CISOs today occupy a uniquely pivotal role in the enterprise. They’re not just defending systems, they’re preserving brand reputation, enabling secure digital transformation, and ensuring operational continuity. It’s no longer a question of “if” security leaders have influence. The question is how they choose to wield it. 

Cybersecurity has transitioned from an IT function to a core business enabler. In this new reality, the most effective CISOs are deeply embedded in business strategy. They’re working across departments to align risk tolerance with business goals, develop secure innovation pathways, and protect customer trust in real time. 

At WEI, we guide and support cybersecurity leaders who understand that success isn’t measured by how many alerts are closed. It’s measured by how confidently they can say: we’re prepared for what comes next. 

Who Owns Security? Aligning Responsibility Across the Business 

Security is no longer centralized and that’s both a challenge and an opportunity. 

Modern environments are fragmented across SaaS platforms, cloud services, on-prem systems, and globally distributed teams. As a result, cybersecurity responsibilities are now shared across DevOps, IT, business units, and third-party vendors. This complexity increases risk exposure and reduces visibility. 

The role of the CISO is evolving from policy enforcer to influence architect. It’s about enabling others to own security within their domains while maintaining consistency in standards, tooling, and accountability. 

Cultural and Behavioral Risk: Building a Security-Conscious Organization 

Security awareness is not evenly distributed and it rarely stays consistent without intentional reinforcement. 

Some teams bypass MFA for convenience. Others click through phishing tests without hesitation. Executives often travel with unchecked devices. Developers sometimes push code before scanning dependencies. These aren’t failures of intelligence, they’re gaps in behavior. 

The solution isn’t more mandatory training modules. Leading CISOs are developing behavioral security programs that include real-time feedback, gamified learning, and role-specific risk modeling. 

Behavioral risk is particularly acute in hybrid and remote environments, where culture and accountability are harder to shape. There are also generational nuances to consider: how Gen Z interacts with digital tools versus how senior executives do. These differences matter. 

We help security leaders craft adaptive strategies that engage employees at all levels and across all departments…not just to inform them, but to empower them as active participants in enterprise defense. 

Rising Threat Sophistication and Velocity 

Attackers today don’t need to build exploits from scratch. They rent them. Ransomware-as-a-service platforms, AI-generated phishing kits, and cloud-native evasion techniques have dramatically lowered the barrier to entry while increasing the level of threat. 

Zero-day vulnerabilities are being weaponized within days of public disclosure. Many attackers no longer rely on malware; instead, they use valid credentials and “living off the land” techniques to quietly escalate privileges and evade detection. 

According to recent global threat intelligence reports, the average enterprise now faces a malicious intrusion attempt every 11 seconds. Many organizations aren’t failing because their defenses are weak but because they were never tested under real conditions. 

That’s why WEI, in partnership with Pulsar Security, helps clients validate their defenses against attacker tactics. Together, we conduct offensive testing engagements that simulate credential abuse, lateral movement, and evasion techniques to help organizations identify blind spots before attackers do. 

The Cost of Inaction Is Growing 

For years, cybersecurity leaders were forced to defend investments in offensive testing, proactive validation, and cultural programs. That conversation has shifted as the cost of doing nothing is far greater than the cost of preparation. 

Breaches today result not just in downtime, but in public fallout, regulatory fines, cyber insurance complications, and long-term reputational damage. Regulatory frameworks like the SEC’s cyber disclosure rule, NIS2 in Europe, and evolving insurer requirements are pushing CISOs to produce evidence, not assumptions, of operational resilience. 

Research shows that companies who rely solely on automated scans experience 4x longer breach dwell times and significantly higher post-incident recovery costs than those who conduct regular penetration testing or red teaming. 

External Pressures Shaping the CISO Role 

Security leaders are no longer judged solely on internal outcomes as external entities now play a growing role in defining what good looks like. 

Insurers want documented evidence of testing, response plans, and tool efficacy. Regulators expect disclosures within hours and not weeks. Customers may require independent validation of your cyber posture before finalizing a partnership. 

Meanwhile, global attack trends are shifting quickly. The Biden-Harris National Cybersecurity Strategy in the U.S. and the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) in the EU are clear signs: cybersecurity leadership is now business leadership. 

At WEI, we help CISOs navigate these external pressures with confidence by aligning internal practices to external expectations. 

Turning Pressure Into Action: Where Strategic Partnerships Add Value 

CISOs don’t need more tools. They need trusted partners who can help them validate, prioritize, and improve. 

That’s where WEI comes in. We collaborate with cybersecurity leaders to: 

• Simulate real-world attack scenarios that stress-test people, processes, and technologies 
• Map vulnerabilities and escalation paths based on attacker tactics and not just compliance 
• Support remediation with architectural guidance and real-time retesting 
• Provide board-ready insights that convert findings into business-aligned action plans 

We do this in close partnership with Pulsar Security, our offensive cybersecurity partner. Their hands-on expertise in red teaming, adversary emulation, and threat-informed testing helps ensure our clients see what attackers would see and fix it before it’s exploited. 

From Operational Stress to Strategic Control 

CISOs carry enormous responsibility, but with the right support, they don’t have to carry it alone. 

Today’s leading security organizations invest not just in prevention, but in validation. They move beyond theoretical maturity assessments and into real-world readiness metrics. They seek out partners who challenge assumptions, simulate real threats, and guide internal teams from stress to strategy. 

WEI provides that partnership. Our offensive testing and strategic advisory services give you the tools and clarity to answer: 

• Are we truly ready? 
• Can we prove it? 
• And what should we do next? 

This partnership model, built on the technical depth of Pulsar Security and WEI’s strategic advisory capabilities, empowers CISOs to lead with both confidence and clarity. 

Let’s Test Your Defenses Before Someone Else Does 

The burden CISOs carry today is massive and growing. But the best aren’t just reacting to pressure. They’re redefining it as a driver for strategic action. 

Cybersecurity readiness isn’t a checklist. It’s a mindset,  one rooted in constant validation, measured performance, and trusted collaboration. The most forward-thinking security leaders are done asking whether they’re compliant. They’re asking: Are we ready? Can we prove it? What comes next? 

That’s where WEI makes a difference. In partnership with Pulsar Security, we deliver offensive testing and strategic insight that turns uncertainty into clarity. Together, we help you test the right things, interpret the results, and act with precision, before threat actors exploit the unknown. 

If you’re ready to lead with data, act with purpose, and secure your enterprise with confidence, we’re ready to help. Contact our experts at your convenience, we’re ready. 

Next Steps: WEI’s cyber assessments provide the insights needed to strengthen your defenses, optimize security investments, and ensure compliance. Whether you need to identify vulnerabilities, test your incident response capabilities, or develop a long-term security strategy, our team is here to help.

 featuring WEI cybersecurity assessments.

The post What Today’s CISOs Are Really Up Against and How to Respond Strategically appeared first on IT Solutions Provider - IT Consulting - Technology Solutions.

HPE Private Cloud AI is a joint innovation between HPE and designed to help organizations move from AI aspirations to AI execution with confidence, speed, and a clear sense of direction…from concept to outcomes. This is not just another solution in a crowded market. It is a business-ready platform that enables IT teams to answer that looming question: “What’s our AI strategy?”

Watch: What Is HPE GreenLake?

What Is HPE Private Cloud AI?

This is a pre-integrated, enterprise-grade private cloud for AI (PCAI) platform tailored to address today’s most pressing data and AI challenges. It combines powerful infrastructure from HPE with NVIDIA’s software stack and GPU technology, offering a foundation built to support workloads including generative AI needs, traditional machine learning, and inferencing at scale.

With ready-to-deploy configurations and a fully integrated stack, teams inexperienced with AI can avoid delays and focus on outcomes rather than setup. This is where demonstrates its ability to reduce time to value and simplify enterprise AI adoption from day one.

What Powers It: Key Components

Pre-Validated Infrastructure: The platform offers curated configurations sized to support different stages of AI maturity. Whether your organization is in development mode or production deployment, these validated systems ensure you get the right mix of compute, storage, and networking. Choices include:

• NVIDIA GPUs from L40S to H100 and GH200
• Storage capacity from 100 TB to over 1 PB
• High performance networking options from 100GbE to 800GbE

These choices give your team a head start toward solving real generative AI needs without costly trial and error.

NVIDIA AI Software and NIM: The solution includes the NVIDIA AI Enterprise software suite, which provides everything needed to build, train, and operationalize AI applications. A key feature is NVIDIA NIM (NVIDIA Inference Microservices). These containerized tools simplify the deployment of inferencing tasks and help operational teams implement AI capabilities without requiring deep internal expertise.

Unified Management Tools: A strong AI environment needs more than raw performance. This private cloud for AI solution includes tools that manage GPU resources, align workloads, and ensure data pipelines operate efficiently. These capabilities are essential for teams managing both AI infrastructure and production applications under business constraints.

Why Now: Solving the Urgency

Executives are asking for AI strategies, and IT teams are expected to deliver results. shows that many AI pilots never reach production due to infrastructure challenges and lack of tools. This is where HPE Private Cloud AI stands apart.

It removes key adoption barriers by providing a complete solution that is ready for deployment, tailored to meet enterprise needs, and supported by two trusted leaders in technology. Whether your organization is experimenting with AI or preparing to scale, this platform provides a clear, executable strategy that aligns with business expectations. HPE PCAI makes the process not only possible but practical for mid to large enterprises facing pressure to act quickly.

Speed to Value With HPE GreenLake

Not every organization is ready for a full internal deployment. That is why HPE GreenLake offers the solution as a managed service. With GreenLake, enterprises can:

• Rapidly prototype AI applications
• Adapt projects to real time needs
• Reduce financial risk by paying only for usage
• Shorten time to business value

This makes the private cloud for AI model more accessible and actionable, particularly for enterprises responding to fast-moving competitive pressure or changing regulatory demands.

Watch: Real Outcomes With HPE GreenLake

Business Impact of Private Cloud for AI

Investing in the right AI platform is about more than technical fit, it’s about business readiness. With HPE Private Cloud AI, organizations benefit from:

• Rapid deployment: Pre-integrated infrastructure reduces time from planning to production
• Lower risk: Validated hardware and software minimize deployment failure
• Improved governance: A private cloud for AI gives IT control over sensitive models and data
• Resource efficiency: Integrated tooling maximizes performance and investment
• Strategic focus: CIOs and CTOs gain a roadmap to meet immediate and future generative AI needs

Making AI Real

Many AI discussions stay stuck in the hypothetical, never leaving the concept phase. With this solution, that changes. It gives IT teams a concrete platform to support and deliver on business priorities tied to generative AI needs. The technical complexity has already been handled. Your team is free to build, iterate, and produce meaningful results.

For leaders looking to get a real return on AI investments, HPE PCAI offers the combination of speed, support, and strategy that turns potential into performance.

Final Thoughts

AI is not a future challenge; it is today’s opportunity. When asked, “What’s our AI plan?” you need more than a slide deck, HPE Private Cloud AI gives you the answers. Whether you are responding to executive urgency, addressing generative AI needs, or creating a foundation for a longer term strategy, this private cloud for AI lets you lead with clarity and confidence. 

