Taking Network Security to the Next Level With a Multi-Cloud Approach
By now, the benefits of adopting a multi-cloud strategy are clear—and by 2020, more than 90% of enterprises will use multiple cloud services, according to IDC. Having the ability to distribute workloads and data across multiple cloud providers gives enterprises the increased agility and flexibility they need to sustain an efficient business. And, adopting a multi-cloud environment can also bring added benefits to an enterprise’s network security, some of which include weakening the impact of network-based threats such as shadow IT and DDoS attacks.
If you’re one of the few stragglers who haven’t adopted a multi-cloud strategy yet, it can be helpful to take a step back and look at its key benefits. Using more than one cloud provider has the potential to improve an organization’s security strategy by weakening the impact of network-based cyberthreats, including distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks and shadow IT threats. For example, DDoS attacks are one example of why organizations should use more than one cloud provider. DDoS attacks work by making it impossible to access certain websites, servers or network resources, resulting in a “denial of service” for end users. A multi-cloud environment allows enterprises to distribute their resources and data—therefore weakening the impact of a DDoS attack—by having the ability and option to use other clouds until the other recovers.
However, it can be challenging to keep an enterprise network healthy and properly manage core network services (DNS, DHCP and IP Address Management, otherwise known as DDI) across a multi-cloud infrastructure.
Network Security Barriers and Challenges to Adoption
One major aspect enterprises often find challenging is successfully managing their core network services (DDI) during the transition to a multi-cloud strategy. These network services work to connect devices to web-based applications to each other across multiple clouds. A working business relies on a secure network, and core network services are a key part of that—so keeping your core network services as updated as possible and ensuring they have the ability to adapt to your business needs will play in your favor.
In general, private and public cloud solutions don’t provide enough visibility into activity and devices located on DNS servers and IP addresses. What’s more, as orgs begin to expand to multiple clouds, their network gets spread across additional providers and result in blind spots that make it difficult to identify and manage devices and network speed. This can pose as a huge risk to enterprises, especially with the explosion of IoT devices and resulting shadow IT threats, making management much more time-consuming, difficult and costly.
Solutions to Approaching a Multi-Cloud Strategy
There are a number of networking services and vendors that enterprises can use to integrate and consolidate DDI platforms for every cloud an organization is working with and are readily available to use with any major cloud provider. This results in a streamlined service that is available at every location on your network—whether it’s located in a branch or remote location, in the cloud or on-premises—with enough flexibility to expand alongside your network whenever you’re ready.
Multi-cloud is the future, and many more IT departments will soon make the transition to a multi-cloud approach. The benefits outweigh the costs, with the flexibility to scale as needed. However, with this added agility comes the need for increased visibility and a consolidated core network service as a result, that will allow enterprises to enjoy the full benefits of a multi-cloud environment. To succeed, enterprises need to embrace the tools that will provide them a network security strategy that takes them to the next level.
