Cloud adoption is transforming businesses – however, it also introduces new security challenges. Traditional network security practices struggle to adapt to the cloud’s dynamic nature, exposing organizations. A key question must be asked: How can an enterprise effectively secure data and applications amid the widespread adoption of the cloud? A unified Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) offers a comprehensive solution. Let’s examine the obstacles organizations encounter when securing their cloud deployments, and how a unified SASE platform can effectively mitigate these challenges.

Challenges In Digital Transformation

The digital era is characterized by two major trends: a surge in Internet of Things (IoT) devices, and various enterprises’ widespread adoption of cloud services. Fundamentally, these trends demand a fundamental shift in how organizations approach security.

A recent study published in the Wall Street Journal revealed a 13% increase in the global average cost of data breaches since 2020. In 2022, it reached a hefty average of $4.35 million. This highlights the increasing sophistication of cyberattacks, which have doubled in recent years, constantly testing an organization’s defenses.

These factors contribute to the following challenges faced by organizations in the digital era:

• Traditional data center-centric security, built around centralized firewalls, is failing to keep pace as applications migrate to the cloud and users access data from anywhere. This is especially true for organizations with hybrid work models where data and applications are scattered across various locations.
• Legacy security methods suffer from many limitations including bottlenecks and limited scalability for geographically dispersed users. Additionally, inconsistent security policies across devices and networks increase complexity and leave vulnerabilities. Finally, traditional VPNs, designed for on-premises networks, limit cloud adoption by focusing on user access rather than securing cloud workloads.

To navigate this complexity, organizations need a comprehensive security solution. This solution should provide three key functionalities: secure and reliable user access, robust cloud application protection, and agile security management. Unified SASE stands out as an answer to these challenges, as it offers a cloud-based, integrated security framework that adapts to the changing needs of businesses.

How Unified SASE Simplifies Security

Unified SASE offers a more streamlined solution by combining SD-WAN with comprehensive network security functions like secure web gateways (SWG), cloud access security brokers (CASB), firewalls as a service (FWaaS), and zero trust network access (ZTNA). This integrated approach is designed to meet the evolving security needs of today’s digital businesses, especially those with hybrid workforces and cloud-based applications.

Think of it this way: Instead of a bulky security setup at each branch office, SASE provides a thin WAN edge with the full suite of security features delivered as a convenient cloud service. This approach unlocks a multitude of benefits to enhance your organization’s operations, such as:

1. Streamlined Security: SASE consolidates networking and security functions into a single, cloud-delivered solution. This simplifies management and eliminates the need for multiple-point products.
2. Unified Security Posture: IT teams can apply consistent security policies and centralized access controls across all networks, regardless of location. This reduces the attack surface, making it easier to detect and respond to threats.
3. Reduced Complexity: SASE streamlines network and security deployment and management. Save time and resources by eliminating the need for multiple hardware appliances.
4. Optimized User Experience: SASE ensures secure, high-performance, and low-latency connections for users accessing applications and resources. This eliminates the need for backhauling traffic through a central data center, improving overall user experience.
5. Scalability: SASE can easily adapt to changing business needs. It can support initiatives like hybrid work, cloud migration, and the adoption of IoT and OT devices.

Exploring Unified SASE Solutions

understands the challenges businesses face in today’s digital world. To address these concerns, they have partnered with leading cloud security providers to offer a comprehensive SASE solution. This solution seamlessly combines technology with their . By embracing a zero-trust approach, HPE Aruba Networking empowers organizations to secure users and applications everywhere. This unified and powerful solution allows businesses to confidently pursue digital transformation with a robust and secure access strategy.

HPE offers a unified approach to SASE built on three key components:

1. HPE Aruba Networking SSE: This solution provides both agent-based and agentless ZTNA, granting you deployment flexibility. Additionally, it offers unified policy management for streamlined control and a global network of points of presence (PoPs) for optimal performance.
2. EdgeConnect SD-WAN: It transcends traditional SD-WAN with multi-cloud support, guaranteeing secure access to any cloud application. By prioritizing user experience, it optimizes application performance for a seamless workday.
3. HPE Aruba Networking Central NetConductor and ClearPass: This combination offers a unified network access control (NAC) solution. Powered by AI, it delivers deep client insights and enforces granular access through dynamic segmentation. Continuous network monitoring identifies and mitigates threats, fortifying your security posture.

The Benefits Of HPE Aruba Networking SSE

This cloud-based platform provides robust and unified network security through zero-trust access. This minimizes potential attack points and shields your network from modern threats. Administrators benefit from enhanced control and visibility into your IT infrastructure, allowing them to prevent data leaks and unauthorized software usage.

Furthermore, intelligent global routing and centralized management ensure a smooth user experience when accessing applications and data. This translates to increased productivity and effortless scalability to keep pace with your growing business.

A Look At EdgeConnect Secure SD-WAN

The EdgeConnect SD-WAN platform is designed for cloud-first enterprises, providing a secure foundation for zero trust and SASE. It combines a first-class SD-WAN with a next-generation firewall, ensuring both advanced security and an unmatched quality of experience. Whether your applications reside in the cloud or on-premises, EdgeConnect delivers reliable connectivity and protection.