Ready to explore how AI can drive real outcomes for your business? Contact WEI to learn how HPE PCAI can help you build a private cloud for AI that meets today’s generative AI needs with speed, security, and confidence.

Next Steps: WEI helps businesses leverage advanced analytics, big data, IoT, and cloud computing to gain real-time insights and make agile decisions. Discover more in our free white paper,  

• The definition of data modernization
• The importance of being data-driven
• The power and potential of untapped data

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Remote work, initially a temporary response to global circumstances, has become a permanent fixture for many enterprises and the clients we serve. This shift magnified the need for fast, secure access to critical applications from any location, pushing businesses to rethink traditional security strategies.

With the growing adoption of cloud services and hybrid work models, the attack surface has inevitably expanded, rendering traditional security measures insufficient. To address these evolving threats, businesses must leverage modern security solutions that provide secure, resilient access to applications across diverse locations, devices, and networks.

While SD-WAN, zero trust, and SASE are already well-known for their ability to enhance network performance and security, their importance has become even more pronounced in today’s rapidly changing threat landscape. In this article, we revisit how these network security solutions and technologies can help businesses improve their security and network performance.

Listen: The Next Big Thing In Networking

The Role Of SD-WAN In Modern Networking

At the core of many modern network strategies is SD-WAN, which simplifies the management of wide-area networks by decoupling network hardware from the control mechanisms. This allows businesses to build a more agile WAN infrastructure at a lower cost. SD-WAN also optimizes traffic using a mix of legacy multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) and broadband internet, improving performance, especially for remote workers.

According to the 2023 research by Ponemon Institute, 44% percent of organizations have deployed or will deploy SD-WAN and cloud-delivered security in the next 12 months. From a security standpoint, SD-WAN uses encryption and VPNs to secure data as it travels between branch offices, data centers, and the cloud. This makes it particularly beneficial for enterprises with a distributed workforce.

The Rise Of Zero Trust

Traditional network models trust devices within the perimeter by default. In contrast, zero trust assumes that no entity can be trusted by default, regardless of location. Every user and device must be authenticated, authorized, and continuously validated before accessing critical resources.

Zero trust is both a security philosophy and an architectural approach to network security. Enterprises are increasingly adopting this strategy, with 15% of high-performing organizations indicating to adopt and implement Zero Trust within the next year. Zero trust is especially crucial in businesses that rely on multiple clouds and SaaS platforms. By implementing zero trust, enterprises can better protect against threats like unauthorized access and data breaches while with various regulatory requirements.

A Unified Approach To Networking And Security

As hybrid work models grow in popularity, SASE becomes a preferred solution by converging WAN capabilities and cloud-delivered security services. This comprehensive approach to networking and security addresses the growing complexity of modern IT environments by simplifying network management and secure, seamless connectivity for a distributed workforce.

According to Ponemon Institute, 49% of enterprises have already deployed or plan to deploy SASE. However, its adoption is expected to rise as companies recognize the trending benefits of unifying networking and security. The good thing about SASE is that it delivers both SD-WAN and security services as a cloud-based solution directly to the source of the connection, whether a remote employee, a branch office, or an IoT device.

Unified SASE: The Future Of Network Security

As the demand for integrated network security solutions grows, many businesses are looking to consolidate their SASE components into a single platform. By doing so, enterprises can simplify their branch infrastructure, reduce costs, and provide a better user experience.

One of the significant advancements in the evolution of SASE is the introduction of unified SASE. This approach is especially attractive because it combines security and networking into a single, cohesive solution, thus enabling businesses to manage these critical functions through an integrated platform. According to Gartner’s 2022 Market Guide for Single-Vendor SASE, 65% of enterprises will consolidate individual SASE components into one or two explicitly partnered vendors over the next two years. This trend highlights the growing demand for streamlined, efficient solutions in today’s complex IT environments.

A unified SASE solution offers several key benefits:

• Simplified branch and network management: Organizations can eliminate the need for multiple hardware appliances by integrating SD-WAN and security into a single platform. This integration enhances operational efficiency and simplifies management.
• Enhanced security: The solution extends zero trust controls to all users and devices, regardless of their location, whether they are at a branch office, working from home, or traveling. This comprehensive approach ensures consistent security across all access points.
• Cost savings: Combining security and networking functions into one platform allows organizations to streamline their infrastructure. This consolidation leads to reduced operational costs and more efficient use of resources.
• Superior user experience: Users can enjoy a seamless experience by optimizing application performance and ensuring secure, reliable access from any location.

A prime example of unified SASE is HPE Aruba Networking’s approach. Combining their award-winning Security Service Edge (SSE) with industry-leading SD-WAN into a cohesive solution, the unified platform simplifies the deployment process by offering a single vendor solution. This process ensures seamless management and eliminates the complexity associated with multiple vendors.

The solution is also built upon HPE Aruba Networking SD-WAN, which includes:

• EdgeConnect SD-WAN, which features a built-in next-gen firewall that lets users safely remove physical firewalls and routers in their branch offices. For small edge or branch sites, the new EC-10104 Model offers a cost-effective solution to manage and streamline operations efficiently.
• EdgeConnect SD-Branch
• EdgeConnect Microbranch

Moreover, HPE Aruba Networking’s edge-to-cloud SASE solution leverages zero trust network access (ZTNA) to provide least-privilege access to all people and devices. It also offers comprehensive protection against data security threats and malicious web traffic through:

• Secure web gateway (SWG)
• Cloud access security broker (CASB)
• Digital experience monitoring (DEM)

HPE Aruba Networking’s unified SASE solution stands out by offering flexible licensing options to fit a wide range of budgets and requirements. This ensures that businesses can tailor their solution to meet current needs while allowing the freedom to scale and adapt as those needs evolve over time.

Final Thoughts

As businesses continue to adopt hybrid work models and expand their cloud presence, securing remote and distributed environments through SD-WAN, zero trust, and SASE is essential. However, as enterprises look for more streamlined network security solutions, is emerging as a key player in simplifying IT infrastructure, reducing costs, and strengthening security, all while delivering an exceptional user experience.

WEI’s cloud security experts are ready to help secure your cloud environment. With personalized security assessments and custom-built SASE solutions featuring advanced technologies like HPE Aruba Networking, we provide the expertise you need to confidently drive digital transformation and protect your critical assets. Contact us today to get started.

Next Steps: Traditional data centers are struggling to keep pace with the rapid evolution of technology. As organizations shift towards distributed, edge-cloud-centric models, the need for a modern, agile, and secure data center has never been more critical.

WEI, in partnership with HPE Aruba Networking, is excited to present a comprehensive tech brief that explores how you can revolutionize your data center with cutting-edge automated solutions. This tech brief is your gateway to understanding how automated data center solutions can transform your business. Whether you’re looking to modernize your existing infrastructure or plan for future growth, this guide offers the insights you need to make informed decisions.

The post Transforming Enterprise Security: The Role Of Various Network Security Solutions appeared first on IT Solutions Provider - IT Consulting - Technology Solutions.

This is the first installment of a two-part series dissecting the Left of Bang strategy and mindset and how it applies to modern cybersecurity practices. Click here to read part two. 

Cybersecurity threats, including ransomware, malware and phishing, continue to grow and evolve, increasing risk for businesses of all sizes and across all industries. According to the World Economic Forum’s 2023 Global Risks Report, cybercrimes rank among the ahead of the natural resources and debt crises, prolonged economic downturn and the use of weapons of mass destruction. With of respondents in the 2023 Global Cybersecurity Outlook study reporting that a “far-reaching, catastrophic cyber event is at least somewhat likely in the next two years,” organizations need to do more to keep pace with the diverse, ever-changing threat landscape to better manage cyber risk.

Left of bang is a compelling strategy and mindset to help enterprises go on the offensive and detect threats earlier to improve their cyber resilience. Let’s explore.

What is Left of Bang?

In a cyber context, “left of bang” is a proactive cybersecurity approach that can bolster incident detection and response by helping IT teams identify and address threats before they wreak havoc on the organization.

A Powerful Strategy with a Military Background

Left of bang has a military history, originating in 2006 during the Iraq War to better protect Marine convoys from buried improvised explosive devices (IEDs). The military viewed an incident, the bang of a detonated IED, as an event in the center of a timeline. Right of bang referred to the time and events that occurred after the explosion, while left of bang included everything prior to the incident. By training Marines to be more aware of their surroundings, recognizing subtle and explicit environmental changes, and unexpected human behaviors and other anomalies, the left-of-bang approach significantly enhanced Marine’s situational awareness, enabling them to detect threats before they occurred to improve convoy safety.

The same strategy and mindset can be applied in the cyber space to help IT teams identify cyber threats before they impact the organization.

The Value of Left-of-bang Cybersecurity

Left of bang trains security teams to recognize and address inconsistencies within the IT environment earlier on the threat continuum to strengthen their cybersecurity postures. Utilizing the right technologies, processes and practices, IT teams increase visibility into their IT environments to boost threat recognition, speed responses, and reduce the number and intensity of attacks. This is a critical differentiator that allows enterprises to prevent malicious activity, rather than deal with the fall out of a successful attack.

Proactively Detect Threats

With improved views of the IT environment and all its endpoints, IT teams achieve a better understanding of normal network behavior, allowing them to compare it against current network activity and any known exploits or indicators of threat-actor activity. This supports enterprises’ abilities to better manage their cybersecurity. Left of bang helps enterprises:

• Understand normal network behavior
• Proactively detect anomalies and potential threats
• Respond to threats quickly
• Reduce the number and intensity of attacks
• Establish a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy

Speed Recognition and Response

The ability to recognize early-warning signs of a potential attack or breach allows IT teams to react to malicious activity more rapidly to mitigate risk, limit exposure and improve outcomes. The intensified training also enables IT personnel to be more agile and purposeful in their decision making and responses to better protect the enterprise.

Enable a Comprehensive Cybersecurity Strategy

While a left of bang approach has proven to strengthen incident detection and response capabilities, combining left-of-bang and right-of-bang technologies offers a more powerful solution. Information identified from the right of bang can feed the left of bang with critical data on new attack scenarios, including how an attack occurs, specific threat indicators and behaviors, and other lessons learned from an attack. This critical feedback can expand enterprises’ situational awareness, helping them stay abreast of constantly changing attack scenarios.

At a minimum, IT security leaders should be looking to prevent and interfere with any indicator leading up to an attack. Preventing even just one step in the attack can disrupt an entire incident’s potential. The earlier your team can detect, the earlier it can be prevented, which is always the best strategy.

WEI Roundtable Discussion: Cyber Warfare & Beyond

Partner with WEI for a Comprehensive Cybersecurity Solution

Beginning the journey toward a more proactive cybersecurity strategy can be overwhelming. WEI’s experienced security engineers can help enterprises navigate these complex waters, devising cybersecurity solutions that integrate left-of-bang and right-of-bang technologies.

