IS SDP is replacing the VPN?
First of all the Virtual Private Network (VPN) technology is one of the oldest forms of private connection technology. A relic in in the world of technology. It was introduced in 1996. Most VPN’s are expected to be replaced by the end of 2021. This transformation is being driven by the following major problems with VPN’s:
- VPN’s have no inherent security features. IT must layer on security frameworks which take up critical space and slows down the transmission of data.
- No control of shadow applications (Employees using apps on their remote devices used for work which are invisible to the company’s IT staff.)
- Once breached, Cyber Criminals have access to a organization’s entire network.
- High cost to deploy to the Work-From-Home Remote Workforce (WFH).
- Unable to control risk of breach from vulnerable 3rd party users and vendors.
- Time-consuming and complex to deploy for multiple users.
IS THERE A BETTER SOLUTION?
“A Zero Trust Architecture is the predominant industry trend in Security” – Cyber Security Insiders 2019 Report.
“SDP is a recognized leading technology in the Zero Trust Landscape.” -Forrester Zero Trust Wave Report 2019
WHAT IS ZERO TRUST AND SDP? How does one achieve this new standard of security protection?
Zero Trust is a security concept centered on the belief that organizations should not automatically trust anything inside or outside its perimeters and instead must verify anything and everything trying to connect to its systems before granting access.
SDP, “Software Defined Perimeter,” forms a virtual boundary around company assets at the network layer, not the application layer. This separates it from other access-based controls that restrict user privileges but allow wide network access. SDP is a security framework designed to micro-segment network access. It dynamically creates, provisions, and defines one-to-one network connections between the user and the resources they access. SDP is a comprehensive solution, capable of securing any user, any application, on any platform, in any location, on any device. Access is simplified and standardized from remote workforce, cloud migration, to DevOps (Development Operations).
Although setting usage and access definitions seem overwhelming, 3rd party vendors such as Cato Networks and Appgate have reduced its complexity and deployment time. The SDP device is a virtual machine with direct connectivity to the user, minimizing latency, jitter and, like SDN (Software Defined Networks), reduces packet loss. circuits are monitored 24 /7/365.
WHAT IS THE INDUSTRY SAYING ABOUT SDP AND ITS GROWTH?
“By 2021 60% of Enterprises will phase out network VPN’s for digital business communications in favor of Software Defined Perimeters.” -Gartner
“78% of IT Teams are looking to embrace the Zero Trust model in the very near future.” -AppGate
IS SDP EXPENSIVE OR DIFFICULT TO DEPLOY?
No!
With all the challenges of the modern WFH business landscape, adoption of this new technology is a must for mid to large organizations. This new technology is not only incredibly effective but is very affordable, compared to the price tag of deployment and maintenance of VPN’s for 250 or more users. Commitment of the company’s IT staff comprises of providing the vendor with user profiles and configuration metrics. Setup and implementation is accomplished by the vendors, such as Cato Networks and Appgate, but control remains with the company. Although setting usage and access definitions seem overwhelming, these vendors have reduced its complexity and deployment time. Again, and unlike Zscaler, AWS, and other Cloud-Centric vendors, SDP is a virtual machine with direct connect between the company and the user thus reducing latency, jitter and packet loss while allowing for a true Zero-Trust Architecture.
WHEN IS SDP THE RIGHT CHOICE FOR MY ORGANIZATION?
If any of the questions below can be answered with a “Yes'” then SDP is the right solution:
- Does your organization have over 50 remote users?
- Are you looking at Zero Trust?
- Evaluating alternatives to a traditional VPN?
- Need a better way to secure access across multiple clouds/hybrid cloud?
- Looking to Segment a Network, perform Micro segmentation or application segmentation?
- Is 3rd party access a concern?
- Have you had technology integration challenges after M&A (Mergers and Acquisitions)?
- Are you running DevOps in the cloud?
- Do you need to secure lots of IOT devices?
- Looking for a NAC (Network Access Control) or having problems with a NAC implementation
Published by: Bill Quaglia, In the Cloud Technology. 2020 844-45 “CLOUD” (2-5683)
SEDCOR