Its key features include:

• App Performance Enhancement: Utilizing SaaS and WAN optimization techniques, and path conditioning, to optimize application performance.
• Next-Generation Firewall: This offers end-to-end security, including deep packet inspection (DPI), intrusion detection/prevention systems (IDS/IPS), and role-based segmentation.
• Multi-Cloud Networking: EdgeConnect seamlessly integrates with multiple cloud providers (such as Azure and AWS) to support cloud-first organizations.
• Dynamic Routing: BGP and OSPF support ensure efficient traffic routing across the WAN.
• Visibility And Reporting: Gain insights into application and network performance.
• Automation And Zero-Touch Provisioning: Simplify deployment and management.
• Unified SASE: EdgeConnect operates within the framework of the SASE model. This means it intelligently directs traffic to the cloud, eliminating the need for unnecessary backhauling of data. By strategically processing information at the edge of the network, EdgeConnect offers a more efficient and secure approach to cloud connectivity.
• Branch Network Consolidation: Replace branch firewalls and routers, streamlining network and security functions.
• Quality Of Experience: Prioritize mission-critical applications, including high-quality voice and video over broadband.
• Secure IoT Segmentation: Implement zero-trust network segmentation for IoT devices, going beyond SASE-defined boundaries.
• Integration with Multiple SSE Vendors: Tight integration with various cloud-security vendors

EdgeConnect SD-WAN Platform combines robust security, performance optimization, and cloud integration to empower modern enterprises.

An Overview On HPE Aruba Networking Central NetConductor and ClearPass

HPE Aruba Networking offers sophisticated AI-powered client identification and profiling through Client Insights, a feature built directly into HPE Aruba Networking Central. This eliminates the need for additional physical collectors or VM-based agents typically required by competitor solutions.

Client Insights delivers highly accurate AI/ML profiling, reaching . This enhanced visibility empowers customers to experience immediate IT efficiency gains. Automated policy enforcement based on these insights further streamlines network management. Additionally, Client Insights’ always-on AI/ML behavioral monitoring provides superior protection against security breaches.

Client Insights within HPE Aruba Networking Central NetConductor and ClearPass offer a cost-effective and user-friendly solution for comprehensive network visibility, automated policy enforcement, and enhanced security through AI-powered client identification and profiling.

Additionally, HPE Aruba Networking Central offers the following components as well for organizations:

• Cloud Authentication

As HPE Aruba Networking’s built-in cloud-based NAC solution within HPE Aruba Networking Central, Cloud Auth assigns roles to users and devices for secure network access. This ensures only authorized users and devices can connect, with clearly defined access privileges. Cloud Auth integrates with common identity stores (like Google Workspace and Azure AD) for seamless user and device identification and authentication. It also simplifies management with time-saving workflows for policy configuration and user onboarding with Multi Pre-Shared Keys (MPSK).

• HPE Aruba Networking Central NetConductor

HPE Aruba Networking Central NetConductor automates tasks like configuration and policy enforcement across geographically dispersed networks, simplifying management of wired, wireless, and WAN infrastructure. This streamlines setup, optimizes performance, and enforces granular access controls – the foundation of secure network architectures.

Final Thoughts

The digital landscape has fostered exponential business growth through widespread cloud adoption. While moving to the cloud creates new security challenges, SASE offers a comprehensive solution to consolidating critical network and security functionalities into a single, cloud-based platform. This streamlined approach simplifies security management while ensuring reliable data protection across all locations within your organization.

WEI’s cloud security specialists can guide you through securing your cloud environment. We combine our expertise with personalized security assessments and custom-built SASE solutions, featuring advanced technologies like HPE Aruba Networking. This empowers your business to confidently navigate your digital transformation while protecting your critical assets. Contact us today to get started.

Next steps: The acceleration of migrating applications to the cloud in addition to leveraging cheaper and flexible internet alternatives such as 5G/LTE connections drove the need for SD-WAN technology. Greater visibility and better security tools are needed to ensure the zero-trust network environment that companies desire. Additionally, hybrid networks have evolved far beyond the basic composition of a public cloud and on-prem environment. Today’s SD-WAN solutions must accommodate multiple clouds in a dynamic fashion.

WEI’s free tech brief identifies the three main components of Aruba Network’s powerful EdgeConnect Enterprise platform:

• Physical or Virtual SD-WAN Appliance
• Aruba Orchestrator
• Aruba Boost

to access your free copy of the tech brief, SD-WAN: 3 Components To Efficiently Connect Users To Applications.

The post Unified SASE: A Secure And Streamlined Path To Digital Transformation appeared first on IT Solutions Provider - IT Consulting - Technology Solutions.

Do you trust your network? Performance may be in an optimal place, and workplace operations are thankful for that. But what about security? “Zero Trust” is a practice every IT leader and decision maker should be educated on as more and more organizations have realized that all attacks don’t originate from the other side of the firewall. Attacks can be launched from anywhere, including within the network itself. Network administrators must always operate under the assumption that their network has already been breached. And sadly, for some reading this article, that may be the case.

Security Starts With Visibility

Think of the visibility that security teams require from fans entering a major sports arena. Attendees must successfully pass through a security detector while large purses, handbags or backpacks are not permitted. Usually, only fully transparent bags are allowed in. These transparent bags give security teams greater visibility into what fans are bringing into the arena, and that greater visibility is necessary when a small/limited team of security personnel is responsible for ensuring the safety of tens of thousands of fans. It may seem like a small detail to the average event goer, but it is a major guideline for security teams to leverage.

Similarly, IT security and networking leaders who are responsible for safeguarding campus networks require greater visibility, too. At all times, they must know the identities of all connected devices and the types of workloads and traffic that are traversing the network. They need to know who is accessing what and if access privileges are being respected or abused. Ideally, what campus network teams need is a way to authenticate every client that requests a connection and to continuously compare its configuration and status to a defined set of acceptable security states to ensure it will not introduce vulnerabilities or participate in an attack. As a bonus, the solution could be provided by a single vendor so the tools could operate as a united front.