To ensure the right fit, WEI works with enterprises to assess their current network states, identify hidden vulnerabilities, and understand their unique needs and risk tolerances. With experience across a broad range of cybersecurity solutions, WEI can develop a multi-layered strategy that integrates automation and intelligence tools to optimize visibility across all touch points of the IT environment to help proactively detect, alert and remediate threats without impeding authorized workflows. Serving as an extension of the organization, WEI can deliver a comprehensive incident detection and response strategy that helps future-proof organizations against the increasingly sophisticated cyber threat landscape.

Up Next: Stay tuned for our follow-up blog on the specific left-of-bang and right-of-bang technologies that can fortify your overall cybersecurity posture. In the meantime, contact WEI today for any questions about our next-gen cybersecurity solutions.

Free Tech Brief: Palo Alto Networks’ commitment to developing a groundbreaking solution for modern SOCs has culminated in the creation of a new security platform, Cortex XSIAM. This next-gen platform is designed to propel SOCs beyond the capabilities of traditional SIEM systems, setting a new standard in the industry.

to learn more about this cloud-based, integrated SOC platform that includes best-in-class functions including EDR, XDR, SOAR, ASM, UEBA, TIP, and SIEM.

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In the constantly changing world of cyber threats, it’s crucial for organizations to strengthen their defenses. While advanced security features are important, they become less effective if basic security measures, like building a “security-first” culture in the workplace, are overlooked.

In a , every member of the organization recognizes their responsibility for data and network security – whether they’re a new team member or a long-time part of the management team. It involves regularly evaluating security implications, including granting network access or responding to e-mails and information requests. This heightened awareness and participation become even more pronounced with the prevalence of remote and hybrid work setups. Given the nature and distribution of data and network access, maintaining location awareness of your IT assets serves as the initial step in establishing a culture of security.

Building Security Awareness In Organizations

In the pursuit of establishing a holistic, security-first culture within organizations, certain key pointers should be considered:

1. Adopt A Unified Security Mindset

Cybersecurity may not be the most glamorous aspect of your business, but it’s just as important as any other. Take time to carefully assess the security implications of various actions and decisions, such as:

• Granting partners access to your network.
• Defining features for a new product.
• Responding to information requests via phone, email, or social media.

These security considerations should be an integral part of every engagement strategy. A unified security mindset can be achieved through continuous training and education within the organization.

2. Maintain Security Awareness

Promoting a security-first culture emphasizes that security awareness is an ongoing process. Each new security feature or software application introduces potential risks, so it’s critical to have continuous awareness and effective communication. Mistakes will happen, but if your enterprise is prepared for those mistakes, the consequences will be less severe.

Security incidents are teachable moments. Ensure everyone understands the nature of the mistake, its consequences, and preventive measures for the future.

3. Exercise Accountability

Building a security-first culture involves accountability. That means, proactive company policies should be consistently enforced without relying on fear. On the other hand, recognizing and celebrating successes also fosters a strong security culture.

A Security-First Culture Requires IT Asset Awareness

The emergence of hybrid and remote work has made the adoption of a security-first culture more challenging. This shift, while offering unprecedented flexibility, also introduces security challenges in terms of accountability and security awareness.

With the adoption of hybrid and remote work, critical asset data is dispersed across various systems – from static spreadsheets to incomplete databases – which pose a significant security threat to enterprises. The escalating number of ransomware attacks leaves organizations in a precarious position – unable to defend or manage assets they may not even be aware of.

This lack of awareness amplifies the cost and complexity of IT asset management. The phrase “unknown assets are just risks” highlights the immediate need for a reliable IT asset management solution.

Embracing Asset Awareness With ThinkShield

In response, Lenovo came up with . As part of their cybersecurity solutions under the portfolio, this solution offers comprehensive visibility and seamless integration into various enterprise assets.

As a pioneer in OEM solutions, Lenovo ThinkShield Asset Intelligence guarantees the following benefits to its users:

• Precise Asset Management: IT managers gain a comprehensive view of device locations and assignments, regardless of make and model. In turn, this forms a solid foundation for effective asset management.
• Automated Data Flow: Lenovo goes beyond the conventional by automating the flow of factory procurement data, integrating seamlessly with an organization’s discovery data.
• Holistic Perspective: ThinkShield Asset Intelligence stands out in a sea of asset management solutions by merging information about purchased assets with existing endpoint management sources. This feature effectively mitigates attack risks throughout device lifecycles.
• Preventive Measures: The solution establishes clear processes for verifying complete and accurate asset disposal, preventing breaches before they occur.

Final Thoughts

The evolution of work environments highlights the need for a flexible security-centric culture. With data accessible from anywhere, the emphasis on reinforcing cybersecurity measures becomes more prominent.

To effectively navigate the new workspace, companies must maintain awareness of their assets and seamlessly integrate data protection into their organizational mindset. Lenovo ThinkShield offers a comprehensive asset management solution that addresses challenges associated with varied work setups and serves as a proactive defense against ransomware.

If you are ready to start your journey to a security-first mindset, our team of experts at WEI is here to assist you.

Next steps: TBC

The post Empower A Security-First Strategy With Lenovo ThinkShield Asset Intelligence appeared first on IT Solutions Provider - IT Consulting - Technology Solutions.

The retail industry has rapidly changed in recent years, embracing offline, online, and hybrid shopping as the new norm. Technology has thus become an essential factor in the success of retailers, which puts significant pressure on them to keep up with the latest tools and reconsider their approaches. To align their current infrastructure with the evolving landscape, retailers must focus on networking as a central aspect of their efforts. This entails an aggressive adoption of digital transformation through cloud computing and omnichannel retailing, modernization of inventory management, and implementation of advanced data loss prevention systems.

The Role Of SD-WAN In Retail Digital Transformation

To overcome challenges and capitalize on opportunities for growth and innovation, retailers acknowledge the need to adapt their networks in response to the dynamic environment. This includes addressing issues such as:

• In-store scaling challenges
• Limitations in real-time bandwidth availability
• Performance problems with in-store applications
• WAN issues associated with the adoption of cloud-native and cloud-first architectures
• Security breaches and PCI compliance guidelines
• Point-of-sale network failures

Resolving these issues is crucial for enhanced customer experience, and retailers increasingly rely on their networks to deliver more value. With the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning in recent years, it is no surprise that SD-WAN solutions are adopting these trends, highlighting the significant role AI will play in optimizing network performance and enhancing operational efficiency for retailers.

AI-driven SD-WAN: The Next Generation In Networking

As a result, a flexible and modern networking infrastructure like an AI-driven SD-WAN emerges as the ideal solution for the retail industry’s digital transformation. cites three key benefits of next-generation SD-WAN solutions and what makes them an attractive choice for retailers to effectively meet the rapidly changing demands of business operations:

Cost

The widespread adoption of SD-WAN has significantly impacted pricing, leading to increased competitiveness and affordability. Compared to traditional tunnel-based alternatives, next-generation SD-WAN offers a substantial price advantage. The combination of higher adoption rates, competitive pricing, and cost-effective solutions further enhances the value of SD-WAN for the retail sector.

By leveraging intelligent routing, dynamic bandwidth allocation, and advanced algorithms powered by machine learning, SD-WAN optimizes network traffic. This level of automation eliminates the need for costly manual configurations and reduces operational expenses associated with outdated approaches.

As acknowledged by , the cost savings delivered by AI-driven SD-WAN solutions make them an attractive investment for the retail industry, empowering stores to allocate their resources strategically and assign more funds to business growth and innovation.

Security

With the proliferation of data sources and the subsequent rise in network vulnerabilities, retailers find themselves in dire need of robust network and data protection measures. Recognizing this pressing demand, modern SD-WAN solutions have ingeniously integrated comprehensive security capabilities, marking a significant leap forward in future-proofing retail networks.

Artificial intelligence embedded in these solutions proactively identifies and neutralizes potential threats, which preempts cyberattacks before they manifest. With AI-driven SD-WAN, retailers know their valuable data and network connections are shielded behind an impenetrable fortress. This allows them to focus on what truly matters: delivering exceptional customer experiences through efficient business operations.

Scalability

It’s no surprise that 81% of retailers worldwide have acknowledged the effectiveness of SD-WAN in deploying and scaling quickly. Not only does this technology offer cost-effective solutions, it also ensures that performance, reliability, and availability are not compromised. Retailers can confidently navigate the ever-increasing demands of the digital retail landscape and propel their businesses forward into a prosperous future by embracing AI-driven SD-WAN.

Final Thoughts

For the retail industry to keep up with changes in customers’ shopping experiences, retailers should consider adopting next-gen SD-WAN and carefully assess how it fits their network requirements and goals. This assessment, which WEI can provide, identifies specific needs and challenges, such as enhancing application performance, boosting security, or optimizing network costs. Once the decision to embrace SD-WAN is made, retailers should prioritize selecting a solution that seamlessly integrates with their current infrastructure and applications.

As a longtime solutions provider for fixed retail locations, WEI is committed to empowering retail businesses with dynamic and innovative systems that evolve alongside their operations. If you’re unsure about adopting SD-WAN for your enterprise, it’s advisable to consult WEI for a thorough network assessment and personalized guidance. Our recommended solution offers a comprehensive suite of tools to help retailers seamlessly deploy , effectively navigating network integration and scalability.

Next steps: Managing the IT estate of any digitally transformed organization is challenging. And while there are companies that boast many mission-critical business processes, the institutions of higher education also face challenges. Our experts dive into the overriding challenges that higher education institutions must overcome and how Juniper Networks can assist.

The post How AI-Driven SD-WAN Can Boost Retailers’ Digital Transformation appeared first on IT Solutions Provider - IT Consulting - Technology Solutions.

As customer preferences, business operations, and enterprise competition evolve, IT leaders must ensure their data storage solutions meet customer needs. For that reason, an enhanced security and data recovery strategy is required for thriving in today’s fast-paced digital economy. One method to achieve this objective is implementing unified storage, which consolidates all data into a single, scalable platform and mitigates potential threats. This allows businesses to replace ineffective data storage systems and deploy a simplified, efficient solution that minimizes downtime and streamlines operations.

We’ve identified how important unified storage

When considering the implementation of unified storage, organizations have two main options: a web-based sandbox or rolling out on-prem. Each approach offers distinct advantages, and businesses should choose the option that best aligns with specific needs and business objectives.

Web-Based Unified Storage With Nutanix Test Drive

The easier of the two options to implement unified storage is leveraging web-based sandboxes with supported functionality. This approach allows organizations to seamlessly integrate the advantages of the service into their current IT infrastructure with minimal preparation.

Nutanix offers a feature that allows users to simulate the entire process of creating within a sandbox-like environment. This feature accurately reflects the organization’s current data structure – including an option to present storage as to physical machines – and provides access to powerful analytics and data management tools in real-time. Nutanix’s software-as-a-service platform also offers improved reporting capabilities. The web-based sandbox approach reduces upfront costs and provides a risk-free environment for organizations to explore the benefits of unified storage.

If your team is looking for a way to articulate the functions and justify the investment for a storage solution, the Test Drive approach is an excellent choice to demonstrate the benefits of unified storage to upper management.

