SD-WAN Demands More Sophisticated Approach to Secure Operations

As the Internet has evolved from something of an anomaly to a necessity for every company and nearly every consumer, the elements surrounding the efficient network are changing. While the centralized approach to backhauling traffic to a centrally located DMZ was once enough to ensure proper operation, the SD-WAN today requires much more sophistication to ensure optimal performance and security.

The challenge in this new approach is that it can make the network that much more vulnerable. When Internet links are added to the private MPLS network, it does establish a cost effective hybrid WAN. At the same time, it creates a newly shaped WAN surface that then becomes the prime target for attacks.

The SD-WAN approach allows for the dynamic adjusting to the changing WAN perimeter while also automatically applying application-defined security policies where and when they are necessary. This is a common trend for organizations with more than one location to enable and secure. As branches are increasingly targeted, IT managers are looking for a better way to get things done. Placing a firewall at each branch isn’t practical.

Instead, consider the application of ION software from CloudGenix. The ION nodes are designed to establish secure peer-to-peer channels, forming a fabric across the hybrid WAN. The ION central controller then allows the user or administrator to define application security policies that are applied at each branch, dynamically protecting the changing WAN perimeter.

This type of approach to SD-WAN and proper branch security ensures that regardless of the demands on the network or its users, information can be properly protected. The important key is to identify where vulnerabilities lie and how attackers might identify those vulnerabilities as the perfect way into the network, causing a breach.

At the same time, this type of approach to securing the WAN also enforces the policies in place to protect the network. As employees have access to a number of different devices and app stores today, it’s not uncommon for downloads to occur. With ION software, applications are automatically identified and tested against associated security policies. If an application doesn’t pass the test, it doesn’t get to stay on the network.

With so many threats against the network, yet a growing demand for flexibility and agility, companies need a better way to respond to these demands while also protecting the network. By dynamically protecting the SD-WAN in a way that responds to today’s environments, the opportunity for better and more secure operations is assured.