Why it’s time to invest in a combined managed security and connectivity system?
The global pandemic has completely changed the way in which global enterprises operate and do business. Employees demand from their employers the ability to work remotely, wherever and whenever they want. For Enterprise IT managers, the post-pandemic “New Normal” era has already changed the corporate IT network and security requirements. All corporate data needs to be available everywhere and anytime.
For Enterprises: There has never been a bigger need to safeguard uninterrupted connectivity and security to protect the company’s assets.
In this article you will learn how new sophisticated security standards and network monitoring systems will secure your enterprise IT network. Most important: How they will protect your corporate image, prevent loss of revenues and keep your employees and customers safe.
How are your enterprise IT connectivity and security affected?
Due to the enormous increase in remote work, keeping the corporate networks up-and-running and secure has become a top priority for IT managers. The traditional ISP and Carrier networks may no longer be able to ensure 100% uptime as they used to.
Enterprises can neither rely on a single telecom provider’s access line. Nor can they trust on their provider’s peering strategy on the internet exchange, to prevent the network from experiencing outages and delays.
With enterprise digital transformation well underway and a very strong increase in remote work, the post-pandemic “New Normal” has now created a perfect storm. The continuity of IT networks and security are in real danger, to potentially becoming a victim of connectivity interruptions, potential hacks and sensitive data breaches.
What is at risk if enterprises don’t change immediately?
Enterprises that don’t adapt to the rapidly changing connectivity and security threats of today, will eventually face downtime and loss of productivity. Many enterprises will sooner or later become a victim of targeted DDOS attacks or sophisticated phishing attacks, that can go undetected by less-advanced security systems. An intelligent targeted ransomware attack will lock all corporate data, which will lead to a serious security incident. It can lead to severe damage of a company’s corporate image and loss of revenues and customers.
The most important question enterprises should ask themselves, is what downtime and a breach of confidential data could cost them in terms of time, money and corporate image. The responsible IT manager should also reflect on the question, what a serious incident could mean to his own position in the company and that of his team.
What can enterprises do to protect data and avoid downtime (external and internal)?
On an external level: First of all it is essential to select at least two carriers, that have a strong policy in place that prohibits oversubscription on the lines. The carrier should also have physical and technical diversity built into their network. This will ensure failover options, in case part of their network is under attack or interrupted.
It is recommended that enterprises audit this frequently, by requesting carrier provided network and peering plans. This data will help to determine how a carrier’s network performance is protected on multiple connectivity layers.
On an internal level, enterprises need to invest in a network management solution they can rely on. A managed service that can handle complex automatic network failover and offer a full security suite on all enterprise IT endpoints and data traffic flows. Employees and customers should never have to experience any network or security event taking place, as everything is fully automated and tested frequently.
Why should enterprises invest in a combined managed security and connectivity system?
To ensure uninterrupted service, it is recommended that enterprises invest in a fully managed networking & security system. A fully automated managed service, which combines both network and security protection under one roof. The IT system protects the enterprise network automatically from network outages and carrier peering issues at the internet exchange level.
The right solution protects enterprises from all common and emerging security threats, such as mal- and ransomware, phishing, DDOS and targeted web- and endpoint attacks. Contact me to see how I can help your business finding, comparing and negotiating the right solution.