Rolling Out On-Prem

If your organization already knows the value of unified storage but wants to reduce license costs, another option is to adopt an on-premise solution. This approach combines the advantages of the service with simplified deployment and eliminates the need for additional virtual machines. However, it’s important to note that you cannot run your usual VMs, including loading a SQL server.

Nutanix provides an implementation that enables enterprises to streamline their storage infrastructure, helping to cut back the costs associated with multiple systems and maintenance. This service leverages enterprise-grade features such as high availability, data deduplication, snapshots, and cloning to ensure the security and accessibility of stored data. This on-prem software also supports sharing and distribution among IT teams within a terabyte range, allowing them to explore the powerful features and capabilities of this service firsthand. This process provides stakeholders with a direct, tangible encounter with the benefits of unified storage solutions.

Final Thoughts

Nutanix stands out with its unwavering commitment to top-notch security measures, earning a place in WEI’s list of impressive . With unbeatable customer support, businesses can expect fully secured data, maximum performance, and cost efficiency.

As a valued partner of Nutanix, WEI’s team of experts provide the essential guidance and comprehensive assessment processes to ensure your enterprise’s journey toward unified storage is a success. Contact us today to learn how Nutanix’s innovative solutions empower your businesses to streamline operations, reduce costs, and achieve your IT security goals.

The post How To Take The Best Approach For Your Unified Storage Journey appeared first on IT Solutions Provider - IT Consulting - Technology Solutions.

Email is a vital part of our lives, both for business and personal communications. However, this integral tool is increasingly vulnerable to malicious attacks by cybercriminals aiming to steal credentials, confidential data, or funds. To protect against these complex threats, companies need a robust multi-layered security measure in place when handling emails.

Fortunately, you can protect your business from the ever-present threat of cyber criminals by utilizing Fortinet’s comprehensive email security solution, . With its wide range of options and unmatched flexibility in deployment modes, it is an ideal choice for organizations or service providers to keep threats out while ensuring existing data remains safe.

Cloud-Based Email Security

Powered by the renowned threat intelligence network, this solution provides multi-layered protection against spam, phishing attempts, malware infections, and zero-day threats. This offers your enterprise peace of mind knowing all emails are scanned for potential risks.

Fortinet also offers a variety of customizable solutions, from FortiMail appliances and virtual machines to FortiMail Cloud. These solutions adequately protect your organization’s email, allowing you to choose the right deployment model and operation mode for your specific needs, whether on-premise or in the cloud.

Common Email Security Phishing Scams

Phishing is a malicious form of cyber-attacks that attempts to deceive users into giving away private information such as passwords, bank details, and credit card numbers. Cybercriminals have become increasingly advanced with their phishing attempts ranging from identity theft to malware installation. Here are a few common phishing scams to look out for:

1. Spear Phishing

Spear phishing is a highly targeted form of email attack in which hackers take the time to research and customize their messages with detailed personal information about an individual. This type of scam requires resources that can only be accessed by larger organizations, making it far more dangerous than traditional spam tactics.

2. Business Email Compromise (BEC)

BEC attacks are an important threat to be aware of for business email security. These use sophisticated techniques to impersonate senior executives and redirect payments into malicious accounts. By manipulating trust relationships between organizations and their customers or vendors, these attackers aim to steal funds from unsuspecting individuals.

3. Clone Phishing

This attack deceives victims into providing sensitive information. Scammers create fake emails which look legitimate and replace the original links or attachments with malicious versions to trick users. These fraudulent messages are often sent from addresses similar enough to the real sender’s address, which makes the incorrect address appear valid at first glance.

4. Whaling Phishing

We’ve written about whaling in the past, but it has been a while since we touched on it. Primarily targeting employees at the senior level, whale phishing is where the scammer poses as a trusted party to encourage a user to open a malicious website or attachment. To be clear, a whaling attack is a spear phishing attack that focuses on a high-level manager or executive. Despite the differences, some security experts do not distinguish between spear phishing and whaling. We just did, so there’s that.

How FortiMail Provides Protection

1. Wide-range Protection

FortiMail is your one-stop solution to combat email threats such as phishing, , impersonation, and BEC attacks. It provides complete protection with flexible deployment options for on-premises, cloud, or hybrid environments – all backed by API support for !

2. Email Security Fabric

FortiMail is an essential part of the Fortinet Security Fabric. It provides enhanced email protection through automated operations and workflow capabilities using shared Indicators of Compromise (IoC) across your IT environment to enable better intelligence-driven decisions that strengthen overall cybersecurity.

3. Consistent High Performance

Fortinet stands out among the competition, having been independently tested and proven to be email security vendors. This solution has an incredible AAA rating from SE Labs and a practically invincible Spam Catch Rate from Virus Bulletin.

4. Powered By FortiGaurd Labs

Fortinet’s FortiMail is powered by advanced threat intelligence and AI-powered Security Services like antivirus, virus outbreak protection, and anti-spam from the established security experts at FortiGuard Labs. In fact, FortiGaurd experts analyze threats and can protect against a staggering amount. This service enables:

• 319,000 phishing attempts blocked per minute.
• 595,000 malware programs neutralized per minute.
• 790,000 malicious website accesses blocked per minute.
• 30,000 spam events blocked per minute.

Conclusion

Cybercriminals constantly innovate their attack techniques to evade security measures, but Fortinet presents a comprehensive solution that consolidates and converges critical technologies. FortiMail is a single-vendor platform that is increasingly essential in the fight against modern cyber threats, as they become ever more sophisticated and difficult to detect.

If you’re ready to implement FortiMail into your security efforts, contact WEI today. Our experts will help you identify which services are best suited for protecting your enterprise from potential email security threats.

Next Steps: Curious about what your business can do right now to make the most of your hybrid workforce? Download our to learn more about how you can improve the efficiency of your team.

The post Email Security: Protecting Your Organization From Phishing Scams appeared first on IT Solutions Provider - IT Consulting - Technology Solutions.

The quantity and severity of ransomware attacks are expected to rise once again in 2023, and businesses need to take steps to protect themselves from these costly and disruptive incidents. According to , “Ransomware will cost its victims around $265 billion (USD) annually by 2031.” These attacks have a devastating impact on enterprises, causing critical data loss and downtime. In addition, businesses may also be liable for the cost of the ransomware attack itself.

Because organizations generate a large amount of data every day and have increasingly large workloads moving between hybrid and multi-cloud environments, unified storage has become important for ransomware protection. In this post, we cover what unified storage is and how it addresses ransomware.

What Is Unified Storage?

Unified storage is a single platform that manages data from multiple sources, whether they be on-premises or in the cloud. This makes it an ideal solution for businesses looking to move to hybrid or multi-cloud environments, as it eliminates the need to manage data across multiple platforms.

, director of product marketing for storage services at Nutanix writes, “Supporting data access where it’s created and consumed is critical, and a unified approach to storage delivery is foundational. Unified storage provides a software-based, consolidated storage solution on top of many flexible shared-nothing nodes. Pooling resources and putting the intelligence in the software layer creates flexibility of scale, allowing for deployments of any size that can fit any deployment location.”

This can be helpful because it makes it easier for your IT team to find and use your data. Unified storage also provides ransomware protection and data loss prevention, making it an essential tool for companies of all sizes.

Benefits Of NCP Unified Storage

Unified storage is designed to help businesses by providing a single view of all enterprise data, regardless of where it is stored. This enables IT teams to make judgments about how much capacity remains in the storage pool in the event of a ransomware attack.

, a global leader in cloud software, has created helpful data storage solutions with their cloud platform. The Nutanix Cloud Platform (NCP) is a unified storage platform that delivers ransomware protection, data storage solutions, and simplified operations. It helps eliminate storage silos and provides a common platform for file, object, and block storage along with virtualized workloads.

Nutanix file storage led to:

• 60% more efficient IT storage management
• 82% less time needed to deploy new files storage
• 56% more efficient IT security teams
• 75% less time needed to deploy new objects storage

These benefits make Nutanix a leading choice for unified storage, ransomware protection, and data storage solutions.

Ransomware Protection With Nutanix Unified Storage

Nutanix unified storage solutions also offer strong ransomware protection and data recovery capabilities. Nutanix provides a unified storage solution that is secure from the ground up. Their security baseline documents are based on U.S. DoD STIGs and cover the entire infrastructure stack. This ensures that your data is safe when deployed in the field.

Nutanix offers unified storage solutions with robust security features, including self-encrypting drives and software-only encryption capabilities. This provides peace of mind that your data is safe at rest. To ensure data in transit protocols, Nutanix features secure in-flight encryption for SMB, NFS, and S3 and WORM support for both files and objects.

Data Lens

Nutanix provides customers with the highest levels of data security available, offering visibility and control with Data Lens. Data Lens is an advanced software-as-a-service solution that provides analytics and ransomware defense for Nutanix unified storage. With Data Lens, users can benefit from ransomware protection, audit trails, anomaly detection, and data age analytics.

Ransomware protection includes file blocking with automatic signature updates and ransomware file access pattern detection. When ransomware events are found, you can choose to block the client and user or set the entire file server to read-only. Further, a snapshot is automatically taken at the time of the attack to provide a recovery point. Recovery workflows flag all files which may have been impacted and recommend which snapshot to restore. In the words of WEI’s Senior Architect and Virtualization Ambassador, , “If you’re looking to develop a business continuity plan as well as a disaster recovery plan, there’s a lot of cool things you can do with just those core capabilities they have of doing snapshots.”

Conclusion

Businesses are particularly vulnerable to ransomware attacks as they have valuable data that is targeted. To protect your business from ransomware, it is important to have a reliable data storage solution in place that effectively addresses these threats.

A unified storage system provides ransomware protection by combining multiple layers of security features into one unified platform. This can help to ensure your data is safe from ransomware and that you can quickly and easily recover from any attacks that occur. Also, unified storage systems offer performance and scalability benefits that can be essential for businesses with large amounts of data.

If you are looking for a data storage solution to protect your business from ransomware, Nutanix offers a terrific option. With its combination of security features and performance benefits, Nutanix’s storage tool can help keep your data safe and your business running smoothly. Contact us today to learn more about how unified storage solutions can help you improve your cybersecurity and facilitate a smooth recovery.

Next Steps: Listen to Mark Gabryjelski’s advice in this to learn more about unified storage and how it addresses ransomware. Mark leads numerous Nutanix workshops annually, which are accessible to WEI customers.

The post How Unified Storage Addresses Ransomware Threats, Enables Recovery appeared first on IT Solutions Provider - IT Consulting - Technology Solutions.

This summer and fall, our team has written a great deal on how Juniper Networks’ intent-based networking (IBN) technology is helping companies automate the configuration, deployment, and management of enterprise data center components. We’ve identified how IBN validates the operational state of the network to ensure that it matches its slated intentions. That’s important because in the end, your technology investments are only effective if they further the business objectives of the organization. IBN prevents your technology directives from going adrift.

