Security Driven Networking
Building a secure network needs a new security first approach
What is Security Driven Networking?
A Security Driven Networking Strategy is needed by organisations today to protect themselves from Cyber Criminals.
Over the last 10 years, Digital Transformation has changed most corporate networks so much they are now unrecognisable compared to how they were before.
The traditional tools IT teams used to secure the corporate network are no longer fit for purpose.
Today, organisations must take a security driven network approach to ensure their dynamic and hybrid networks remain secure.
Previously, an organisation would deploy their network and then look at the security they needed to put in place.
Today it simply works vice-versa and should be approached the opposite way round.
Organisation’s network ‘edges’ are outside of the corporate office and on-site data centres.
Applications can be hosted in the public cloud, homeworking has become commonplace and we’ve rapidly deployed and integrated IoT devices.
As even newer technologies like 5G become normal, the complexity of the corporate network is only going to increase.
This is why organisations must first plan how they will remain secure before they design their next corporate network.
The Security Driven Networking Strategy brings together an organisations networking infrastructure and security architecture, allowing the network “edges” to continue to grow and scale without compromising an organisations security.
The Security Driven Approach will ensure your organisation remains secure as further digital transformation continues to take place.
Now you have security at the core of your network strategy, you can rest assured your organisation remains secure from the latest cyber threats.
You can find out more in our cyber security section here.
As part of CloudCoCo’s managed Security Driven Network managed service, we will work with you to encompass
the following five elements;
Planning and Design:
Before designing the new network approach, we need to define the central security strategy for the organisation and how this will be integrated with the Security Fabric. For an organisation to ensure they are secure, all possible weaknesses need to be defended including cloud deployments, new SaaS applications etc.
Fortinet provide their FortiSASE service to achieve this.
It is crucial that this is done holistically. If the application is not integrated with the security fabric then there is a risk if the connection between a user and the application fails. The redundant connection also needs to instantly be secure, and if it is not then all access to the application needs to be blocked. This can only be achieved if all of the security elements are working together.
Access Control and Segmentation:
By using the FortiNAC, you can ensure when new devices are added to your network, they are automatically identified and rules-based access is applied. The service works by using Intent-Based Segmentation which ensures the devices are seamlessly assigned to the correct network segment.
By integrating with the Security Fabric, monitoring will take place ensuring unauthorised access attempts are blocked, suspicious or compromised applications are inspected and that if a potential threat is identified a coordinated response takes place. Because we have integrated Security and Networking together, any changes are automatically made to both.
Consistent Protection for Workflows and Applications:
Due to the digital transformation that most organisations have undertaken in recent years, data is no longer in a fixed location, traditionally remaining within the office network. Instead, it gets shared, copied from, analysed by big data platforms and processed by a number of desperate systems.
By using a Security Driven networking strategy, your data, applications and their workflows are protected along the entire data path, and by being integrated, if there is a potential breach, a coordinated response can be taken.
The security fabric when fully deployed will consistently secure the traffic even as it passes through the multiple systems and applications in use today.
The Expanding Perimeter:
With the adoption of digital transformation, organisations have deployed numerous new devices within the networks, added cloud services and SaaS applications but also implemented smart systems using IoT devices. This has increased the risk to organisations and provided a headache for IT teams who need to secure each of these new innovations.
By implementing a Security Driven Networking Approach, all networks, devices, and applications seamlessly work together and coordinate any potential threats through the security fabric ensuring a timely response before a cyber threat can cause damage to the organisation.
Branch Offices and Secure SD-WAN:
A great way of implementing a Security-driven Networking approach is by implementing the Fortinet Secure SD-WAN solution.
Traditional corporate connectivity like MPLS can limit application performance and can struggle to cope with the many communication methods, such as video conferencing applications that businesses may utilise today.
By using a SD-WAN networking approach, the best parts of the FortiGuard Next Generation Firewalls combined with advanced SD-WAN networking can help to minimise the bottle necks in networks, prioritise business critical traffic over noncritical traffic, and improve the end users experience without compromising the organisations security posture.
By following the Security Driven Networking Approach, numerous SD-WAN deployments can be controlled through a single management console, helping to guarantee that the security and network an organisation relies on is always synchronised together.
Contact the team today with any questions you have or arrange a free one hour consulation.
The Latest Generation Networks Require The Latest Generation Security
Security-driven Networking is key for securing today’s dynamic and evolving digital infrastructures.
Security platforms need to integrate into central Security Fabric to enable organisations to embrace digital innovation and continue to grow their digital footprint without increasing the risk to critical business information.
CloudCoCo will work with you to build a Security Framework and Security Driven Networking approach simultaneously to ensure your business is protected against the latest threats that exist today and against the unknown threats of tomorrow.
The Fortinet services we provide are designed to protect your network and will include;
- WAN Edge: FortiGate SD-WAN
- LAN Edge: FortiSwitch / FortiAP
- Data Centre Edge: FortiGate NGFW
- Cloud Edge: FortiSASE
If you’d have any questions or want to arrange a free one hour consultation with one of our technical specialists,
please get in touch using the form below. We really look forward to hearing from you.