Three ways security-driven networking can propel business agility

Traditionally, security and networks operated as separate entities, with specialised teams toiling away in isolated silos. The former typically focused on defending the environment, while the latter drilled down on connectivity and performance.

But as organisations’ infrastructures grow in complexity and businesses face a surging onslaught of cyber threats, organisations now recognise the need for a holistic approach that integrates the two as a unified solution — safeguarding sensitive data and ensuring the smooth functioning of business operations at the same time. 

Jordan Stephenson, our senior cloud and network engineer, delves deeper into these benefits, and explores why the business case for SD-WAN is more compelling than ever before…

Enhanced threat detection and prevention

By integrating security at the heart of networks, organisations gain real-time visibility into network traffic. This proactive approach enables the detection and prevention of threats at the earliest stages, minimising the risk of data breaches, malware attacks, and other cyber intrusions — like having a security guard stationed at every corner of your cloud estate.

Streamlined incident response

In the past, security breaches would trigger a scramble between disparate teams, often resulting in delayed reaction times and major confusion. Security-driven networking ensures incident response becomes a cohesive and coordinated effort, with network automation and centralised security controls allowing for rapid threat containment and remediation — saving precious minutes and reducing potential damage to both budget and reputation.

Ultimate scalability and flexibility

Modern organisations operate in dynamic environments — with remote workforces, multi-cloud infrastructures, and expanding digital footprints. Security-driven networking, especially when powered by software-defined wide area networks (SD-WAN), offers unparalleled scalability and flexibility. It enables seamless integration of new sites, cloud services, and devices, without compromise, because security resides at the core. And this grows and adapts in line with evolving business needs.

The role of SD-WAN in security-driven networking

In an era where cyber threats loom large and business agility is paramount, security-driven networking is no longer a luxury, but a necessity. Breaking down the silos between these two components empowers organisations to forge a formidable defence against burgeoning threats.

SD-WAN represents a powerful solution, enabling security to operate at the heart of the network infrastructure. Of course, this technology is nothing new. In fact, it’s actually been around for almost ten years. But increasing cloud adoption and the maturing of solutions has certainly made it more reliable and feature-rich.

Ultimately, it allows firms to connect multiple locations — such as branches, data centres, and remote working devices — using a combination of private and public networks. It achieves this by separating the network control and management functions from the physical infrastructure, and routing them to a centralised location. This establishes a robust and resilient network architecture that optimises performance, while protecting against threats.

This software-based approach allows for easier configuration, as well as enhanced network visibility, control, and security, via a ‘single pane of glass’ — providing robust encryption, advanced threat intelligence, zero-trust policies, and dynamic traffic routing. By minimising the attack surface and preventing lateral movement within the network, SD-WAN ensures end-to-end protection throughout every tech component. There’s so much more to SD-WAN too. Are you ready to unleash its full potential? Discover more about our Fortinet-powered solution, here. Or, if you’d prefer to chat through your unique business requirements with a member of the Vapour team, feel free to get in touch.