But what about security? Security must always be part of any discussion involving new technology solutions due to the prevalence of cyberattacks that originate from an ever-expanding threat landscape. The increasing risk factors that companies face today are forcing them to adapt zero-trust security strategies to reduce their threat exposure. Juniper Apstra not only complies with a zero-trust security mandate, but it also helps enforce it.

Automation

Let’s roll the imaginary film and picture a typical bank robbery or museum heist in which the burglars case the building to study the patterned behavior of security guards and other personnel. People are the weak links in any security situation. It is why cybercriminals rely so heavily on phishing attacks to deliver their malicious code and malware payloads. One way to reduce your attack surface and attain greater security is by automating as many manual processes as possible.

This automation should start with device configuration as manual configuration opens the door to fat fingering or leaving checkboxes neglected by mistake. Juniper Asptra will create your configurations automatically, validate those configurations, and then deploy properly so you know they are done correctly the first time. This is also good for large, scaled implementations.

Next comes the policies that govern your traffic flows. IBN converts business language into applicable network rules so that the emphasis is placed on business objectives rather than network protocols. You can also pre-stage your security policies, allowing your team to visualize their impact and take appropriate recourse, if necessary.

Complete Visibility

You can’t protect what you can’t see. Juniper Apstra gives you a holistic view of your data center environment that allows you to not only see what is in your data center, but to also visually understand how all the pieces relate to one another. Juniper Apstra’s monitoring orchestrator can keep your IT teams informed of suspicious events such as the creation of new agents, processes, or connections. When such events are identified, the IBN system will immediately issue alerts to your team and roll back the changes automatically if desired.

System Uptime

Threat actors don’t implement their primary attack immediately upon their entry into a network. Instead, they spend an appropriate amount of time conducting reconnaissance to identify high-value targets and learn what security tools and measures you have in place to protect them. These invaders will often implement one or more preliminary attacks on your backup systems and security systems to take them out of commission, thus improving the odds of their primary attack. Juniper Apstra can monitor all the components in your security arsenal to ensure that they remain up and operational to protect your environment. Now your security systems can’t be meddled with without your knowledge.

Network Segmentation

While zero-trust security is the goal, chances are, some type of threat will inevitably penetrate your IT estate. That’s why resiliency is a primary objective. Network segmentation helps ensure resiliency by keeping ransomware, trojans and other types of malicious code at bay. Intent-based segmentation interprets business and security requirements and converts them into segmentation policies that spans your entire distributed network. It can isolate applications and other privileged areas from standards users and workloads. This will curb the spread of a malware attack, giving your IT security teams ample time to thwart the invasion. Juniper Apstra delivers network segmentation at scale and continually validates these segmentation policies to adjust them in real time, if necessary.

Confirmed Traffic Patterns

In an IBN, everything is driven by intent, and that includes your network traffic flows. Juniper Apstra gives you the visibility to see the actual traffic flows of your network. Know where traffic is originating and where it is going regardless of its encryption status. You can’t spot anomalies if you cannot identify what your typical traffic flows look like.

More Time for Innovation

By automating your configuration, deployment and monitoring tasks, your IT staff has more time to spend on cybersecurity initiatives such as disaster recovery efforts, incident response plans, and what-if scenarios. Juniper Apstra allows your IT staff to swap out the mundane manual tasks that they don’t like anyway for value added projects that there was never time to do before.

Conclusion

Intent-based networking translates into intent-based security. Through automation, enhanced visibility, alert management and policy-based segmentation, Juniper Apstra can help deliver the zero-trust security that security minded organizations are vying for today. Find out how Juniper Apstra not only delivers on greater productivity and efficiencies within the data center, but security as well.

Next Steps: to learn how Juniper Apstra relieves the pain points mentioned above, staying the course with your network, and how to achieve cost savings across your network’s lifecycle.

The post Zero-Trust Security Strategy With Juniper Networks’ Intent-Based Networking appeared first on IT Solutions Provider - IT Consulting - Technology Solutions.

As the world becomes increasingly digitized and interconnected, the need for robust cybersecurity measures becomes more apparent. In order to stay ahead of ever-evolving threats and challenges, it is important to have a clear and effective cybersecurity strategy in place. The IT industry has seen many changes in recent years, and the future looks even more volatile. It is crucial that businesses adapt quickly and ensure their cybersecurity strategies keep up with the pace of change. Here we discuss some of the key trends in cybersecurity that businesses should be aware of, as well as tools to help your business stay ahead of the technological curve.

Cybersecurity Threats In A Hybrid Workplace

One of the biggest shifts over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic has been where people are working from. This is particularly true in the IT industry. According to one from Stack Overflow, 42% of developers are fully remote, while an additional 42% are hybrid.

But IT enterprises are not the only ones encountering major changes to the ways their employees work. This trend has extended to other industries as well, from marketing to human resources. There are many challenges to having a remote workforce, but the most critical consideration for a business is the cybersecurity of their team.

When people “clock in” to work from their own devices or at-home networks, they introduce opportunities for cybersecurity breaches. One computer has the potential to compromise an entire business. As a result, many enterprises are looking for ways to minimize their security risks.

Multi-factor Authentication Reduces Cybersecurity Threats

To keep their information protected, many businesses have implemented passwords as a solution. Unfortunately, these offer little, if any, protection to a business. Many of us are guilty of using the same password across multiple platforms. While this makes memorizing our passwords easier, it also means that if a cybercriminal discovers one of your passwords, they gain access to all your logins.

Even if you are not guilty of this cybersecurity faux pas, your password can still be phished or discovered in some other non-human way. That is why Cisco’s Duo Security implements multi-factor authentication.

Multi-factor authentication goes beyond a simple password. It connects to other devices to verify a user’s identity before they access information. That way, if a password is compromised, users can deny access if they have not attempted to log into their resources.

Duo and Secure Endpoint Work Together To Provide Stronger Access Security

Cisco Offers Increased Cybersecurity Protection

Let’s say that you’ve verified a user’s identity. While that eliminates some of the threats to your enterprise, it does not eliminate threats from your employees. If an employee’s network or computer is already infected by malware, their computer can become a cyber Trojan Horse, a seemingly benign user playing host to malicious data.

For that reason, Cisco implemented . This resource offers centralized visibility of all the devices in your enterprise that access applications, workloads, and the network.

What sets this resource apart is what it allows the administrator to see. Not only do administrators have the ability to see users, they can also see what applications employees are using and the method of access. They can even see if a user has not updated the application they are using.

Cisco takes things a step further by implementing a smart AI to determine threats. The AI integrates information like firewalls, location, devices, and more to create a risk profile for the user.

This information can be used in combination with Duo Security. If Secure Endpoint detects malware on the device, Duo Security will block that device from accessing applications. And the best part? The administrator has complete control. They can use this information to deny or permit access to different data or applications.

Conclusion

Remote and hybrid work is here to stay, so businesses will need to do everything they can to ensure the security of their enterprises Fortunately, tools like Cisco’s Duo Security and Secure Endpoint offer solutions to some of the most glaring cybersecurity threats. If you would like to integrate Cisco’s tool into your business, WEI can help. We help businesses of all sizes every step of the way, from purchase through implementation. Contact us today to figure out what tools are the right fit for you!

Next Steps: In the webcast below, WEI and Cisco lead an exciting virtual conversation about leveraging cybersecurity efforts to overcome today’s cyber threats. The conversation was topped off with a visit from New Belgium Brewing as brewers Cody, Patrick, and Matt gave a lesson on brewing history and their favorite science behind beer.

The post Employees Can Be A Cybersecurity Vulnerability. Protect Them! appeared first on IT Solutions Provider - IT Consulting - Technology Solutions.

SD-WAN (software-defined wide area network) deployments are becoming increasingly common as businesses strive to improve their employee productivity and agility. However, many SD-WAN solutions on the market today are incomplete and do not provide the full range of benefits that businesses require. Issues like limited scalability, the lack of automation to simplify operations, lackluster cloud on-ramp, and cloud and SaaS integrations can result in a poor user experience that undermines the value of an SD-WAN deployment.

The reality is that dispersed workforces are . One study from projected that 25% of all professional jobs in North America will be remote by the end of 2022. So, if businesses want to provide an adequate environment for their remote workers, they will have to get a better handle on SD-WAN technologies.

The Future Of SD-WAN

While many enterprises see SD-WAN as the future of wide area networks, there are still areas where the technology needs to improve. It will also have to be adaptable in order to keep pace with rapid cloud adoption, the transition from regional to global deployments, business expansion, and the remote workforce.

Here are some of the main areas where SD-WAN solutions will need to grow in the coming years:

• As the remote workforce continues to expand, SD-WAN solutions will need to include the ability to easily add or remove locations and users as needed, without requiring a complex IT infrastructure.
• SD-WAN should simplify IT operations, not add to the complexity. Automation can help reduce or eliminate the need for manual tasks, such as configuration and provisioning. Additionally, SD-WAN should continue to offer a centralized and easily accessed control network where enterprise owners can adjust and monitor network activities.
• Cloud On-Ramp And SaaS Integration. SD-WAN should provide a seamless experience for users accessing cloud-based applications. It should also offer integration with popular cloud and SaaS platforms, such as Microsoft Office 365 and HubSpot
• SD-WAN should include built-in security features to protect businesses from sophisticated cyberattacks. One suggestion IT professionals have made is to integrate next-generation firewalls (NGFWs) at the beginning of the process. This allows businesses to easily monitor and potentially quarantine suspicious activity.

By choosing a complete SD-WAN solution that offers these features, businesses can improve employee productivity, agility, and security.

Integrating Security Into SD-WAN

One of the biggest obstacles to wide-scale SD-WAN integration is the lack of unified operations that integrate networking and security features. As continue to rise around the country, many enterprises are understandably concerned about implementing a software-defined system.

We’ve compiled a few of the most important features industry professionals will need to keep in mind as we facilitate the transition from WAN to SD-WAN.

• Consistent Protection. Enterprises should not have to compromise performance to receive the protection they need. Security features will need to be built in. This includes features like secure sockets layer (SSL) and transport layer security (TLS) encrypted traffic inspection. In other words, SD-WAN solutions need to examine all traffic to ensure malware and other cyberthreats don’t get through defenses.
• Integrated Security. It might be tempting to turn to standalone security solutions to protect SD-WAN devices. Unfortunately, this option is not optimized for the wide array of connectivity environments created by a dispersed workforce. The more effective solution will be to integrate security into each SD-WAN device. This allows networking, connectivity, and security functions to work cohesively, even in dynamic conditions.
• Comprehensive Analytics. A more secure SD-WAN solution must assist organizations in viewing the performance of their network and application in real-time and historically. To help facilitate this, SD-WAN technologies need to provide a single management console for networking and security. This will allow organizations to adjust their cybersecurity systems to improve the end experience for users and employees.

Keep in mind, these are just a few of the solutions IT professionals will need to focus on to make this transition as efficient and secure as possible. As with any emerging technology, the most important feature is flexibility.

