-area connections must be protected especially. As the demand for SD-WAN continues to grow, a shift in the way security is layered throughout the network is assured.
The typical business environment with multiple locations once relied on landline technology to assure connectivity. This often required batch transmissions at the end of the day to get all data to the same location for optimal processes. Today, data management is done in real-time, with communications across all locations managed across the same infrastructure. SD-WAN runs above a combination of MPLS and direct Internet connection frameworks and a VPN may just offer the security you need.
If that is your preferred direction, there are inherent attributes to SD-WAN that can actually assist in the creation of the right approach to security. Fine-grained policies according to the identity of devices or users, as well as applications, offer great segmentation opportunities. Likewise, improved traffic visibility offers insight into the current state, and when combined with policy control, allows for the implementation of application access control to prevent hacking.
Real-time traffic can also be analyzed as SD-WAN provides for the opportunity to invoke analytics engines via the cloud. This not only provides direct access to trusted sites, it will also allow for funneling of traffic to unknown sites to centrally- or cloud-based inspection services. This minimizes the opportunity for problems, while also delivering improved productivity and better security overall. This is critical in an environment where remote access is a must.
Still, there are certain preferences that may need to change within the IT department if SD-WAN is to become a part of the communication strategy. For one, the required MPLS connections cost considerably more than the typical business Internet connection. Second, the desire to rely on a single network services provider to ensure the same quality of service to every branch is not always possible, especially in global deployments. SD-WAN can still provide improved management in this environment, but it does require a shift in approach.
At the same time, making assumptions about the performance or workings of MPLS in every context can lead to problems. Automatic fault tolerance capabilities to provide protection when a line fails, for instance, can also cause databases to get out of sync with the application simply because the database can’t detect that a new MPLS connection was made. SD-WAN can be used to access database applications in the external cloud to avoid this issue.
The idea of shoring up your network in an SD-WAN driven infrastructure can seem overwhelming. There are certainly benefits too strong to ignore, but other realities that must be understood at the same time. At Truthcomm, it’s our job to understand the details you need to consider before making the move. Call one of our experts today to help you get started.