Here is the good news: Such a solution is already available within the HPE Aruba Networking Edge Services Platform (ESP) security solutions portfolio. Let’s explore.

Identity Is Critical

According to a survey conducted by the Ponemon Institute that involved a cross section of more than 2,000 IT professionals, 45% of respondents believe Zero Trust is a theoretical framework that cannot be implemented. Additionally, only 27% of respondents are confident or very confident in their ability to know all users and devices connected to their networks at all times. These two findings correlate with one another because Zero Trust is completely unobtainable if you don’t know the identity of all devices on your network. Without identity, there is no trust.

No Identity – no access.

And we aren’t just talking about BYOD laptops, tablets, and phones. This applies to cameras, sensors, medical equipment and other undetected IoT devices. Zero Trust means having the visibility to know the identity of every device requesting a connection. Not most devices – all devices.

HPE Aruba Networking ClearPass Device Insight

There have been 802.1X solutions on the market for some time now. These solutions only allow authorized devices to connect to the network. However, their implementation process is labor intensive and time consuming. That’s not the case with ClearPass Device Insight. This cloud application performs a wide range of Zero Trust architecture techniques as it discovers and profiles all devices connected to the network in automated fashion.

This solution allows network administrators to discover, monitor, and automatically classify new and existing devices that connect to a network, thus eliminating the costly guesswork of what a device is in a DHCP address list. ClearPass gives you granular visibility into the attributes of every device including its type, vendor, hardware version, and behavior. This collective information helps your team create granular access policies to control these devices and reduce risk exposure introduced to the network. Once a device’s identity is confirmed, it is then authenticated every time it connects to the network.

Additional Components Of Zero Trust Security

Visibility, identity, and authentication are only part of the Zero Trust security equation. Here’s some additional elements to factor in:

• Role-based Access Control (RBAC): Helps enforce the principle of least privilege so users are only granted the minimum level of access required to perform their duties. RBAC also allows organizations to segment their network and applications based on roles.
• Conditional Monitoring: Continuously evaluates the trustworthiness of users and devices based on factors such as user behavior and device profile. It also uses advanced analytics and machine learning algorithms to identify anomalies and deviations from normal behavior patterns. Anything abnormal is deemed a potential risk and treated as such.
• Enforcement and Response: Ensure that a detected anomaly or possible threat is acted upon and, if necessary, remediated before it has the chance to disrupt network and business operations.

Similar to ClearPass, the HPE Aruba Networking ESP solution suite provides components that achieve all these capabilities in a single packaged solution. The ESP solution suite includes:

• Client Insights
• ClearPass
• Dynamic Segmentation
• Policy Enforcement Firewall
• Central NetConductor
• 360 Security Exchange

Final Thoughts

Zero Trust security is not a theoretical framework or exercise. It is an achievable state that every campus network should strive for because it can, thanks to HPE Aruba Networking and its potent lineup of Zero Trust security solutions. Talk to a WEI Zero Trust security specialist to learn more.

Next Steps: Just about every business we talk with has long-term remote workforce initiatives, and security has become a larger focal point of each conversation because devices are no longer protected by the traditional enterprise perimeter. Don’t leave security to chance with your remote workforce. See how HPE Aruba Networking is solving the challenge with Remote Access Points, and find out just how easy their RAPs are to implement and manage in our tech brief below.

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With the rise of hybrid workplaces, software-defined wide-area networks (SD-WANs) are becoming increasingly popular due to their scalability, cost-efficiency, and improved user experiences. Organizations must be prepared by taking advantage of centralized SD-WAN platforms to remain resilient during times of crisis. In an earlier article, we covered the reasons why your enterprise needs a centralized SD-WAN platform. This article examines five key SD-WAN trends that organizations need to incorporate into their SD-WAN strategy to rebound from current challenges and thrive in the future.

1. Cloud Adoption And Modernization

In the face of digital transformation and a worldwide pandemic, businesses are increasingly reliant on cloud computing. This shift away from data centers has led organizations to require reliable wide area network connections for secure traffic routing directly to the cloud. This is where SD-WAN solutions come in.

SD-WAN technology is revolutionizing the way IT departments operate, enabling them to modernize their networks and keep pace with digital transformation. With SD-WAN connections, businesses can leverage more cost-effective internet or 5G/LTE options while still delivering a superior user experience compared to traditional WAN models that rely on backhauling.

SD-WAN is also altering the way businesses route their traffic, allowing for improved flexibility and optimization. Through intelligent steering of resources and SaaS techniques enabled by machine learning algorithms, organizations can take advantage of a network-as-a-service model to gain maximum benefit from SD-WAN solutions.

2. VPN Alternative

As more and more employees work remotely, traditional VPNs are falling out of favor in the corporate world. SD-WAN solutions have emerged as a viable alternative that provides an enhanced level of security for remote users trying to access enterprise networks. With these advancements, businesses can provide their staff with secure connections to vital resources no matter where they choose to work from.

However, VPNs aren’t completely a thing of the past. These days, enterprises are adopting a multifaceted approach to their networks, combining SDN, zero-trust security models, cutting-edge SD-WAN technology, and even classic VPNs. By harnessing these tools together, companies ensure secure connections for both employees working remotely and workers onsite.

3. Significant Cybersecurity Increase

In the past few years, cyberattacks have become a rapidly growing epidemic with devastating consequences. Last year alone saw an alarming spike in malicious online activity compared to the previous one – leaving businesses and individuals vulnerable to hackers exploiting insecure networks and inadequate security compliance measures.