Conclusion

SD-WAN is quickly becoming a critical piece of the enterprise networking puzzle as businesses strive to improve their employee productivity and agility. However, there are still ways SD-WAN can improve. To make sure SD-WAN solutions reach their full potential, IT professionals will need to adapt to the growing needs of enterprises and the increasing demand for cybersecurity.

Next Steps: Curious about what your business can do right now to make the most of your hybrid workforce? Download our to learn more about how you can improve the efficiency of your team.

The post Creating A Secure, Efficient Hybrid Workplace With SD-WAN Technologies appeared first on IT Solutions Provider - IT Consulting - Technology Solutions.

The emergence of remote and hybrid work opportunities serves as one of the biggest lasting changes the COVID-19 pandemic has brought to our lives. This popular option saves money for both the employer and the employee while helping many workers find the work-life balance they were looking for. Unfortunately, working from home has also brought with it a host of technological conundrums, particularly when it comes to cybersecurity.

In celebration of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, we identify the security challenges that come with a remote workforce and new technologies that are paving the way for a more secure future.

What Makes Remote Work A Cybersecurity Challenge?

Before delving into the solution, we need to understand the problems facing IT security professionals. With the number of teleworkers expanding, many businesses have turned to wide area networks (or WANs) to facilitate the sharing of information between devices.

WANs connect users across a wide geographical area, but many enterprises have found that the increased amount of remote workers has strained the system, creating bottlenecks that severely reduce end-user performance. This decrease in productivity can result in critical costs to your business, especially when compounded across all teleworkers. In this day and age of analytics-driven business decisions, higher levels of inefficiencies are concerning for enterprise leaders.

To help alleviate this growing issue, organizations have turned to software-defined WAN (SD-WAN) solutions. Here are a few of the major benefits of this technology:

• Improved Responsiveness – With information no longer traveling through narrow channels, data moves more freely between members of an organization’s team.
• Simplified Architecture – Because SD-WANs are based in software, many creators have opted to make them more accessible. This allows enterprises to leverage connectivity tools in a way that works for their business.
• Increased Access – SD-WANs are a growing market. In 2018, declared that 2018 would be the “Year of the WAN.” In the four years since, the options for businesses have grown exponentially.

Unfortunately, SD-WANs introduce another problem as they provide direct connections to internet resources. This bypasses the aforementioned bottleneck issue, but in doing so also removes the protection traditional architectures provide.

This is especially concerning when most remote workers are using their personal devices to connect to SD-WANs. This means that enterprises might unwittingly expose themselves to cybersecurity threats. Add the element of human error, and this becomes an IT leader’s worst nightmare.

Creating WAN Technology With IT Security In Mind

If the transition to SD-WAN is going to be successful, there are some major developments that creators will need to implement. has identified these key requirements that SD-WAN solutions will need to incorporate in the near future:

1. Integrated Security and Compliance. Robust security technology needs to be integrated from the beginning. This includes secure sockets layer (SSL) and transport layer security (TLS) traffic inspection.
2. Application And Path Awareness. SD-WANs must interface with next-generation firewalls (or NGFWs). Currently, many SD-WAN solutions do not offer TLS 1.3 decryption, meaning that hidden packets can pass through unnoticed. It is critical that NGFWs examine all traffic that passes through the SD-WAN.
3. Automation. To reap the benefits of this new technology, developers will need to ensure NGFWs don’t interfere with the qualities that make software-defined WANs so efficient. There’s a sensitive balance to maintain here.
4. Multi-Broadband Support. Integrated cybersecurity protocol must be able to access the public internet to offer the maximum amount of WAN availability.
5. Ease Of Access. As part of building SD-WAN into security from the beginning, connectivity and cybersecurity features will need to be accessible from one console.

Conclusion

Cybersecurity Awareness Month is a great time to turn our attention to the pressing security problems facing today’s professionals. Whether your enterprise employs remote workers or is back in the office full-time, it is important to protect your data with the most up-to-date technologies.

To fully realize the benefits of a secure SD-WAN, your organization will require a thorough assessment. Contact WEI today to better understand the benefits of relying on Fortinet for an integrated, comprehensive, and secure SD-WAN solution.

Next Steps: Learn more about Fortinet cloud security options by downloading our latest tech brief, “.”

The post How You Can Bring Cybersecurity Into The Home Office With SD-WAN appeared first on IT Solutions Provider - IT Consulting - Technology Solutions.

In most cases, technological developments are worth celebrating. Over the past five years alone, our technology strategies have become more efficient and integrated than ever before. Unfortunately, the same advancements that are used to develop a streamlined IT infrastructure are also used by data miners, malware, and viruses.

Years ago, cybersecurity was carried out using software, and for a while, that was enough, cyberthreats were not able to penetrate further. While an unchecked virus could cause serious damage, an equally clever application could protect your data. But as technology has evolved, so have malicious events.

Software-based security can easily be changed in a cyberattack. If your protection software is compromised, there could be nothing to stop your data from being compromised or hijacked.

The last few years have shown that software and data are not the only things at risk in a cyberattack. Your hardware can also be compromised. It is no longer enough to protect your software and data; a comprehensive security strategy needs to include hardware-based infrastructure. This is especially true when it comes to threats to servers.

defines hardware security as “the protection of physical devices from threats that would facilitate unauthorized access to enterprise systems.” These physical devices include firmware, BIOS, network cards, Wi-Fi cards, motherboards, graphic cards, and all the other parts that make up your system.

Cybersecurity Threats Come With A Heavy Cost

Technology has made our lives much easier, but when technology unexpectedly fails, your business can be left in the dark. If your hardware is compromised by a cyberthreat, the cost to your enterprise can be immense.

In fact, a from ITIC reported that a server outage costs a median of $9,600 per minute. That is a staggering $576,000 an hour. The scary thing is, these costs are expected to grow with time. It’s also important to not that this estimate does not include the damage done to your business’s reputation.

When your business experiences a security breach, consumers are also affected. Because of recent events, consumers are more cautious about who they trust with their data. If your customers believe your servers are vulnerable, they will be hesitant to trust your company. It is important that you, as an IT leader, prevent this snowball effect by giving customers a good reason to trust you with their data. At the end of the day, a customer’s data is their most powerful asset, aside from their employees.

Dell EMC PowerEdge Servers Are The Next Generation In Cybersecurity

One of the best ways to increase brand loyalty and trust is to never have a security breach to begin with. This is a tall task, but Dell EMC can help. to the growing concern of hardware-level security threats with their PowerEdge servers. Rather than adding cybersecurity protection as an afterthought, Dell’s PowerEdge servers use security systems that extend across every aspect of the server.

With PowerEdge servers, your business can rest assured that all areas of your system are protected, including:

• Server firmware
• Data stored in the system
• The operating system
• Peripheral devices
• Management operations within the server

Because cybersecurity begins at the ground level, your business can build a process that fits its needs. This also allows for security controls and management tools that extend across hardware and firmware.

All in all, this makes for a highly personalized security system that protects your valuable data, quickly detect system threats, anomalies, breaches, or unauthorized operations, and recover from malicious events.

Dell EMC 14th and 15th generation PowerEdge servers also use a Cyber Resilient Architecture which includes:

• Effective Protection: Hard-drive encryption, silicon-based root-of-trust, secure booting, signed firmware updates, dynamic system lockdown, and enterprise key management.
• Rapid Recovery: Automated BIOS recovery, rapid OS recovery, and rapid system erasure.
• Reliable Detection: Persistent event logging, configuration and firmware drift detection, chassis intrusion detection, and auditing of logs.

Conclusion

Dell EMC’s PowerEdge servers offer a solution to the growing concern over cyberthreats that target hardware, especially servers. If you would like to learn more about how you can integrate Dell EMC’s PowerEdge servers into your enterprise, contact WEI today to get started.

Next Steps: Discover more about refreshing your servers and enhancing digital transformation by downloading our tech brief, .

The post Why Your Business Needs To Protect Its Data At The Hardware Level appeared first on IT Solutions Provider - IT Consulting - Technology Solutions.

Ensuring a strong defense against security breaches is an essential part of any modern business. Being responsible for important data like financial and medical records or other private information means you simply cannot ignore proper security protocols. Enterprise data security and protection is a crucial part of any company’s IT structure. Fortunately, there are simple yet powerful data storage solutions that guarantee data security and protection along with solid recoverability options.

The Importance Of Data Security And Protection

As organizations grow, more data is created across various environments. This growth can also lead to an expansion of threat landscapes. According to Forbes, the average number of cyberattacks and data breaches last year increased by 15.1% from 2020. Complexities in computing continue to grow and cybercriminals are seeking to exploit vulnerabilities, making data security and protection more important than ever. Any business can suffer from a data breach, so any assets used to enhance your business must remain confidential and secure.

Data security solutions can help IT leaders obtain increased visibility and insights to investigate and remediate cyber threats and provide protected storage for enterprise data to reduce risk. Implementing data security solutions helps add extra layers of data security and protection, which can go a long way in preventing unauthorized access to your company’s system. If you want to avoid data breaches, you may want to consider data security solutions such as from Dell Technologies.

Dell PowerStore Overview

Dell PowerStore is a next-generation data storage solution with a focus on data-centric workloads, intelligent automation, adaptable infrastructure, and enhanced security. It helps consolidate storage and virtual server environments to ultimately optimize and protect modern workloads from core to edge to cloud.

The Dell PowerStore platform includes two major configurations including PowerStore T and PowerStore X. This data storage solution can scale up and out for rapidly changing environments. PowerStore is an adaptable solution that can enable speed and application mobility and offers flexible deployment.

Last, but not least, it provides data-in-place upgrades so your business can gain a modernized infrastructure without any downtime involved. This platform sets a new standard for data storage for its flexibility, performance, and ease of use.

Top 6 Reasons To Choose Dell PowerStore

Let’s dive into the primary reasons so many customers implement Dell Powerstore:

1. Software-Driven Design
   

This software-first service is meant to work with diverse and distributed workloads. Dell can deliver new capabilities quicker since the PowerStore operation system is modular and agile.

2. Adaptable Architecture
   

As mentioned earlier, this platform is designed to accommodate change by adapting physically and operationally to your business needs. The provided speed and application mobility can help this platform adjust to your strategy as you go and no matter where your data resides.

3. Built-In Intelligence
   

With its incorporated AI and Machine Learning capabilities, Dell PowerStore simplifies management and optimizes system resources. Through a programmable infrastructure, it also helps monitor, analyze, and troubleshoot the environment for up to a 99% reduction in management effort.

4. Predictive Analytics
   

Dell PowerStore works with its built-in AI to help you gather insights on multiple infrastructure categories such as servers, storage, networking, and cloud. PowerStore can also help with staff productivity, reduced risk, and forecasting future needs with its AIOPs application, CloudIQ.

5. AppsOn
   

AppsOn is a PowerStore capability that allows customers to bring applications closer to storage by running them as virtual machines that run directly on PowerStore. Overall, it enables agility by allowing seamless movement between the PowerStore appliances and VMware ESXi servers.

6. Advanced Data Protection And Security
   

Part of PowerStore’s capabilities include Data At Rest Encryption (D@RE) and Snapshots. These solutions ensure that enterprise data is protected from physical theft and substitute drive disposal processes. As Dell Technologies likes to say, cybersecurity is built into PowerStore’s DNA!

