Zero Trust Access? Identity Based Segmentation? Zero Trust Network Access? ZTA?

There are so many terms to describe the future of next generation networking ‘Zero Trust Network Access’ (ZTNA). Whichever term you choose to use, Zero Trust Access is one of the technologies set to revolutionise and change the shape of remote working; and one which Axians forecasts to be a key player in the future of network architecture.

The way workforces currently work is drastically changing. The change is affecting how they work, where they work and when they choose to work, which caused organisations to rethink their network infrastructure and shift their priorities to focus on a growing need to offer highly levels of security and ZTNA may be the perfect to elevate the concerns and provide a solution for the current ‘new normal’.

Zero Trust Networking and Identity Based Segmentation

It is clear that the world has shifted its priorities, so does the requirements of critical business infrastructure. Not only with emerging technologies, but with adjustments of current technology to meet the needs of today’s businesses. Micro-segmentation, a method of creating secure zones is now seen as ‘identity-based segmentation’, in order to align with the move to identity based zero trust network security postures.

With the complexity of today’s data centre workload, traditional network-centric segmentation is becoming impossible to apply. With more servers being virtualised and moves to infrastructure as a service, enterprises can be left vulnerable, increasing the need for more visibility and further segmentation and zero trust networking approaches.

“Identity-based segmentation is a form of zero trust networking and is used to reduce the “blast radius” if and when an attacker breaches the enterprise network by reducing the ability of the attacker to spread laterally” Gartner Enterprise Hype Cycle, 2020

Equally, as more businesses have had to shift to remote work, Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) has become key to provide a flexible alternative to VPNs, with precision in access and session control located on-premise or on the cloud.

The recommendations for businesses seeking this technology is to evaluate ZTNA for several use cases, including application specific access for third parties, eliminating the distinction between being on and off the corporate network, cloaking systems on hostile networks and securing access for IOT devices.

What we are seeing is that the benefits to ZTNA are immediate as services within the environment are shielded from attackers. Not only that, but the technology brings several benefits for user experience and policy management. If we look at this from a cloud-based perspective, it also provides scalability and ease of adoption. Because of digital transformation activities, businesses will now have even more application, services and data to take care out outside of their enterprises rather than inside. Having ZTNA in a cloud-based environment allows you to place the security controls where the users and the application are.

Axians have seen the benefits of ZTNA and Identity based segmentation in a number of scenarios, from supporting the complexity of a University Network architecture to empowering remote workers to work securely from anywhere with Axians Zero Trust Network Access solution

Pulse Secure Trust Access (PSTA)

Pulse Secure offer their own solution of the ZTNA technology called Pulse Secure Trust Access (PSTA). This revolutionary technology can securely access any public, private or hybrid cloud application and data centre resource and offer enhance productivity, simplify management, increase visibility and mitigate risks on demand during a time where so many organisation are concerned about cyberattacks, threat vectors, and data breaches.

The PSTA is an effective and cost-efficient solutions to enable secure access for their increasingly remote and mobile workforce by enabling diverse users from any location to easily, directly and securely access public, private, and multi-cloud applications as well as data centre resources. Unlike other offerings, PZTA is a multi-tenant platform that offers organisations the most flexible deployment options, data privacy and sovereignty, and a seamless user experience.

The benefits are endless with PSTA, but here are some of the key benefits we think you need to hear about:

• Maximal data privacy and sovereignty with full encryption of all user and application data
• PZTA takes access analytics further with built in activity monitoring, risk scoring and threat detection that can reduce malicious access, data leakage and threats
• Offered with flexible, per-user subscription licensing, with volume and multi-year discounts available
• Maximal data privacy and sovereignty with full encryption of all user and application data

Axians and @PulseSecure have teamed up to for a live webinar on 8th October at 10am to discuss the future of the network Infrastructure and how will this affect Public Sector and Enterprises as well as a free live demo of the PSTA technology.

Multi-cloud continues to gather momentum as leading suppliers announce products and services designed to help IT departments provision, manage and secure the many different cloud services they lease from different providers simultaneously.

These announcements mark two standout trends: firstly, the continuing shift away from product based hardware or software license fees into a service-orientated model that offers both more flexibility and less risk of overpaying for underused infrastructure for the buyer; and secondly the establishment of an all-important recurring revenue streams for the supplier.

The Industrial IoT (IIoT) is spreading across multiple verticals, but organisations must make sure their network and security infrastructure is up to the job.

Though still at a relatively early stage of its development, the industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is on the cusp of rapid and large scale expansion. Public and private sector organisations are discovering new ways for connected devices, real time data collection and analysis to help them improve existing processes and operations.

SD-WAN provides a Sat Nav to better network performance which bypasses expensive connection upgrades

Time and technology wait for no man, and companies today know they have to constantly adapt and change if they are to remain competitive in a rapidly evolving market for IT products and services. Many see digital transformation of existing architecture, processes and business strategies as key to those ambitions but are less clear on the best way to begin.

67 per cent of network managers see a digital strategy as important to reduce threat from competitors, yet 49 per cent say legacy technology is holding them back:

By Andy Butcher, UK Research and Education Sales Manager,  Axians

Access to BT’s dark fibre network will open new commercial possibilities for communication service providers

After sustained pressure from the UK telecoms regulator Ofcom BT has agreed to open up its dark fibre network to rival communications service providers (CSPs) from October 1st 2017. The new product - Dark Fibre Access (DFA) - should allow companies which want to lease BT’s network to deliver a wider range of higher speed network services to business and consumer customers under their own brand.

BASINGSTOKE, UK February 9^th, 2016