In today’s digital landscape, the combination of SD-WAN and SASE (Secure Access Service Edge) capabilities has become increasingly important for organizations looking to protect their data from cyberattacks. Advanced SD-WAN solutions can natively integrate with cloud security services such as SWG (Secure Web Gateway), CASB (Cloud Access Security Broker), and ZTNA (Zero Trust Network Access). This enables businesses to create a secure fortress against malicious threats while simultaneously leveraging the advantages of cloud applications.

4. Hybrid Work Is Here To Stay

As the workplace continues to shift toward a hybrid environment, companies must adapt their security strategies accordingly. Centralized IT networks are becoming increasingly unsustainable, and organizations have come to recognize that they need distributed solutions for safeguarding remote connections in this new reality of hyper-distributed edges.

SD-WAN solutions, like HPE Aruba Networking’s SD-WAN platform, are enabling organizations to create a cybersecurity mesh strategy and secure every access point or device, regardless of its location. This distributed approach gives enterprises more control over cyber risks by protecting individual points instead of relying on an expansive perimeter with undefined boundaries. With SD-WAN capabilities in place, businesses can be sure that their data is safe no matter where it travels.

5. A Rise In IoT Devices

SD-WANs are essential for modern enterprise networking, connecting a growing number of devices ranging from surveillance cameras to POS terminals. These IoT solutions present unique security threats due to their simple architecture and lack of security agents. The manufacturing industry faces even greater challenges as IT and OT networks converge – something that had been avoided in the past. SD-WAN solutions offer an effective way to manage these risks while still providing reliable access across multiple locations with zero-trust architecture and dynamic segmentation. This ensures that all users, devices, and connections are secure from cyberattacks by preventing malicious code from infiltrating the enterprise network.

Conclusion

Enterprises wanting to stay ahead of the curve will have to look no further than HPE Aruba Networking’s SD-WAN solutions. With modern, secure edge-to-cloud architecture and flexible platforms tailored specifically for your use case, these innovative SD-WAN trends will help you create a foundation that’s ready to take on any challenge. Get in touch with WEI today to learn more about HPE Aruba Networking’s SD-WAN solutions and how they will empower your enterprise.

Next Steps: SD-WAN with EdgeConnect Enterprise creates more effective networking solutions that help accelerate the growth of any organization. This free tech brief identifies the three main components of HPE Aruba Networking’s powerful EdgeConnect Enterprise platform:

• Physical or Virtual SD-WAN Appliance
• HPE Aruba Networking Orchestrator
• HPE Aruba Networking Boost

The post The Top 5 SD-WAN Trends And How They Benefit Your Business appeared first on IT Solutions Provider - IT Consulting - Technology Solutions.

When we talk about upgrading wireless infrastructure to the latest Wi-Fi 6E standard, it is instinctive to focus on client computing devices and smart phones. That’s because organizations want to optimize the user wireless experience for their employees and customers, and understandably so. However, for a growing number of enterprises, there’s another critical component to their wireless environment: IoT (Internet of things!). Organizations are integrating a growing fleet of IoT devices to take advantage of cutting-edge technologies. In 2022 alone, the to 14.4 billion active devices. If you’re only looking at optimizing the wireless experience for users, do not ignore IoT’s half of the equation!

Wi-Fi 6E Offers IoT Exclusivity

A primary benefit of Wi-Fi 6E is the exclusive access it provides to the newly approved 6 GHz bandwidth frequency. It has four times the bandwidth capacity of 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz and supplies 1,200 MHz of extra spectrum. In all, this nearly doubles the amount of delivered throughput to clients that support the new wireless standard. It’s not just the increased bandwidth that Wi-Fi 6E provides, however. It is the ability to separate your most critical user and IoT workloads so they don’t have to compete with noisy legacy wireless devices.

Imagine for a moment all the IoT enabled technology solutions that are parachuting into the healthcare industry. Already, the average hospital utilizes 10 to 15 medical devices for each patient. That constitutes as many as 350,000 devices per hospital and we have barely witnessed the tip of the iceberg. Eventually, longtime surgeons will use augmented reality to rehearse complex surgeries and systems will monitor critically ill patients. These are clearly the types of systems you will want operating within one exclusive frequency.

Of course, it works both ways too. Many legacy and current IoT devices don’t require a great deal of bandwidth to function. This makes them ideal candidates to remain within the 2.4 GHz band, completely separated from Wi-Fi 6E enabled user devices and critical sensory devices. All of this is no problem for Juniper Wi-Fi 6E access points such as the and routers. These tri-band access points support 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz so they can handle the newest wireless stations on the market, while ensuring backwards compatibility with older devices that still serve their purpose.

The Need for Battery Life Extension

According to an EU funded study, 78 million batteries that power IoT devices will be dumped every day throughout the world by 2025 if nothing is done to improve a battery’s lifespan. Many IoT devices rely on batteries. Not only is a diminished battery life bad for the environment, but it also proves expensive to constantly replace them. The Wi-Fi 6E standard is helping aid this issue with its Target Wake Time (TWT) feature that reduces power consumption by empowering access points and wireless stations to negotiate their wake-up times to receive and send data. This not only saves power and promotes extended battery life, but it also reduces network congestion and prevents scheduled overlap in highly concentrated station environments.

Juniper IoT Assurance

While there are multiple companies today that provide Wi-Fi 6E solutions, only Juniper offers Mist IoT Assurance. Juniper Mist IoT Assurance is a cloud-based service that makes it easy for IoT devices to connect using a Multiple Pre-Shared Key (MPSK) mechanism in a secure fashion. Managing and securing the connection process for IoT devices has always proved challenging since the bulk of these devices are headless, meaning that they lack a GUI interface and operate without a keyboard or mouse. This hinders the ability to onboard, segment and manage IoT device credentials at scale. Juniper is changing all of that.