If you’d like to learn more top reasons why Dell PowerStore works for many businesses, click .

Conclusion

Dell PowerStore is the fastest growing new architecture aimed at keeping businesses future-ready and data secure. Solutions like this can help ensure your IT team is fully prepared to prevent ransomware attacks as well as have the ability to recover from attacks quickly and effectively.

If your organization would like guidance on figuring out data security solutions, turn your questions into solutions and contact WEI today. Our experts can help you gain greater visibility and insight and remediate cyber threats.

Next Steps: Discover the importance of safeguarding your company’s data and why your enterprise should invest in data security solutions by downloading our tech brief, “.”

The post Enhance Enterprise Data Security And Protection With Modern Solutions appeared first on IT Solutions Provider - IT Consulting - Technology Solutions.

To advance business growth and forward-thinking digital strategy, organizations consistently invest in IT infrastructures. As businesses across all industries strive to meet their goals for increasingly varied applications in a demanding market, a growing need emerges to validate and upgrade the underlying infrastructures. Testing only your applications will not be enough to defend your infrastructure from a variety of risks. Infrastructure testing is a vital step in staying ahead of the ever-increasing IT complexities, but is your business doing this frequently and effectively enough? Read on to learn about the importance of infrastructure testing and why our team recommends it.

What Is Infrastructure Testing?

tells us: “Every software requires an infrastructure to perform its actions. Infrastructure testing is the testing process that covers hardware, software, and networks. It involves testing any code that reads configuration values from different things in the IT framework and compares them to intended results.” Even more, this critical process can help prevent failures in your interconnected systems that may lead to downtime or data breaches. Ultimately, it ensures that every part of your process is acting as intended.

Another way infrastructure testing can be used is to confirm an organization is complying with necessary security policies while also avoiding vulnerabilities and hacking techniques that can exploit networks or steal data.

The Benefits Of Infrastructure Testing

The infrastructure testing process can bring numerous operational and security benefits. When you confirm that any vulnerabilities are identified and corrected before a cyberattack hits, you can be protected from fiscal and reputational damage. Making sure your IT infrastructure is up to date facilitates a more stable and reliable system that end-users and internal processes can and will benefit from.

A successful infrastructure testing process also helps reduce the number of production failures, leading to less downtime and financial loss. This reduction includes the cost of lost business during the time systems are offline and the expenses created by identifying and fixing the issue.

Infrastructure testing also presents an opportunity for IT administrators to review what legacy items still exist in their environment. For example, support for VMware vSphere 6.7 is ending in October 2022 and enterprises who delayed an upgrade the past two years are now staring at a hurried upgrade process. Hardware virtualization platforms like (now vSphere 7.0.3 as of this writing) is known by many system administrators for its improved stability, performance, and usability. By having a more reliable environment, your company can also give end-users and developers confidence in your system, which allows for simpler scalability. This also means reduced times for development cycles, which helps organizations react quicker to a changing environment.

, WEI’s influential tech expert practicing for 22 years, shares his thoughts on the benefits of infrastructure testing:

“The ultimate perfect environment is for you to buy some servers (in an infrastructure scenario) and put them into use. Then you would buy the same make and model and build a test environment. You can go through the validation of your organization yourself and do these upgrades in an environment that does not run production workloads. That can provide your organization with validation that the processes are correct, and that the software operates the way you expect it to operate during and after the upgrades.”

How Often Should You Run Infrastructure Testing?

In order to meet the demands of high-performance apps, you need to regularly conduct infrastructure testing. In general, you should consider running these any time there are infrastructure-related changes to a system such as the development of new patches, updates to your operating system, or security fixes.

We once again turn to Mark, who has experience with hundreds of implementations and integrations, to share this example:

“Just because you buy and implement the system doesn’t mean you should leave it alone for three years and then upgrade it once in a great while. Imagine if we had done this with our cars. Four years later after buying my car, I show up at the dealership and tell them that something is wrong with it, and they look at me and say, “˜Well you’ve driven 100,000 miles, how many times have you changed the oil? How many times did you do a tire rotation?’ If we treated our automobiles the way we treat some of the infrastructures I’ve seen, it would just be absolutely horrible for those who own the vehicles. We need to treat our IT infrastructures and maintain them the same way we would maintain something like our automobiles.”

Conclusion

If you use hardware virtualization platforms like VMware vSphere, it’s vital to make sure you upgrade to the latest updated version (7.0.3). Administrators who run unsupported legacy platforms increase their risk of security breaches and high expenses. Devoting time and resources early to an effective infrastructure testing system can ensure all company networks are safe and able to cope with constant changes.

WEI can assist you in system upgrades if you don’t have the time or resources. Contact us to get started today.

Next Steps: Learn more about what Mark has to say about VMware vSphere 7.0.3 along with the importance of infrastructure testing in his recent interview below:

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Business information has always been an important commodity. Due to this, it’s necessary for data security to be a top priority in every enterprise. The immense value and volume of data continues to increase as companies expand with digital transformation and extend their geographical footprint. Protecting information must be at the top of the list when organizations consider what they should focus on for enterprise growth. If a breach occurs, businesses may lose more than just time and money – they can also lose their customers’ trust. Fortunately, there are solutions to help organizations safeguard sensitive data, mitigate cyberattacks, and manage infrastructure demands.

Why Data Security Is A Trending Investment Among IT Leaders

A large percentage of enterprises are giving the keys to their annual investments to their IT leaders. Due to the , companies are spending more than ever to stay protected. According to , “spending on information security and risk management will total $172 billion in 2022, up from $155 billion in 2021 and $137 billion the year before.” Since companies are outgrowing antiquated data protection systems, it’s important for IT leaders to invest in cybersecurity solutions to prevent risk and stay current with regulations.

Not only does this investment help improve customer experience and enhance operational efficiency, but it can greatly enhance data security solutions, too. states, “Businesses suffered 50% more cyberattack attempts per week in 2021.” This number is forecasted to grow each year as more and more companies store their data in the cloud. in 2021 increased by 105% over 2020, which is more than triple the number seen in 2019. Unfortunately, we can only expect this to increase in the coming years. As such, it’s no surprise that IT leaders are investing in data security to heighten the efforts needed to improve their cybersecurity.

The distressing number of cyberattacks has made many organizations rethink their cybersecurity solutions. A predominant trend for companies trying to improve their data security is investing in next-generation cybersecurity technologies that use artificial intelligence and automation to analyze security-related data points and locate the most concerning actions. This is where comes into play.

How Dell PowerStore Can Help With Data Security

Dell PowerStore is a groundbreaking appliance for data storage. Providing customers with a data-centric, intelligent, and adaptable infrastructure that supports every type of workload, this simple, powerful, and versatile platform streamlines data security operations. By using a container-based microservices architecture, integrated machine learning, and advanced storage technologies, Dell PowerStore can help you make the most of your data and keep it secure. Some of the key data security capabilities of this platform are as follows:

1. DARE

Data At Rest Encryption (DARE) is a cyber resiliency feature that helps ensure data security by preventing unauthorized access to critical data. It uses Self-Encrypting Drives (SEDs) for primary storage. This feature can protect valuable data that could become compromised by blocking attacks and making it difficult for intruders to identify and steal information. DARE can also assist businesses in complying with privacy and security regulations.

Encryption is also performed within each drive before the data is written to the media, ultimately protecting the data on the drive against loss, theft, or attempts to read the drive directly by physically deconstructing the drive. Overall, the encrypted drives keep enterprise data secure.

2. Snapshots

Snapshots provide an easy and efficient way to protect local data. In the event of data corruption or deletion, Snapshots provide copies of the data and have the ability to instantly recover from these events. This is done by going back to an older point in time, or by copying the affected data from the snapshot. This feature is one of the most effective ways to safeguard important data across a wide range of industries.

PowerStore snapshots are ideal for recovering instantly from a ransomware attack because they are completely read-only and can’t be manipulated. They can be created manually or automatically with protection policies, and only users with an administrator role can manage snapshot policies.

3. PowerProtect Cyber Recovery

Dell PowerProtect Cyber Recovery offers a data security solution that stores critical data away from attack surfaces. This feature can protect against external and insider threats through the deployment of a Cyber Recovery “vault.” With its multiple layers of protection, it physically isolates the data, keeping it from the attack surface. Through its many safeguards, Cyber Recovery can help businesses quickly identify a clean copy of data and recover essential systems to help keep your company operational.

An intelligent layer is also added for extra protection with the analytics engine. This integration helps find data corruption if a cyberattack infiltrates the data center or backup environments. With the help of machine learning, enterprises can identify threats while protecting critical data.

Compromised data can lead to many issues for an organization. If you would like to learn more about helpful cybersecurity solutions for your company’s data security, contact WEI today. Our enterprise cybersecurity team can also assist in assessing your organization’s current vulnerabilities to help you stay protected from potential threats.

Next Steps: If you are interested in learning the differences between data protection and data storage and why both are required for meaningful digital transformation,

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Our review of 2021 IT trends reported that Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) was not only a common feature for enterprise IT teams, but that it will be sticking around for the near future, too. Much of this is attributed to shifting remote work architectures, which have made traditional perimeter security architectures essentially outdated. As organizations move away from a full-on remote workforce and into more of a hybrid model, ZTNA features remain just as important.

What’s The Future of ZTNA?

That’s an easy one: It is the future of enterprise security. About 60% of enterprises either have plans to or have phased out traditional VPNs and use a . Much of this transition has to do with the following VPN challenges:

• A VPN takes a perimeter-based approach to security
• VPNs have no insight into the content they deliver
• Networks are now highly distributed

To date, a little more than 15% of organizations have completed a transition to a zero-trust security model. It’s time to say goodbye to your VPN as we reintroduce our look at two different ZTNA models:

Client-Initiated Or Endpoint-Initiated ZTNA

The first zero-trust network access model is known as endpoint-initiated ZTNA or a client-initiated ZTNA model. This model is software-defined and based on the Cloud Security Alliance architecture which uses an agent on a device to create a secure tunnel to the enterprise network. This agent performs an assessment to determine the security risk of a user’s request to access an application using information such as their identity, device location, network, and the application being used. After building a risk profile, the agent connects back to the application over a proxy connection, and if the information meets the organization’s policy, access to the application is granted. The beauty of this model is that applications can be on-premises or cloud-based Software-as-a-Service (SaaS).

The Service-Initiated Or Application-Initiated ZTNA Model

The service-initiated model uses a reverse proxy architecture based on the BeyondCorp model and is also known as application-initiated ZTNA. The biggest difference from client-initiated ZTNA is that this model does not require an endpoint agent. Instead, to create a secure tunnel and perform a risk assessment profile, it uses a browser plug-in.

Three Questions For Zero Trust Network Access With Fortinet

Fortinet’s approach to zero trust access can be broken down into : who, what, and what happens after network access.

