Over time, organizations often adopt multiple Security tools to address specific threats. According to the Ponemon Institute’s Cyber Resilient Organization Study, the average organization has more than 45 different security tools. However, a plethora of tools won’t improve the organization’s security posture. In fact, “tool sprawl” can create management, interoperability, and governance issues.

These challenges are leading many organizations to update their cybersecurity strategies. A modernization effort can reduce tool sprawl, streamline management and improve the organization’s ability to detect, prevent and respond to cyberthreats. 

Here are the key elements of a modern approach to defining a comprehensive Enterprise Security Strategy.

Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA)  – the Security Backbone of Enterprise Networks

Security has traditionally focused on the network perimeter. Any user, device, or application inside the secure perimeter is of trust. This model is ineffective with today’s remote and hybrid work models, with many users accessing corporate IT resources via the Internet. The rise of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and the continued growth of shadow IT applications further complicates perimeter-based security.

In a zero-trust approach, all users, devices, and applications are not of trust, to begin with. Authentication works according to admin-defined criteria and grants only certain privileges based on their role for a certain period of time. It is similar to a whitelist model.

Software-Defined Perimeter: Why is SDP a Better Security Solution than VPN?

Virtual private networks (VPNs) have long been the Solution to remote connectivity. However, they are rigid in configuration and are not flexible to support custom user policies. Also, there is no support for network segmentation within the VPN and the implementation overhead is high. As cloud apps proliferate, it’s simply not feasible to provision and manage VPNs for every connection.

Instead of all-or-nothing access, the Software-Defined Perimeter solutions grant users selective access to specific resources based upon device, location, time of day, and other variables. Access controls extend to the content level, dictating what users can and cannot do with data, such as downloading or attaching to an email.

Identity and Access Management (IAM)

In a zero trust model, the perimeter is constantly moving based on the location of users and the applications they access. Effective identity management is foundational to this approach. Identity and Access Management (IAM) solutions provide a means of managing user identities and credentials. Authenticating users, and granting them access to the resources they need. They provide capabilities such as single sign-on, multi-factor authentication, and federated identity management.

Mobile Device Management

In today’s era of BYOD proliferation and users working on their phones increasingly,  mobile device management (MDM) remains essential to any security strategy. Remote and mobile users are using their personal devices to access business-critical applications and data. IT teams need visibility into the security posture of those devices and a means of enforcing policies across the enterprise.

The MDM solution should be compatible with the single sign-on and multifactor authentication approach in the organization’s IdM environment. It should also incorporate zero trust principles.

Data Loss Prevention (DLP): How it Benefits Your Organization?

While most security tools are designed to prevent threats from entering the network, data loss prevention (DLP) focuses on protecting sensitive data from leaving the organization. DLP solutions enable organizations to classify data and enforce policies on how that data can be accessed, shared, and stored.

For example, DLP solutions can prevent users from copying or downloading specific types of information. They can monitor email and collaboration tools and require that sensitive data be encrypted or block the communication entirely. DLP solutions are increasingly being deployed in a Zero Trust environment in the CDN (content delivery network) clouds that have a variety of security capabilities. Such as Threat detection, Sandboxing, Secure Web Gateway, CASB, etc.

Extended Detection and Response (XDR)

Last but not least, organizations must secure the endpoints themselves. According to research by Dark Reading, 84 percent of cyberattacks begin on endpoints, but organizations struggle to identify vulnerable devices and stop attacks.

Extended detection and response (EDR) solutions continuously monitor endpoints for suspicious behavior and automatically take action to prevent threats. They collect and process security event feeds and use analytics to protect against advanced persistent threats and zero-day attacks.

Assessment for Security by Rahi

Rahi will assess your IT infrastructure for all security issues by monitoring your network and delivering a threat intelligence briefing. The team will develop a plan, and ensure that your solutions have been configured for optimal use.

Contact the team today and let us transform and modernize your infrastructure adoption for security.

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