Unlike traditional solutions, its onboarding process doesn’t rely on MAC addresses. This makes it ideal for devices that utilize client MAC randomization. With its automatic PSK expiration that works in conjunction with automatic key rotation, organizations can now keep PSKs regularly rotated without the risk of service disruption regardless of deployment scale. Juniper IoT Assurance is 100% API programmable so you can easily integrate it with your preferred mobile device management solution to further streamline the provisioning processes for your fleet of IoT devices. Other features include location management and the ability to assign traffic policies based on PSK identity.

Soon, Juniper is expected to include built-in tools that will give customers the ability to create custom self-provisioning PSK portals that automatically generates PSKs according to user identity. Automatic client device provisioning will also be further simplified with QR codes or automatic Wi-Fi connection URLs without the need to install anything.

And Let’s Not Forget Marvis

Like other Juniper Mist solutions, your IT team can use natural language queries to communicate with Marvis. Marvis is a virtual network assistant that can perform help desk functionality at your verbal command. Marvis is always there working for you to determine the root cause of plaguing problems and perform automated remediation to solve them. It’s one more example of how Juniper is simplifying the management process of highly scaled IoT environments.

Conclusion

Wireless isn’t just about servicing user devices. Today, you need a wireless solution that provides equal functionality for IoT devices as well. Similarly, if you’re contemplating upgrading your wireless infrastructure to Wi-Fi 6, you’re missing out on the full set of capabilities available today with Wi-Fi 6E. Juniper and Wi-Fi 6E together is the complete solution to maximize your wireless enterprise.

Next Steps: Download our new white paper, to discover what critical capabilities your wireless network infrastructure is currently missing. This is information that every network administrator should read!

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While 2021 hasn’t brought a definite end to pandemic-era IT challenges like many hoped, other technology predictions have held steady, largely propelled by the new remote working and hybrid workforce standard. Examples include the continued proliferation of internet of things (IoT) devices, the accelerated adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and automation technologies, and an increased interest in software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN) technologies.

With that in mind, in the article below, we discuss five SD-WAN edge trends that will help IT leaders plan for what’s coming next and make informed decisions about their SD-WAN strategies, as shared by .

1. SASE Will Continue To Gain Steam

To fully take advantage of the benefits of digital transformation and a remote or hybrid workforce, enterprises need to make improvements to their WAN and security architectures instead of just focusing on one or the other. This is especially important as cybersecurity threats continue to multiply and remote workforces serve as tempting targets for bad actors.

Secure access service edge (SASE) offers the security needed to handle these evolving workforces while ensuring a consistent and enjoyable user experience for employees.

2. IoT Security Challenges Will Require New Solutions

In addition to remote workforces, the continued proliferation of IoT devices has created its own security challenges. Zero trust access and granular segmentation at the new WAN edge, which can enforce distinct security policies for each class of IoT endpoints, will be key in securing these devices and preventing them from being utilized by cybercriminals.

3. SD-WAN, SD-Branch, and SASE Will Be Essential To Edge Success

When it comes to security, a multi-pronged approach ensures that data will stay secure, regardless of the threat. By combining SD-WAN with cloud-first connectivity and steering, SASE, which provides a more direct way to connect users to business resources, and SD-Branch, which offers an easy way to simplify the branch even as IoT adoptions create new complications, enterprises can enhance their security posture while also improving operational efficiencies.

4. Edge Strategies Will Continue To Evolve As Circumstances Require

While many hoped that at this stage we would be in the post-pandemic era, the virus continues to impact enterprises and IT on a daily basis, delaying plans to return to the office and necessitating technologic creativity when designing and implementing infrastructure. Looking ahead, as we do eventually reach the end of the pandemic, enterprises will continue to utilize edge strategies to improve security and user experience for remote and hybrid workforces.

5. Enterprises Will Utilize Software-Defined Principles To Support Growth

As we’ve seen with SD-WAN, software-defined strategies are proving to be the most efficient and logical step forward for the modern enterprise. Beyond SD-WAN and SD-Branch, these software-defined principles are being applied to other areas of the enterprise, including the data center and campus LAN. To stay competitive in the market and ready for unexpected change, enterprises will need to adopt these strategies throughout their digital environments.

SD-WAN By Aruba And Silver Peak

In 2020, , the parent company of Aruba, acquired , a global leader in SD-WAN solutions. Through this acquisition, Aruba and Silver Peak are working together to provide customers with the very best in SD-WAN solutions, while also significantly reducing costs.

Silver Peak’s SD-WAN offerings will strengthen the by expanding Aruba’s cloud capabilities. Additionally, through a combination of Silver Peak’s SD-WAN and Aruba’s SD-Branch offerings, customers can simplify branch office and WAN deployments, benefiting remote workers and supporting cloud-connected distributed enterprises.

Are You Interested In SD-WAN From Aruba?

Regardless of your specific use case, Aruba offers the SD-WAN and edge computing solutions your enterprises need to be successful. By transforming WAN and security together, enterprises can discover increased benefit from their current and future investments in cloud-computing. Beyond the initial advantages of SD-WAN solutions, IT will experience additional benefits through reduced management complexity and overall lowered costs.

NEXT STEPS: SD-WAN is ideal for campus-based networks or distributed enterprises, or any enterprise with remote/branch offices. Explore the top three benefits of SD-WAN in our short video below.

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Even as we conquer one technology and discover all the different ways we can bend it to our will, another comes along and the cycle begins anew. For today’s enterprises edge computing represents a great leap forward in data processing.

