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.

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.

The job of the CTO is changing in support of digital transformation initiatives

The job of the chief technology officer (CTO) has always been fluid, requiring the skills and flexibility to move quickly with the times and harness new technology and IT service models as they emerge.

Malware and processing muscle to rent is swelling hacker armouries

Distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks have severe consequences for their victims, causing considerable operational disruption and undermining trust in the organisation amongst customers, end users and business partners.

http://www.cbronline.com/news/enterprise-it/it-network/legacy-systems-continue-slow-digital-strategies/

Interview: Andy Butcher, Sales Manager for Research and Education, Axians

Andy Butcher is the Axians Sales Manager responsible for the UK Research and Education market, and is focused on helping universities deliver carrier-grade network services and business efficiency to their academic stakeholders and students.

Q: How long have you been working in the higher education sector?

I have worked with the education sector since the later 1990s. My first major sale was to University College London where I won a contract selling computers. My background in building, surveying and dealing with specifications and tenders meant I fitted quite well into the market and I have mostly worked in HE since.

Ken O’Kelly has been a key consultant in Juniper Networks; UK and Ireland security business for the past four and a half years. He previously held various roles (latterly as a security architect) during a 14 year stint with Imtech ICT.

Ken tells Axians about Juniper’s latest software defined security network (SDSN) solution and how it will make life easier for  IT departments tasked with controlling network access for thousands of users.

Q: What is Juniper’s software defined security network (SDSN)?

SDSN is all about changing how you build the network. Traditionally organisations have tended to build security into the perimeter and everything outside that perimeter is untrusted and everything inside it is trusted. That is a bit of a challenge these days given that we all take our laptops and smartphones outside of that trusted barrier when we go home, where malware can infect them and vulnerabilities can be compromised. We then bring the device back inside the network perimeter and now it is trusted again and that gives any threat carte blanche to get around the network.

Springboard to faster service creation

We talk to David Noguer Bau, Juniper Networks’ global head of telco vertical marketing, about Juniper’s unique new Cloud CPE solution. We asked what the new platform brings for service providers and systems integrators alike.