1. Who is accessing the network?
The first piece is who is accessing the network, which can include employees, supply chain partners, and customers. With a zero-trust model, users are only given access to the resources that are necessary for them. To achieve this, breach-resistant identification and authentication is mandated, with many enterprises going a step further and requiring multi-factor authentication at login.

2. What devices are accessing the network?
The second piece is the devices that are accessing the network. For a zero-trust access strategy to be effective, IT teams need a comprehensive solution to managing and monitoring the myriad of devices that require access to the network. This is especially true as internet-of-things devices continue to grow in usage and popularity. And let’s not forget that IoT devices are an attractive entry point for hackers.

3. What happens when devices leave the network?
The third piece is about endpoint security, or what happens when a device leaves the network. According to Fortinet, a comprehensive zero-trust access strategy should provide off-network hygiene control, vulnerability scanning, web filtering, and patching policies.

Fortinet FortiOS 7.2 Expands Security Fabric

In April 2021, FortiOS 7.0 was released and included several notable features, including ZTNA. As we jump to , there were some key enhancements regarding its ZTNA features we should highlight. For one, cybersecurity leaders can now better manage enforcement due to a unified policy configuration in a single GUI for each connection. As a bonus, there were also improvements made to the ZTNA service portal.

In addition to ZTNA, FortiOS 7.2 assures greater unification on the convergence of networking and security across NGFW, SD-WAN, LAN Edge, 5G.

ZTNA is available right out of the box for FortiGate customers. It also doesn’t require a software-as-a-service solution and because it’s built into FortiOS 7.2, which provides the foundation for Fortinet’s security portfolio, ZTNA is also built into Fortinet’s other solutions, including , , , and .

ZTNA With Fortinet

Fortinet offers comprehensive and holistic security solutions for the largest enterprise, service provider, and government organizations in the world. From NGFWs for microsegmentation to ZTNA, Fortinet ensures security without compromising performance. If you have questions about how Fortinet can help you improve enterprise security for your company, contact WEI today.

NEXT STEPS: Take a closer look at all the security solutions IT leaders consider essential for securing their business throughout the digital transformation journey. Our eBook, “An IT Leader’s Guide to Enterprise Security in a Digital World,” pulls it all together. Click below to start reading.

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We’ve unpacked the term “Digital Transformation” for some time now, and the urgency for meaningful digitalization only continues to increase from enterprise to enterprise. But as an IT leader, do you know which areas of transformation are worth investing over others? It can be a tough call to make if your IT personnel are already struggling to take on additional projects and workflows or if your budget isn’t as forgiving as it once was.

Digital transformation investments commonly center around improving areas such as customer experience, operational efficiencies, staff retention rates, and employee productivity. But none of these mentioned areas is the most popular – that would be data security. In our about digital transformation, data security management was easily the top objective worth investing in at 26%. This comes as no surprise given the heightened urgency around recent (and notable) ransomware events and the nation’s current cybersecurity status.

Solidify Agility With Data Security Management

Companies look forward to earning greater digital agility because it aids efficiency at the operational and customer levels. But greater agility also opens the door a little wider for threat actors, too. As enterprises are now comprised of vast IT estates with thousands of touchpoints, each one represents a potential vulnerability or attack avenue. That’s why your team cannot slight its data security management in the least bit.

According to , there were 1,862 data breaches reported in 2021, an increase of 68% over the previous record set the year before. The frequency of breaches also affects the cost of recovery for organizations. found that the cost of a single data breach in 2021 was $4.24 million, a 10% increase over the average cost of $3.86 million in 2019. This is especially difficult for companies that went remote over the last few years. Due to a lack of needed technology improvements and new security threats, remote organizations paid an average of $107 million higher than the organizations that stayed in the office. The increased rate of cyberattacks makes it evident that IT leaders cannot ignore data security.

Data Security, Protection, and Privacy: How They Relate

Data security is not the same as data privacy or data protection. However, each of the terms are incredibly important pieces to your enterprise’s cybersecurity puzzle. For instance, you may implement a multifactor authentication system to properly authenticate users before connecting to a data directory. Should a threat actor seize a privileged account with the required access to encrypt the directory, a backup system can be used to restore the compromised data.

Here, data security and data protection work together. It is worth noting that meaningful data security features three core elements of what is referred to as the CIA Triad security model. And no, we can assure you that “CIA” has nothing to do with a well-known intelligence agency.

• Confidentiality: Ensures that data is only accessed by authorized individuals.
• Integrity: Ensures that data is trustworthy, accurate, and authentic by retaining it in
• a pristine and untampered state.
• Availability: Ensures that data is available to those that need it to do their job.

Streamline Your Data Security Strategy

Effective data security management doesn’t mean throwing wasted dollars at another third-party cybersecurity service. In fact, many see the strategy of purchasing additional security tools upon the discovery of a new attack methodology to be non-productive and create unnecessary complexity that could potentially consume too much attention of internal staff. According to the , 81% of organizations that utilized 50+ security vendors had 10,000+ records impacted. Many data breaches can be prevented by applying an available patch created for the designated vulnerability. Surveys have shown that as much as 30% of all new security investments are underutilized, or sometimes not even used at all.

A sound data security strategy should include at least some of the following security tools, protocols, and policies:

• A next general firewall at the network perimeter is essential to be able to monitor and filter network traffic.
• The memberships of highly privileged groups should be monitored to be made aware of changes.
• Identity and access management (IAM) measures should be implemented in conjunction with role-based access controls (RBAC) to enforce authentication and authorization. Also ensure that only authorized users can access or transfer data.

Furthermore, data security strategies should be centered around a zero-trust security featuring these fundamentals:

• The network is always assumed to be hostile.
• Internal and external threats always exist on the network.
• Network locality is not sufficient for deciding trust in a network.
• All devices, users, and network flows are authenticated and authorized.
• Policies must be dynamic and calculated from as many sources of data as possible.

Speak with our seasoned data security specialists who can analyze both your business objectives and security risks to create a duty of care strategy that not only reduces your enterprise’s exposure to the risk of attack, but also the risk of business disruption, non-compliance and litigation. Data security and digital transformation go hand in hand – WEI can show you how.

Next Steps: If you finished this article wanting more, download our fresh white paper, This insightful white paper dives into the data security trends that IT leaders are following and what is streamlined for meaningful digital transformation journey. It also further explains the differences between data security, data privacy, and data protection. 

The post Remember, Improved Digital Agility Requires Data Security Management, Too appeared first on IT Solutions Provider - IT Consulting - Technology Solutions.

Over the last decade, the topic of cybersecurity has shifted from being a technical subject to a mainstream topic impacting every facet of the organization. As cyberattacks become increasingly more sophisticated, frequent and disruptive executive leaders now face a new complex blend of issues, including economics, business processes, and psychology.

During a recent event, presented in partnership with , we featured Michael Daniel, an industry thought leader and expert in cybersecurity. Serving as former Cybersecurity Advisor to the White House and current president and . Michael shared his outlook on the global security landscape and applicable steps to help you avoid becoming the next breaking cybersecurity story.

In the article below, we’ll share the top three strategies to level up your cyber game.

1. Change Your Cybersecurity Mindset

When it comes to cybersecurity, it’s often treated as a problem that you just purchase a solution for. The reality is cybersecurity is constantly evolving and requires a new mindset to protect the organization from emerging threats.

Here are two reasons why cybersecurity isn’t just a technical problem.

1. Cybersecurity is an economic problem. Enterprises need to develop incentives for their employees by addressing cybersecurity as a shared risk and promoting that through collaboration across organizational boundaries.
2. Cybersecurity is a psychological problem. Cybercriminals have been manipulating people for years and enterprises still struggle to apply the correct solutions because they are solving the problem only through technology.

By shifting your mindset about cybersecurity from a problem to be solved to a long-term strategy focused around a blended approach encompassing economics, business processes and human psychology, enterprises are better equip to manage risk and protect the enterprise from emerging threats.

2. Redefine Success For Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity lives inside cyberspace, which doesn’t operate like the physical world does. It’s difficult to understand cyberspace because none of the features of cyberspace work in the real world.

According to Michael, “Everybody will always say that cyberspace is borderless and that’s not true.”

It’s actually the complete opposite – borders are everywhere in cyberspace. There are routers, firewalls, and switches that create the borders. It’s just a difficult concept because the borders aren’t the same arbitrary political boundaries we’ve made in the physical world. Border security doesn’t work in cyberspace, and since our mental models can’t translate a borderless network, enterprises struggle with protecting themselves from cybersecurity threats.

Michael explained four ways cybersecurity threats are consistently evolving.

1. Cybersecurity threats have become more diverse. The number and type of devices to attack is getting larger by every passing year. The volume and the diversity of connected devices increases the complexity of cybersecurity threats making it difficult to defend.
2. The volume of malicious activity is increasing as the barriers to entry are low and the returns are high. Cybercriminals can make a lot of money or gain information with the low probability of being arrested and prosecuted.
3. Cybersecurity threats are increasingly more sophisticated. In the last couple of years cybersecurity threats have increased exponentially. The criminal ecosystem is now diversified and highly specialized making cybercrime is far more organized than you think. They have access to key resources making them better prepared and knowledgeable. Cybercrime runs like a business and the “big ticket items” are enterprises. That’s why there has been an increase in ransomware.
4. Cybercriminals are designing cyberthreats that are increasingly more disruptive. The impact of cyber incidents has increased because enterprises and individuals are more digitally dependent than ever. Having a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy involves acknowledging how cybersecurity threats are evolving in order to properly protect ourselves.

Cybersecurity is often seen as something you can simply fix, but rather a part of doing business in the modern world. You want to treat cybersecurity like a core operational risk that will occur throughout the life of your business. If not, one cyber incident could be catastrophic.

3. Recognize That Cybersecurity Is Still “New”

Cybersecurity is still very “new.” Many enterprises will say cybersecurity has been around for a long time. However, they haven’t been able to develop customs, habits, policies, or laws that consistently work well in cyberspace. We understand cyberspace as this highly connected and interactive environment – the internet. People are connected to the network all the time, more so every single year. Only in the last 20- 25 years has the network really evolved. In regard to customs, policies, and laws this is a very short amount of time.

How Cisco SecureX Aligns With Your Cybersecurity Strategy

Cisco offers a simplified security experience that allows enterprises to continue using the three strategies to successfully protect themselves from cybersecurity threats. , built-in platform that connects their secure portfolio and an enterprise’s infrastructure seamlessly for a consistent experience. SecureX unifies visibility, enables automation, and strengthens security across your network. It does this without replacing your current security infrastructure or layering on another technology. confidently secure every business aspect, lets you build your own customizable security, collaborates across shared workflows and teams, and turns security from a blocker into an enabler. It aligns with Michael Daniels’ three strategies and will keep you updated on any approaching cybersecurity threats.

NEXT STEPS: Lack of visibility across your entire IT estate is often the biggest challenge when it comes to effectively securing your company from intrusion. Cisco can help you spot those vulnerabilities faster with a proactive security strategy. It really comes down to having the right tools AND frequent cybersecurity training for your employees, but let’s start at square one and take a look at what’s possible when you have full visibility!

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