In this article, we’ll offer a high-level overview of the edge, explain why your enterprise should take advantage of the benefits of edge computing, and three tips to help you get your edge strategy started.

What Is Edge Computing?

Understanding exactly what the edge encompasses is the first step to devising your own edge strategy. That said, the definition of edge computing is a bit nebulous, with organizations often defining exactly what constitutes as “the edge” based on their own computing environments and their specific organizations.

That said, the fundamental principle of edge computing remains the same: Bringing computation and data storage closer to the sources of data, which is turns speeds up processing time and improves data-related productivity.

In a recent report commissioned by Dell, the technology was described as:

“Edge computing” is a term that encompasses a broad array of execution venues, including devices and equipment with embedded compute, adjacent computing devices that augment compute-constrained endpoints, gateways to legacy equipment, and proximate compute resources in closets, cages and within the network operator infrastructure. Edge computing also includes hyperconverged infrastructure that integrates and virtualizes key components of IT infrastructure including storage, networking and compute.”

The bottom line is that while the exact definition and application of the edge can differ, enterprises are all searching for the same things when they utilize it: increased agility, productivity, and a reduction in the time spent processing data before it can be properly utilized.

Why Your Enterprise Needs To Embrace Edge Computing

Now that we’ve explained what the edge is, let’s delve into why enterprises are so keen on employing their own edge strategies.

Some of the motivation can be attributed to seeking a competitive advantage, the same reason any new technology is adopted once it’s been proven to be effective.

Other reasons enterprises are seeking out edge computing are the specific benefits offered by the edge.

As shared by Dell, these benefits include:

• Reduced latency – Through edge computing, the latency inherent to physical distance can be overcome.
• Bandwidth conservation – The locations that need the edge the most often have limited WAN bandwidth. By processing data locally, enterprises can extract the maximum business value from it.
• Operational technology (OT) connectivity – Enterprises in some industries require specific compute devices in order to acquire data and pass control information. Edge computing can help support the needs of these businesses.
• Business process availability – Critical tasks undertaken at the edge need to be able to continue even during network outages or other crisis situations. Edge computing can ensure that these locations, whether a factory, retail location, or hospital, can continue to operate even during outages.
• Data sovereignty – Depending on the industry and location, the movement of some types of data may be restricted. Edge computing can help enterprises overcome these restrictions and still leverage the data produced.

3 Tips for Building Your Edge Computing Strategy

Once it’s decided that an enterprise should move forward in adopting an edge strategy, the next step to plot the path forward. Like any other technology, adopting it without a proper plan in place can reduce the technology’s effectiveness in the long-term. So, what do enterprises need to keep in mind for their edge strategy?

1. Plan your strategy around your specific business goals. Every enterprise is different and edge strategies are not one size fits all. Keep your specific targeted business outcomes in mind when designing your strategy and you can ensure that your edge strategy will drive your business forward.
2. Be efficient when designing your infrastructure. The edge is all about consolidating and looking for opportunities to save on resources to improve agility and productivity. By integrating your data streams, your edge infrastructure can also take advantage of the existing edge data.
3. Keep the future in mind. Your edge strategy shouldn’t just be planned for the here and now, it should also take the future into consideration. Consider what the growth of your enterprise will mean for your edge strategy and plan accordingly. Planning now will pay dividends down the line.

Do You Need Help on Your Journey to the Edge?

is committed to helping enterprises transform the way they do business. To support this, Dell offers a broad range of applicable for a variety of industries and that can meet the unique requirements of your enterprise. The best part? You can leverage WEI’s expertise across Dell’s portfolio of infrastructure solutions to help determine the best solution for your business. WEI is here to help set you up for success with your edge computing strategy.

NEXT STEPS: Adoption of hyperconverged infrastructure solutions are on the rise as more and more enterprise businesses see the benefits first hand. Check out our tech brief below that features several of the reasons our customers choose VxRail for HCI. (No forms required!)

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While edge computing accommodates more than just IoT environments, it is highly suited for the next generation of endpoints that works inverse in relation to the Internet and traditional IT architecture.

The network edge is not just any edge. It is the Intelligent Edge.

Microsoft unveiled their Intelligent Edge strategy in 2018, stating that companies that intelligently harness the edge will likely be on better footing than those who don’t. Says Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella, “It’s all about the “Intelligent Edge,” bringing applications at the core of an enterprise’s digital transformation from the cloud to local devices, where they can drive business results in real time.”

The phrase “intelligent edge” was originally coined by Aruba and the company is committed to spend $4 billion over the next four years in order to build and create next-generation architecture that is edge-centric. So where is this intelligent edge? It’s everywhere: a manufacturing floor, a cell tower, a smart building, a crop field, oil rig, sports arena, telecommunications outpost or even your house.

Aruba defines three broad categories of intelligent edges

1. Operational Technology Edges (OT) – These types of edges include power plants and offshore oil rigs for instance
2. IoT Edges – This is the most popular category and includes security and transportation companies
3. Information Technology (IT) Edges – Telecommunications, retail and media industries are common examples. For instance, 88 percent of retailers state that and has allowed greater engagement with shoppers.

What makes the edge intelligent according to Aruba, an HPE company, is the presence of technology that is smart, connected, computational and controlling. This combination provides the intelligent edge analytical capabilities that once were confined to on-premises or cloud data centers. Intelligent edges host the capability to compute and provide data to applications in order to reveal deep insights that can then be used to take controlled action.

Aruba is famous for their smart building headquarters that allows employees to navigate throughout their building using a smartphone app to help locate available conference rooms, printers or fellow employees. This concept can be applied to all site locations, creating smart digital workplaces that provide secure, reliable experiences that are optimized and personalized for each employee and guest. All of this occurs on-premises in automated fashion.

In a concerted effort to help customers modernize their branch networks, Aruba has introduced a solution called . Specifically designed to improve branch operations and agility, SD-Branch enhances visibility, control and policy enforcement by integrating operations, security and management into a single gateway appliance. By integrating multiple network functions into software that runs in a single box, SD-Branch significantly simplifies the management and communicative processes of branch locations. SD-Branch integrates with Aruba’s ClearPass and Aruba Central, providing wired, wireless and WAN networking and policy enforcements. Combine this with Aruba’s Zero Touch Provisioning (ZTP) that provides non-technical staff at branch locations a plug-and-play experience, eliminating the need for costly manual onsite deployments and configurations, and the potential cost savings is readily recognized.

Of course, Aruba is not the only company committed to the recognizes that cloud contained solutions are too large and too costly to proliferate at the rate of IoT device proliferation. They are a leader in SD-WAN solutions designed to simplify, secure and speed up data driven processes of branch locations. VMware has also solidified its role as a leader in edge computing with its vSAN hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI) solution and NSX SD-WAN products. It also recently unveiled VMware Pulse IoT Center, an enterprise-grade IoT device management and monitoring solution that surveys the entire network path, from the edge to the cloud. By using HCI solutions that are easy to manage, scale and update, customers can accelerate IoT initiatives and realize ROI faster. These solutions are designed for edge and IoT infrastructure complexities such as real time analytics.

Summary

“Data is the new intellectual property,” says Antonio Neri. “Companies that can distill intelligence from their data, whether in a smart hospital or an autonomous car, will be the ones to lead.” There is no doubt that the volume and velocity of data will increase exponentially over the coming years. This will further expose the inefficiency of streaming these monolithic perpetual data streams to a central data center for processing. According to Thomas Bittman, VP of Gartner, “Business moments are being missed because we cannot capture moving data fast enough.” The edge is where everything is happening today, and it is where enterprises will find the answers.

In order for companies to get the most out of their IoT implementation, they need an understanding of edge computing architecture. However, roughly 80% of companies fear they lack the skills to make sense of all the data that IoT provides. That is why it is essential today to find an that understands the relationship between IoT and edge computing and can help you create strategies that will empower your organization with strategic advantages over your competitors. Contact us today to start a discussion.

NEXT STEPS: Did you catch part 1 of this post on Edge Computing? If not, read “Is Your Enterprise Ready For The Edge?”

Find out how well your wireless infrastructure is performing with a wireless networking assessment from WEI. Learn more about it below!

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Wi-Fi has come a long way since it was first introduced. Originally, wireless connectivity was used for basic services such as checking email, but technology has changed and more devices now connect to wireless networks in order to perform their job tasks. With this evolution of the workplace, Wi-Fi has needed to adapt to support the growing number of devices and applications. How can of the modern workforce?

1. Supporting performance-intensive applications

Users need significant bandwidth for enterprise applications such as video conferencing, file sharing, and video streaming. With new advances in software, enterprises can prioritize traffic on the Wi-Fi network based on the business’ needs and available bandwidth. This is important as your enterprise will want to make sure that unnecessary users and apps are not monopolizing the bandwidth and preventing critical applications or user access.

With improved Wi-Fi, enterprises can now see user patterns and performance requirements, and are able to tailor their wireless networks to deliver the appropriate level of bandwidth to their most critical and data-intensive applications.

With improved reliability and control of Wi-Fi networks, employees are free from the wired network when using performance-intensive applications. This untethered freedom drives operational excellence and increases productivity as employees can do more than ever before, whenever needed, wherever they are.

2. Empowering a mobile first workforce

Wi-Fi is the “go to” network for employees no matter where they are, and they expect to have the same level of access information, applications, and resources as they would when plugged in. Through leveraging the advances brought by the latest Wi-Fi standards and protocols, enterprises can .

In addition, advances in wireless management tools bring better network visibility for the IT team. With this insight, your IT department can make informed decisions in real time, allowing them to create an adaptable network that can keep up with today’s dynamic business. With this enhanced vision, the Wi-Fi network is able to deliver the speed, quality, and reliability needed for a positive end-user experience.

As a result, enterprises can build an environment that fosters increased productivity for mobile workers with today’s Wi-Fi network.

3. Embracing IoT

The Internet of Things (IoT) is having a profound effect on the demands and expectations of wireless networks, and businesses are connecting more IoT devices to the network than ever before. As innovation produces more gadgets that can connect to networks, enterprises require a Wi-Fi solution that ensures everything is performing as needed. The role of the access point becomes crucial in order to deliver the scale and seamlessness these devices require.

Enterprises must have the right technology in place for IoT devices to communicate securely and efficiently. For example, a wireless sensor must be configured properly to ensure it can be identified and connected to the best access point to achieve optimal performance. A mobile device management (MDM) platform may be required to authenticate the sensor to maintain adequate security levels, and an access point controller may be responsible to prevent IoT congestion from interfering with business-critical application traffic.

4. Leveraging analytics

There’s more to Wi-Fi than offering flexibility for employees to work without the wires; it is also a means in which IT is able gather valuable data and information for your enterprise such as device types, user groups, and applications. They can then use this insight to create opportunities that will improve practices, tailor customer experiences, and capitalize on new trends. As Wi-Fi technology has improved over the years, so have the tools used to analyze data crossing the networks, making it easier to translate it into usable information.

5. Re-imagining security

While Wi-Fi can bring significant advantages, it doesn’t come without risk. With a network of wirelessly connected devices accessing business-critical information from various locations, there is a greater security risk for enterprises. The perimeter of your enterprise now extends beyond the office building and the traditional wired network. This network is part of the security solution as it authorizes access to the network and governs which users can access information and resources.

It might be time to upgrade your Wi-Fi solution

The time has come for Wi-Fi to elevate its value in the enterprise. As its role expands beyond basic connectivity and evolves to include critical implications for productivity, security and analytics, new requirements are placed on the Wi-Fi network. Fortunately, new technologies are emerging to help.

The emergence of robust access points, advanced management tools, intelligent analytical platforms, and network access control solutions is giving Wi-Fi a much needed boost as a business-critical platform.

If you’re looking to upgrade your Wi-Fi network to meet today’s mobile demands, or have recently embarked on an upgrade project but you’re still not getting the type of performance or scalability you expected, now is the time to reevaluate. Let the WEI team assist you in analyzing your wireless networking strategy to achieve optimal performance, and power your enterprise forward.

NEXT STEPS: Want to learn more about how Wi-Fi can support the modern enterprise? Read our tech brief, , to get started.

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Are you familiar with wireless networking? This IT strategy has exploded in popularity over the past few years, almost to the point of being able to replace the traditional plug in networks. Whether you’re interested in pursuing the concept for the first time with an IT consulting company or are well-versed in traditional networking, there are many benefits of this approach to network design and management.

What is Wireless Networking?

Wireless networking isn’t a new concept; just think about how hotels offer WiFi for guests or coffee shops have a public network. The same concept applies to your enterprise. ? Simply put, “Wireless networks use electromagnetic waves to communicate information from one point to another without relying on any physical connection.”

explains that adopting wireless networking isn’t just about performance, it’s about transforming your workplace into a modern digital environment in order to become more flexible and attract top talent and millennial employees who are accustomed to a wireless world.

How is Wireless Networking Different from Traditional Networking?

There’s a clear difference between a wireless network and a legacy network. Aruba states, “Traditional networking models were built on the notion of static desktop clients talking to a server, creating the classic Local Area Network (LAN) architecture. This model has served us well for 20+ years because traditional application environments have had long deployment lifecycles, a plan and approval driven operational model that was optimized for price/performance.”

“With the shift to mobile-cloud, today’s application environment measures lifecycles in hours and days with a continuous integration model that is optimized for innovation. In this environment, static networking paradigms fundamentally offer no real value when the network needs to adapt in real time to changing conditions in the application, network, and business environment.”

Using this approach, your enterprise’s entire network is fully primed to interact with mobile devices and IoT enabled technology. This setup can be accomplished in as little as a few hours, compared to days with a legacy network. This is because the single wireless network architecture is designed to adapt to any size of business.

4 Wireless Networking Considerations

Before you set up your wireless network, there are four considerations to keep in mind, according to :

1. Determine Your Desired Coverage: Decide where you’ll place the network’s access points and determine the coverage frequency needed to make sure your whole company received a signal. Keep in mind that different materials may interfere with the optimal signal.
2. Plan for Potential Interference: Pay attention to potential frequencies which may impact your signal quality, and plan around them.
3. Create Strong Data Privacy: Since data will be “up in the air” in a wireless network, make sure you have a strong data policy in place that includes two-factor authentication and encryption.
4. Follow Applicable Compliance Regulations: Do your research; each country, state and industry has specific regulations to follow.

IoT Needs Wireless Networking

Does your organization really need wireless networking? You do if you want to leverage the benefits of Internet of Things connected devices. As Aruba explains, “The possible IoT business use cases are endless. According to The Internet of Things 2015 report, 34 billion devices will be connected to the Internet by 2020, of which 24 billion will be IoT devices. The big surprise is that the largest adopter of IoT ecosystems will be businesses, not consumers. Businesses are projected to have 11.2 billion IoT devices installed by 2020.”

To make the transition of these devices smooth and easy, and transform your workplace into a modern digital environment, consider talking to an IT consulting company about setting up wireless networking today.

Stay tuned for more information on wireless networking, where we’ll dive deeper into some available solutions for your enterprise. In the meantime, get a free security and threat prevention assessment of your enterprise.

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The Internet of Things is Widespread

Only half a decade after consumers began to carry wireless cell phones for speaking with each other, our mundane devices like coffee pots and lighting fixtures now have the ability to communicate. Already more than we realize, the IoT has the ability to connect almost any device to another for monitoring and collecting data, allowing users to remotely control their surroundings.

This has enormous business applications, from self-brewing coffee pots and smart thermostats, to complex management systems that learn and change based on human interactions and feedback.

Business Benefits from IoT Technology

The Internet of Things has the potential to revolutionize current business models by automating systems that currently cost time and money. No matter your business size, there is IoT technology available to help you.

Here are some of the many potential business applications of IoT:

• Use wearable technology to track employees’ actions on the job
• Monitor traffic and show available parking spots with parking lot cameras
• Set employee schedules and lunch breaks
• Control data entry and organize spreadsheets
• Check the weather forecast and predict water usage with outdoor sprinkler systems
• Manage online support tickets from customers

Potential Internet of Things Security Risks

Although IoT has the power to connect and control multiple devices in the home and office, leading to ease of use, there may also be involved. Internet-enabled devices may have vulnerable software or security features, making them potential targets for hackers.

Due to their connected nature, this can allow unauthorized access from anywhere in the world with an Internet connection. Always choose manufacturers you trust and be sure to double check security settings, especially when using IoT capabilities at your business.

Since technology is quickly evolving, your approach should be as well. For assistance on how WEI can help impact your business’ IoT strategy, today.

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